Photo By Neil Nachbar | Michael DeSousa (right), the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport’s...... read more read more
NEWPORT, R.I. – Before becoming deputy head of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport’s Undersea Warfare (USW) Combat Systems Department, Dr. Erin Gauch was a member of a high school robotics team that was mentored by Division Newport engineers. Those interactions had a profound impact and set the stage for her career at the warfare center.
Now Dr. Gauch hopes to have a similar influence on students exploring science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
She was one of several Division Newport employees to help judge three recent Rhode Island science fairs — at South Kingstown High School on Jan. 9, at Portsmouth High School on Jan. 14, and at All Saints STEAM Academy, a private middle school in Middletown, on Jan. 22. Volunteers were recruited by Division Newport’s Educational Outreach program.
“I really believe in NUWC’s outreach programs because I’m a product of them,” Dr. Gauch said. “That’s what brought me along and how I ended up at NUWC, so I try to participate in these sorts of things when I can. I think if we can introduce these students to what we do, who we are and our mission, it’s a good way to get them interested early.”
There were 62 total projects at Portsmouth High School, said Haley Abbott, a biology and biotechnology teacher and organizer of the school’s science fair. Division Newport judges were given a scoring rubric that examined five areas: creative ability, scientific thought, thoroughness, skill and clarity.
“We really love our community partnership with NUWC, especially for the freshman who may not know this is a career path they can pursue,” Abbott said. “The volunteer judges from NUWC can be mentors to these students and something they can aspire to be.”
For Dr. Gauch, the project that stood out involved a golfer seeking more distance from his golf ball. After making a hypothesis, he compared the construction of two golf balls, took the products into the field and tested them while controlling the variables.
“Just talking to him, I could tell he was really engaged,” Dr. Gauch said. “He was interested in the result, and playing golf is something he likes to do. I could see that in his setup. And because of his project, he actually changed the golf ball that he uses from Titleist to TaylorMade.”
That student wasn’t the only one swayed by the result of a project. Dr. Kristina Kamensky, a mechanical engineer in the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department, spoke to a student who sought to learn about the health benefits associated with cold water plunges.
“She said it lowers stress and you’re less likely to have sick days,” Kamensky said. “I asked her, because of your findings, would you be more likely to do cold plunges, and she said yes. I thought that was cool. I’m actually more likely to do it now. I had an opportunity to do it on New Year’s Day and didn’t do it. Maybe I should have.”
Cecilia Schnieder, an engineer in the USW Weapons, Vehicles, and Defensive Systems Department, lives in the area and being a judge provided an opportunity for her to give back to her community.
“I thought this would be a really good way to help foster that love for science and engineering with these kids,” Schnieder said. “It’s also important to let kids know that institutions like NUWC are in the area, especially high school students. So as they’re thinking about where they want to go to college and what they want to do, there is an opportunity for science and technology and engineering in the local community. You don’t have to go to some big city.”
As a “non-engineer,” Sarah Heard, head of the Technical Acquisition Office in the Contracts Department, said her reasoning to be a judge was more about the students than the science.
“I think it’s interesting to see what kids are thinking about,” she said. “This is our next generation. What is it that motivates them? What are they worried about? I like to see how science fair projects have changed over the years. There are some really cool ones here.”
As someone who has judged a number of science fairs, Kelsey Dugan, an ocean engineer in the USW Platforms and Payload Integration Department, said she enjoys seeing students who are passionate about their projects.
“I like to see where the project idea came from and sort of pick the student’s brain,” she said. “Obviously the scientific method is important, but I like to see how well it’s presented. It’s great seeing the students who put a lot of effort into this. I definitely see a lot of potential in some students here.”
Volunteers from Division Newport have been judging science fairs at All Saints STEAM Academy, which is only 1.4 miles from the command, for about 15 years.
“Having employees from NUWC serve as judges at our science fair is an incredible opportunity for our students,” Academy Principal Ann Villareal said. “It demonstrates to the students that local engineers are not only passionate about their work, but also invested in inspiring and supporting the next generation of innovators. The NUWC judges bring real-world expertise and enthusiasm, which makes the experience even more meaningful for our budding scientists and engineers.”
A total of 30 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students presented their projects to the judges. Michael DeSousa, Division Newport’s program manager of K-12 STEM Educational Outreach, has judged many science fairs over the years, but found this one to be unique.
“The science fair at All Saints was unique in that all the judges were either NUWC employees or Sailors from Naval Station Newport, which really highlighted the Navy’s commitment to supporting our local communities,” DeSousa said.
While the projects were creative and well-researched, DeSousa was especially impressed by the exchanges the judges had with the students.
“What stood out was the interactions after each student gave their prepared presentation,” DeSousa said. “Our volunteers love STEM, and the students could see that and make a connection with the judges. You could see the students’ body language change and hear it in their voices. Interacting with professionals who were engaged and genuinely wanted to hear about their work had a big impact. This science fair, like others, was not just an assignment with a grade at the end. It provided the opportunity to show passion for STEM.”
For close to 20 years, Dr. Lynn Antonelli, an electrical engineer and technical project manager in the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department, has judged about 40 science fairs. Like DeSousa, she was impressed by the students from All Saints STEAM Academy.
“The students conducted experiments that were fun and informative,” Antonelli said. “Importantly, they followed the ‘scientific method’ in which you conduct multiple trials to test a theory. Their results were displayed clearly and accurately and included averaging, which is excellent and not necessarily expected for this age group. The students spoke clearly and articulated what they learned.”
Knowing the students would be nervous, especially the sixth-graders who were experiencing their first science fair, Antonelli and the other judges from Division Newport tried to make the young scientists feel comfortable.
“I ask them what they learned and what was fun about their project,” Antonelli said. “That usually gets them to open up and talk about their project with enthusiasm without reading from their poster. I really enjoy the opportunity to motivate the students by complimenting their project and effort and encouraging them with a sincere compliment on how good a job they did.”
Division Newport continued its school outreach on Jan. 30, when two members of the workforce spoke at the Career Day event at Portsmouth Middle School.
Monica DeAngelis, a marine mammal biologist in the Corporate Operations Department, and Dr. Lauren Freeman, an oceanographer in the Ranges, Engineering and Analysis Department, discussed their career tracks before eighth-grade students. DeAngelis also served as a judge at the Portsmouth High School science fair on Jan. 14.
Last year, both Dr. Freeman and DeAngelis volunteered their time to present at the STEAM Festival hosted by the Portsmouth School Department.
NUWC Newport is the oldest warfare center in the country, tracing its heritage to the Naval Torpedo Station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869. Commanded by Capt. Chad Hennings, NUWC Newport maintains major detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as test facilities at Seneca Lake and Fisher's Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida, and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.
| Date Taken: | 02.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.06.2025 11:16 |
| Story ID: | 490244 |
| Location: | NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
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