Photo By Corum Byers | Caleb Foley, Electrical Engineer at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division's...... read more read more
Caleb Foley, an electrical engineer with the UEM Measurement Systems and Technology Branch, began his career at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, as a contractor in July 2017. He was elated to hear that he was selected for a Black Engineer of the Year award.
“It was crazy to be seen as an engineer of the year, I almost felt as if maybe they had called the wrong person,” Foley said. “I’m a pretty humble person, so [with] competitive things like this, I usually don’t see myself as any more performant than anyone else.”
Foley earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in the spring of 2017 from the University of Maryland, College Park, and is currently pursuing a master's degree.
“Over my collegiate career there were a lot of people who had a wavering belief in me and didn't think that I could be an engineer,” Foley said. “I really believed in proving them wrong and following a passion that I really enjoyed.”
After joining the command as a federal employee in September 2020, Foley was tasked with creating replacement software to deperm ships (remove the permanent magnetization). He successfully completed his part of the three-part project, but when the pieces were used together, some underlying issues emerged. By this point, his colleagues on the project had moved on to other positions. With the weight of the project now on his shoulders, and facing setbacks from the Covid-19 pandemic, Foley enlisted the help of Chief Engineer Robert Schuler of the Technical Excellence Group. Together, they completed the project in April 2023 and successfully depermed their first ship. The new software has a 100% success rate and has been used to deperm five ships since its rollout.
“This project really stands out to me in my career because I was able to overcome [all] obstacles to meet deadlines,” Foley said.
Foley’s advice to others is to never take “no” for an answer, and to not let small bumps in the road distract you from reaching the finish line.
“Don't let anyone stop you,” Foley said. “Perseverance is very important.”
“Mr. Foley continues to impress me each day with both his technical and leadership skills,” Signatures Department Head, Paul Shang said. “He is committed to innovation, efficiency, and his own professional development, as evidenced by his investigations into new technology, interest in new approaches, and ability to absorb and implement them in his work. He exhibits top leadership qualities including integrity, emotional intelligence, and resilience/adaptability and brings these qualities to the team, keeping them motivated even in stressful situations.”
Carderock, the Navy's innovation and ship design powerhouse, headquartered in West Bethesda, Maryland, is a world-class research and development facility specializing in critical ship design components. Carderock uses state-of-the-art facilities, like the David Taylor Model Basin, to create small-scale models and evaluate next-generation surface ships and underwater vessels, ensuring they are future-proof, agile, and equipped to dominate the maritime environment. Carderock's focus areas include Platform Integrity, Signatures, and Naval Architecture and Engineering. With teams and facilities across the country, from Florida to Alaska and Idaho to Washington, Carderock is "Where the Fleet Begins," building the future of the Navy.
For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/CarderockDivision or https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NSWC-Carderock/
| Date Taken: | 11.22.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.04.2024 13:04 |
| Story ID: | 486507 |
| Location: | BETHESDA, US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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