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Andrew Simpson

Andrew Simpson
Electromagnetic & Sensor Systems Department


What school did you attend?
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee

How long have you been employed at NSWCDD?
I joined NSWCDD in August 2019.

What do you like the most about your job?
What I like most about my job is the opportunity to get involved in different projects and working directly with the uniform community. There is such a strong emphasis to learn your discipline by growing in your strengths and challenging your weaknesses.

What advice do you have for those looking to pursue the engineering career path?
If you are someone who does or has struggled with mathematics and science, but have a curious mind, don’t be intimidated to find your own path to pursue this career – even if it is not the traditional one. Growing up, I was never someone who was strong in school – it just didn’t click for me. Therefore, I had to find a different direction. The path I found led me to enlisting in the Navy after high school and then starting my college career at the age of 22. By the time I took engineering specific courses, I realized I was one of many who had taken on engineering school a little later in life. However, I brought a different perspective and approach to the teams I was a part of.

Why did you choose to work for the Navy?
I had an array of experiences in the many roles I performed over the years. Regardless of whether I have enjoyed them all, what has remained true is that this organization has created countless opportunities for me and it continues to prove to be foundational in my life. My favorite part of being a civilian engineer in the Navy is having the opportunity to work directly with the uniform community involving various projects and test events. These experiences have allowed me to witness firsthand the direct impact I now have on individuals serving in various capacities like where I once started. I now get to be a part of new solutions to ensure that current members get a chance to do things better.
 

What other information would you like to share to a future engineer?
It takes a diverse set of strengths and skills to create a successful and dynamic engineering team that can successfully produce a product. Regardless of where you are in your career, be open to being exposed to new experiences and specialties within your chosen engineering discipline. Remain open to crossing the engineering discipline lines. There are always skills – technical and non-technical – that you can take away from any experience to better improve your own primary projects and interests.

 

Andrew Simpson

 

 

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