NSWCPD Introduces Future Engineers to Navy STEM Careers During NSLC Visits

NSWCPD Introduces Future Engineers to Navy STEM Careers During NSLC Visits

By Steven Infanti

Approximately 80 high school students from across the country received an inside look at U.S. Navy engineering and civilian career opportunities during National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) visits to Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD), on July 21 and Aug.5, 2026.

The students visited in two cohorts of about 40 each, with students from 14 states who had selected engineering as their area of interest through the NSLC.

Organized by NSWCPD Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Outreach Program Manager Tristan Wolfe, the visits combined laboratory tours, hands-on demonstrations, and career discussions. The activities introduced students to the people, facilities, and engineering disciplines that support the Navy's surface ships and submarines.

"A lot of them were still at the stage of trying to figure out what engineering meant and the different opportunities that were available to them," NSLC Director of Operations for Northeast Programs Dan Orawiec said. "We wanted to give them an idea of what was possible."

The students were participating in a nine-day residential engineering program at the University of Pennsylvania. NSLC operated the program in partnership with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and its TryEngineering Summer Institute.

Their schedule included computer-aided design, soldering, bridge building, payload and egg-drop exercises, water robot construction, and leadership instruction. The NSWCPD visits took them beyond classroom exercises, showing how engineers applied those skills to challenges in operating Navy ships.

On both days, upon arrival, students were divided into groups for tours of NSWCPD test sites and labs. At each stop, employees explained each facility's purpose, the engineering disciplines involved, and how their efforts supported Navy systems and equipment from development through in-service support and eventual disposal.

For Ethan Wang experiencing one of those facilities in person stood out.

"The most interesting thing I saw was the room with the soundproof technology," Wang said. "I'd seen it online, and it was cool to see and experience it in person."

During their respective visits, students rotated through hands-on activities designed to connect scientific principles to real-world engineering challenges. These exercises focused on critical areas including heat transfer and fluid dynamics, acoustics, hydrophobicity, wave mechanics, and water chemistry.

To further illustrate the opportunities NSWCPD has to offer, both cohorts participated in two targeted career panels during their visits.

The first panel highlighted internships and early-career opportunities. Penn State sophomore Gustian Bici discussed the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP) and the Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP). Andrew Vu represented the Virtual Cyber and Electromagnetic Spectrum Research and Employ (VICEROY) program, and Aidan Cobb discussed the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program.

The second panel focused on established civilian careers. Branch Manager Joseph Lopez, Mechanical Engineers Elyse Merkel and Nancy Agnew, Electrical Engineer Justin Halls, and Test Site Lead Yaseen Farooq discussed their education, career decisions, responsibilities, and experiences supporting the Navy.

"We went one step further and put college interns in front of them who were closer in age," Wolfe said. "Panels of interns and full-time employees showed both the breadth of the work we do and the variability of the career paths people can take as their interests and the needs of the fleet evolve."

Farooq told students that he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering before pursuing a master's degree in electrical engineering with a focus on systems. His experience reinforced the idea that students do not need to have every academic and career decision settled before college.

"It is perfectly okay to change majors as you figure out your passion and what drives you," Farooq said. "I wanted to emphasize the importance of doing something you are passionate about that also supports your desired lifestyle."

The panels also introduced students to an option many had not considered: civilian employment with the Department of the Navy.

"Students often think that we've all gone through boot camp and served," Wolfe said. "Seeing civilians in civilian clothing working at a military installation can change their perception and help them understand that this career path exists."

That message resonated with Zella Tidemanson.

"The visit definitely changed how I view civilian careers with the Navy," Tidemanson said. "I was pleasantly surprised by all the different types of jobs there were to choose from."

That awareness supported students' career exploration and NSWCPD's long-term need for engineers, scientists, technicians, and other STEM professionals. Students received information about internships, scholarships, academic programs, Reserve Officers' Training Corps opportunities, enlisted service, and civilian employment.

"We're not necessarily opening a door for them; we're trying to show them that a door exists," Wolfe said. "That awareness can make a big change, and the students walked away with options for programs they could pursue if they are interested in doing this as a career."

For Riley Ramos, the number of possible career directions was one of the lessons that remained after the visit.

"I learned about all the different career paths, and that's something I want to look into more," Ramos said.

Orawiec said success was not measured solely by how many students pursued engineering. The experience could confirm their interest or help them recognize that another field might be a better fit while they still had time to explore.

"It was our job to present all of this to them, support them, and provide next steps," Orawiec said. "We gave them every opportunity to figure it out."

The visits concluded with an open question-and-answer session. Students left with a broader understanding of Navy engineering, the civilian workforce supporting the fleet, and the academic and career paths that could one day bring them back to NSWCPD.

NSWCPD employs approximately 2,700 civilian engineers, scientists, technicians, and support staff. The command conducts research and development, testing and evaluation, acquisition support, and in-service and logistics engineering for nonnuclear machinery, ship machinery systems, and related equipment and materials for Navy surface ships and submarines. NSWCPD also serves as the primary organization responsible for cybersecurity across all ship systems.