Fourteen Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) employees received their Master of Science degrees in systems engineering (MSSE) and engineering systems (MSES) at a graduation ceremony here Oct. 9.
The employees were part of Cohort 8, a group of 26 students from all eight NAVAIR sites graduating from a challenging two-year Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) program.
“This is a very important day,” said Rear Adm. Mark Darrah, NAWCAD commander and assistant commander for research and engineering, during his keynote address. “These folks have worked very hard over a couple of years doing something not very many people can accomplish, coupled with what they do during their normal day at work. It’s a huge sacrifice and responsibility.”
Naval Air Systems Command teamed with NPS to create the MSSE and MSES program in 2008, which provides an educational avenue for military officers and civilians wishing to gain expertise in systems engineering.
“This incredible program provides us with an opportunity to support naval aviation by continuing to improve our workforce,” Darrah said. “It lets us build a cadre of people with skills that are unique to naval aviation and ensures that the folks who operate our fleet are able to do so very safely and effectively.”
While in the program, students must complete 16 classes while maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA and complete a capstone project that involves performing relevant work using skills learned in the program. Graduates Meredith Almoney, Bryan Otis and Lauren White received the Wayne E. Meyer award for excellence in systems engineering for outstanding academic achievement.
In addition to Almoney, White and Otis, the other graduates of Cohort 8 include
