Photo By Jacqui Barker | PANAMA CITY, Florida – Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division scientist...... read more read more
PANAMA CITY, Florida – As just one product of signed education partnership agreements, Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division partnered with local academic institutions to host the 2018 Invention Convention April 28, 2018.
The 2018 Invention Convention featured a science fair for middle school to college students and technical capabilities, such as SEAL Delivery Vehicles, underwater unmanned vehicles, unmanned aviation systems and Navy diving technologies, presently being fielded at NSWC PCD. The goal of the event was to make science accessible to everyone, regardless of cost.
In 2017, NSWC PCD signed EPAs with Bay District Schools, Florida State University Panama City, and Gulf Coast State College. Invention Convention is just one product of this newly formed partnership between the Navy in Panama City, Florida and local academia.
“This is a wonderful EPA to share knowledge, to collaborate, and also to reach out to students to spark their interest,” said NSWC PCD Commanding Officer Capt. Aaron S. Peters, USN, during a media availability with press April 28, 2018.
Congress enacted Public Law 101-510 and Title 10 United States Code Section 2194 (USC 2194) authorizing the establishment of Education Partnership Agreements between Department of Defense laboratories and educational institutions in the United States for the purpose of encouraging and enhancing study in scientific disciplines at all levels of education. Section 2194 requires the Secretary of Defense to authorize each defense laboratory to enter into one or more EPAs with educational institutions in the U.S., including local education agencies, colleges, universities, and non-profit institutions that are dedicated to improving science, math and engineering education.
NSWC Panama City Division Technical Director Ed Stewart said the day was much bigger than just the Invention Convention and what people would see, or the science fair projects that were judged.
“The Navy’s goal is to make sure we transition capabilities into the hands of the warfighters and to ensure those warfighters are never in a fair fight. Our goal is to hire from the local community and give hands-on work opportunities for folks who study science, technology, engineering and math and then put them to work solving real warfighting problems once they graduate and come work at the Navy base,” Stewart said. “This is just the beginning of a great partnership and continuing what has been a very productive partnership with Florida State University, Gulf Coast State College, and Bay District Schools.”
Florida State University Panama City Dean Dr. Randy Hanna told reporters said the partnerships demonstrated April 28, 2018 was about preparing students for technical careers.
“This partnership is making sure that students in K-12 come ready and have that STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) background, whether they go to Gulf Coast or Florida State, that they are able to enroll in the science programs,” said Hanna. “Every FSU PC engineering student graduates with a job, and a lot of them go to work at NSWC PCD.”
The EPA also serves as the foundation for FSU PC’s Masters of System Engineering course now being offered at the Panama City branch campus.
“Our ability to do that is in large part because of our strong support from Ed Stewart from NSWC PCD,” said Hanna.
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| Date Taken: | 05.01.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 05.01.2018 18:52 |
| Story ID: | 275286 |
| Location: | PANAMA CITY BEACH, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 181 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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