PHILADELPHIA –
Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) and Morgan State University entered into an historic and formal Education Partnership Agreement (EPA) April 3.
According to USNEWS.COM rankings of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Morgan State University (MSU) ranks 20th in the nation and produces the most African American engineers in Maryland each year. Located in Baltimore, a short drive or train ride from Philadelphia, MSU's proximity to NSWCPD makes the school's scientific, engineering, and technology assets, diverse subject matter experts, and faculty perfect partners to enhance mutual research activities in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) domain. NSWCPD plans to collaborate with Morgan State faculty and students on certain U.S. Navy projects and other STEM collaboration efforts.
"Morgan State's engineering programs align well with what we do at Philadelphia, and a large number of their graduates are from within an hour's drive of Baltimore. We couldn't ask for a better partner, to strengthen NSWCPD's technical capabilities, to work on challenging issues facing Navy HM&E (hull, mechanical and electrical) systems, and to offer Morgan's graduates rewarding Navy civilian career opportunities. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Morgan State," said NSWCPD Commanding Officer Navy Capt. Francis E. Spencer III.
"We are delighted to sign this EPA. We have produced thousands of engineers, and we are happy to continue expanding our population of engineers," said Dr. Monique Head, Morgan State University Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies.
"This is a nice fit, and we are here to make a personal connection with you," she added.
Morgan State currently boasts 8,000 students, with 1,200 of those pursuing engineering programs, according to Head.
In addition to mutual support for research, the agreement paves the way for NSWCPD to loan equipment to the university for educational purposes. NSWCPD's subject matter experts will also have the opportunity to teach science and engineering courses at Morgan State, and assist in the development of related courses.
The agreement is dynamic in nature; its language allows for future modification in order to meet the evolving needs of the two organizations. The EPA also addresses means of mutually protecting intellectual property, which includes proprietary information, data and inventions.
The next steps are threefold: Morgan State faculty members will visit the Philadelphia Division in the summer. MSU will prepare to connect with NSWCPD for recruiting and career fairs. Finally, MSU will ensure that their students are ready for future career or research opportunities.
This EPA represents NSWCPD's commitment to working with local and regional colleges and universities to attract and hire talent to help our nation solve problems and keep our Navy the best in the world. We expect to enter into more of these mutually beneficial agreements in the near future.
"We are actively engaged in finalizing agreements with other universities with which the Philadelphia Division has had long standing ties," said Dr. E. Michael Golda, NSWCPD chief technology officer.
Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) provides the Navy's primary technical expertise for naval machinery research and development, machinery cybersecurity and lifecycle engineering, and in-service engineering.
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