06.30.2026 –
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) recognized employees for career milestones, professional development achievements, honorary awards, and letters of appreciation during its Fiscal Year 2026 Third Quarter Awards Ceremony held June 17, 2026, at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia.
The ceremony honored the dedication, technical expertise, leadership, and sustained service of NSWCPD’s military and civilian workforce. Award recipients represented a wide range of command functions, from engineering and technical support to business operations, workforce development, and fleet-focused mission execution.
“It is always a pleasure to recognize the individual talents and contributions of the entire workforce. This event also recognizes the mission everyone does here: supporting the fleet, bringing new technologies to the fleet, and supporting the Navy,” NSWCPD Commanding Officer Capt. Ashley Wright said.
NSWCPD employees receiving Career Service Awards included three employees with 40 years of service, five with 35 years of service, three with 30 years of service, and seven with 25 years of service. The printed program also highlighted 83 employees with 10 years of service, 13 with 15 years, and 13 with 20 years.
The ceremony also recognized graduates of NSWCPD professional development programs. Nicholas Dewey, Bradley Seymour, and Mitchel Yee were recognized as Scientist and Engineer Development Program (SEDP) graduates. Kristen Cella, Charlee Pappler, and Jacob Schaeffer were recognized as Naval Acquisition Development Program (NADP) graduates.
Electrical Engineers Maboury Gueye and Steven Kolesar received the Department of the Navy Civilian Service Commendation Medal. Gueye was recognized for the superior performance of his duties while serving as a subject matter expert providing urgent Support Equipment (SE) and Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment fleet support on behalf of Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst in a critical, forward-deployed environment. Kolesar was honored for his innovative leadership, extraordinary technical acumen, and end-to-end vision that fundamentally shaped the electrical architectures of the U.S. Navy’s highest-priority platforms. Displaying exceptional cooperative efforts with the Office of Naval Research, Naval Reactors, and Program Executive Office Ships, he spearheaded foundational research in advanced power systems that demonstrated a three-fold increase in power density over legacy generators, directly enabling advanced sensor and weapon integration on USS Zumwalt.
Gregory Kern received the Department of the Navy Civilian Service Achievement Medal for superior performance of his duties as NSWCPD Submarine Exterior Communication Lead from June 2005 to June 2026, where he demonstrated superlative leadership and technical expertise in developing a cohesive team that supported exterior communications across all submarine classes. As a premier subject matter expert, he ensured maximum operational availability for the fleet.
Letters of appreciation were presented to Theresa Vaites, Cassandra Zook, Kyle Reed, Stephen Carroll, Steven Schweigert, Mark Uva, John Huffman, and Steven Wilrigs.
Vaites was recognized for exceptional work and dedication during her recent detailed assignment with the Office of Naval Research, where she served as Program Officer for the Magnetic & Acoustic Generation Next Unmanned Superconducting Sweep (MAGNUSS) Future Naval Capability (FNC) program initiative. She was instrumental in advancing this critical capability. Zook was honored for her support on USS Truxtun Collision Navy Manual of the Judge Advocate General (JAGMAN) Investigation. She participated as a subject matter expert on Ship Control Systems and was vital to the successful completion of the investigation.
The team of Reed, Carroll, Schweigert, Uva, Huffman, and Wilrigs was recognized for their achievements as recipients of the 2025 Naval Innovative Science and Engineering Row Together Award for their work on the SEA-Ray Mega Project. This recognition highlights the seamless teamwork across organizations, innovation, and commitment demonstrated by the team in advancing the missions of the Naval Research and Development Establishment.
NSWCPD Technical Director Nigel C. Thijs, SES, closed the ceremony by congratulating the award recipients and reinforcing the importance of recognizing the workforce’s contributions to the Navy’s mission.
“NSWCPD’s quarterly awards ceremonies celebrate more than individual achievement. They highlight the command’s collective impact on the fleet, from advancing new technologies and solving complex engineering challenges to strengthening readiness and supporting Sailors around the world,” Thijs said.
NSWCPD employs approximately 2,700 civilian engineers, scientists, technicians, and support staff. The team focuses on research and development, testing and evaluation, acquisition support, and in-service and logistics engineering for non-nuclear 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.