CRANE, Ind. – A Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) employee received the Department of Defense (DoD) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education and Outreach Advocate of the Quarter Award. Steven Corbin was awarded for his efforts to introduce engineering concepts through mentoring and leadership to Greene County, Indiana K-12 students.
“Receiving this award was an unexpected honor, and I count it as a testament to the great STEM program in place at Crane put forth by our STEM coordinator, Tina Closser, and her team,” said Corbin.
Corbin began his career at Crane as an undergraduate intern, and he continues to be an advocate for the Student Employee Program. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Rose-Hulman in 2002, Corbin became a full-time Crane employee. Over his 20-year career at Crane, Corbin has acted as an engineer, task manager, branch manager, and division chief engineer. In 2012, he earned a Master of Science in Engineering Management. He has also held roles on Crane’s corporate hiring and recruiting team since 2013. In this position, he has conducted numerous interviews and attended many careers fairs.
“Recruiting, championing the student program, and STEM outreach all build on each other,” said Corbin. “They provide potential employees with the knowledge, experience, and path they need to better position themselves to join the S&T [science and technology] workforce.”
In in the 2015 – 2016 school year, Corbin helped develop and implement the NSWC Crane Workplace Simulation Project, an annual event at Bloomfield High School in collaboration with the Direct Employer’s Institute. Since its inception, Corbin has mentored more than 50 students in College Algebra, Physics, Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC), Computer Programming, and Project Lead the Way classes.
Through this program, Corbin developed real-world application scenarios that simulate the work environment and actual projects students would complete at Crane. Corbin leads students through the entire project lifecycle including system design, building, and testing. The NSWC Crane Workplace Simulation Project connects class concepts to real-world applications in careers within a short commute of the high school.
“Steve has been a remarkable asset to the Crane STEM Program,” said NSWC Crane STEM Coordinator Tina Closser. “We don’t know what we’d do without him. He has every bit earned this award.”
Since the implementation of the NSWC Crane Workplace Simulation Project, both the high school and elementary school offer STEM and cybersecurity classes. The program also serves to recruit NSWC Crane prospects, leading to at least ten future interns or permanent employees.
“Over the last decade, cybersecurity has come to the forefront of security, in nearly every aspect of life,” said Corbin. “These classes will help students professionally and personally maintain a secure presence in the world.”
For the past two years, Corbin has acted as a presenter for NSWC Crane’s leg of the Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) Educator Boot Camp. These tours benefit local educators who are interested in learning about available careers in the area for their students. The teachers take tours of three main areas of work: Advanced Manufacturing, Life Sciences, and Defense. Mr. Corbin has provided fielded system presentations during several tours. His presentations answered questions regarding jobs at NSWC Crane, necessary education for employment opportunities, and NSWC Crane’s STEM offerings and outreach programs to schools.
“The Educator Boot Camp helps provide teachers with important context to the professional world that their students will be joining,” said Corbin. “It helps them guide students in their education to be better prepared for working in the defense industry, if they so choose.”
Corbin also supports STEM students by serving as a mentor within the Student Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP), volunteering with robot tournament and science fair judging, and working at NSWC Crane’s Maker Spacer at Westgate.
“If Steve’s available to help, he’s going to be there,” said Closser. “He always goes out of his way to help with STEM efforts.”
About NSWC Crane
NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) with mission areas in Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions and Electronic Warfare. The warfare center is responsible for multi-domain, multi- spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today's Warfighter.
Join Our Team! NAVSEA employs a diverse, highly trained, educated, and skilled workforce - from students and entry level employees to experienced professionals and individuals with disabilities. We support today's sophisticated Navy and Marine Corps ships, aircraft, weapon systems and computer systems. We are continuously looking for engineers, scientists, IT and cyber specialists, as well as trade and other support professionals to ensure the U.S. Navy can protect and defend America. Please contact NSWC Crane Human Resources at crane_recruiting@navy.mil.