Photo By Lorin Vilayvong | National Engineers Week 2026 – a week of recognition to celebrate the power of engineering and the people who make it possible!
Meet Jared MacDonald, a computer engineer in the Test & Evaluation Department at Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport. (U.S. Navy graphic by Lorin Vilayvong see less
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NUWC Division, Keyport Engineering Week: Employee Spotlight on Jared McDonald
It’s National Engineers Week – a week of recognition to celebrate the power of engineering and the people who make it possible!
Meet Jared MacDonald, a computer engineer in the Test & Evaluation Department at NUWC Division, Keyport, has always enjoyed fixing and building things – or as he likes to describe it, “breaking things and making messes.”
He knew he wanted to be an engineer during his first semester of college while taking introductory engineering and electrical engineering courses. His philosophy of “finishing what you start even if you’re in over your head” drove him to get serious about school and pursue his engineering degree, and he also credits that mindset with his professional success.
Jared graduated from Montana State University in 2006 with Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering. He began his career at Keyport that same year, joining the Aviation Maintenance Training Continuum System Engineering Team in the Undersea Systems & Sustainment Engineering Department.
With his career focused on computer networks and cybersecurity, he continued his professional development earning a postgraduate certificate in Cyber Defense from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2020. Today, he is the Cyber Test & Evaluation Lead with the Advanced Cybersecurity Engineering Branch, where he works with a team on cyber risk assessments, developmental tests, and systems security engineering.
Jared enjoys taking his experience beyond the gates to inspire the next generation of innovators by mentoring student interns and supporting STEM education. He is currently working on cyber wargaming development, which stemmed from his involvement in the Office of Naval Research’s Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program. His mentorship of 10 high school student interns resulted in a project to make cybersecurity training more interactive and engaging, using a gamified version of the Department of War’s Cyber Tabletop exercise.
“Don’t wait to submit an application or whatever you need to do next,” he advises anyone interested in a career in engineering. “There is engineering in so many different areas, so explore that.”
Jared admits he used to make the mistake thinking that testing wasn’t “real” engineering. However, he soon realized that test engineers have all the best equipment and opportunities to work in exciting environments. That isn’t the only lesson he learned. He shares this bit of encouragement: “If you feel you are outmatched by everyone else around you, just remember you have unique perspectives and experience to offer resulting in an effective team. Always remember to keep learning and getting good at what you love.”
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