NEWPORT, R.I. –
Melanie Smith is a candidate for a doctorate degree in oceanography at Syracuse University in New York, and in the coming years she’ll use her skills in acoustic analysis to help the U.S. Navy fleet complete various missions. The Florida native was one of 10 students to visit the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport on June 25 as a member of the latest cohort in the Science, Math and Research Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service program.
Established in 2006, SMART is a combined educational and workforce development opportunity for STEM students through the Department of Defense that offers scholarships for students pursuing undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Recipients receive full tuition, annual stipends, internships and guaranteed employment after graduation.
The highly competitive selection process involves NUWC Division Newport department hiring managers targeting specific degrees and predicted knowledge gaps to be filled by qualified individuals. In the summer of 2026, the students will complete an eight- to 12-week internship at the warfare center while working alongside a mentor.
Smith said she learned about the SMART program through her academic advisor, Dr. Susan Parks, while working in the Syracuse University’s Bioacoustics and Behavioral Ecology Laboratory.
“We use acoustic data to understand the behavior of marine mammals, and I knew I wanted a career researching marine mammal acoustic behavior,” Smith said. “Through working in her lab, I learned that the Department of Defense, specifically the U.S. Navy, has some of the best scientists and resources for studying ocean acoustics, including marine mammal bioacoustics. As a result, I applied for the SMART scholar program to improve my skills in acoustic analysis, then use that knowledge to support naval activities while mitigating risk to species that are economically and culturally important to the American people.”
During the June 25 visit, Jacob O’Donnell, NUWC Division Newport’s director of university outreach, welcomed the students and their mentors before Director of Research Dr. Elizabeth Magliula provided an overview of the warfare center. She explained that the command’s mission “spans the bridge,” from basic research through fleet support, and pointed out its technical focus areas, which range from cybersecurity to unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs).
“At Division Newport, you can make your career what you want it to be,” Magliula said. “It’s a wide range of opportunities, and it’s important to find what you like because the people here want you to succeed.”
Commanding Officer Capt. Chad Hennings spoke to the students about “why the U.S. Navy exists,” focusing his presentation on the current world climate and the rising tensions between the United States and strategic competitors Russia and China.
“The world is a dangerous place, and the work you do here will help the fleet and the warfighters who protect our nation,” Hennings said.
After the students heard from representatives from each of the seven technical departments, they toured the campus, making stops at the UUV Laboratory, the Bio-Inspired Research and Development (BIRD) Laboratory and the Anechoic Chamber.
Smith is expected to earn her doctorate in May 2029, after which she will begin her employment at Division Newport. During her internship here next summer, she’ll work alongside mentor Dr. Stephanie Watwood in the Marine Mammal Monitoring on Ranges program in the Ranges, Engineering and Analysis Department.
“The research labs and facilities were incredibly impressive,” Smith said. “I was also excited to learn that collaboration between different labs is very common and strongly encouraged. Division Newport clearly prioritizes innovation, which will make it an incredibly fulfilling place to work as a scientist.”
Abdallah Elhilo is working toward attaining his doctorate in mechanical engineering from Viriginia Tech, where much of his research centers around a project that aims to learn more about the movement and sonar pulses of bats. He expects that type of bio-inspired research will continue with the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department at Division Newport.
“I sense that the experience will be both meaningful and rewarding,” said Elhilo, who will be mentored by Bryan Bohn of the Signal Processing Algorithm Development Branch. “I also expect to receive strong technical training and gain insight into the different roles within the department, which I hope will help me identify where I can contribute most and grow into long-term responsibilities.”
Worcester Polytechnic Institute student Nicolas Orlovsky, while among the SMART scholar cohort, is no stranger to Division Newport. He participated in a Naval Engineering Education Consortium project alongside Dr. Anton Spirkin, of the Undersea Warfare (USW) Platforms and Payload Integration Department, and has spent the past three summers at the warfare center as part of the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program.
“Although I’ve been on the tours a couple times before now, the one thing that always stands out to me about NUWC is the diversity of work here,” said Orlovsky, who is expected to earn his doctorate in aerospace and aeronautical engineering in May 2027. “NUWC is one of the few places I can think of, other than really large universities, that you can walk from a wind tunnel to a chemical lab, then to a UUV workshop, and so on.”
Orlovsky said he was able to provide the other future interns some valuable information about finding housing in the area during the busy summer months.
Raised just outside of Miami, Florida, Smith had never been to Newport prior to her visit.
“Before arriving at NUWC, I was already convinced it was a top-tier research facility,” Smith said.
“My visit also showed me the NUWC staff is incredibly welcoming and passionate about mentoring students. Everyone was excited to assist and answer questions, and I got the sense everyone is very dedicated to helping their mentees succeed. I am very excited to return next summer for my internship.”
Members of the 2025 SMART program cohort include, in the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department, Nathaniel Winchell, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, electrical engineering and Abdallah Elhilo, Virginia Tech, mechanical engineering; in the USW Electromagnetic Systems Department, Jin Feng Lin, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, electrical engineering; in the USW Platforms and Payload Integration Department, Nicholas Orlovsky, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, aerospace and aeronautical engineering; in the USW Mission Engineering and Analysis Department, Zachariah Morris, Pennsylvania State University, physics, and Jaden Williams, Texas A&M University, naval architecture and ocean engineering; in the Ranges, Engineering and Analysis Department, Skylar Lama, Georgia Institute of Technology, oceanography, and Melanie Smith, Syracuse University, oceanography; and in the USW Weapons, Vehicles and Defensive Systems Department, Ava Megyeri, Wright State University, computer science and engineering and William Redford, University of Hawaii at Manoa, naval architecture and ocean engineering.
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.