Morgan Signs 5-Year Educational Partnership Agreement with NAVSEA

Morgan State University announces the signing of a new Educational Program Agreement with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division (NSWC IHEODTD). The signing took place on March 5, 2018, during a ceremony held at the division’s headquarters in Indian Head, Md. The five-year partnership enables the command to provide Morgan students and faculty the benefit of the NSWC IHEODTD staff expertise, unique facilities and equipment; assist students with academic and career advice; and provide research projects relevant to U.S. Navy technical applications.

“Being able to partner with the NAVSEA Naval Surface Warfare Center is an invaluable experiential learning opportunity that will provide our students and faculty with access to a wealth of expertise in the STEM fields,” said Morgan President David Wilson. “In addition to the obvious educational benefits, this partnership also positively positions our students to have a pipeline to high valued careers following their graduation.”

“This new partnership with MSU aligns with our strategic plan to grow 400 work-years stronger by 2025,” NSWC IHEODTD Technical Director, Ashley Johnson said. “Establishing public and private partnerships to enhance energetic materials and systems support to the fleet is one of our strategic goals – this agreement is critical in the execution of that plan.”

Some of the EPA goals include:

• Provide NSWC IHEODTD personnel access to new state-of-the-art, innovative technological methods relating to solving existing technical problems;
• Facilitate the identification of mutually beneficial partnership opportunities;
• Provide a unique opportunity for students to learn and collaborate in the many disciplines associated with aspects of energetic and other ordnance-related hazards, which are not otherwise available in a college environment;
• Encourage and facilitate student interest and expertise in science, mathematics, and engineering, particularly as these fields relate to the U. S. Navy; and
• Foster technology development and transfer initiatives between the two partners to enhance commercialization activities and provide for mutual benefit with public industry partners.

“This partnership provides us the opportunity to not only mentor these students by sharing our knowledge and expertise, but to also show them first-hand how their STEM education can have far reaching impact – hopefully inspiring some of these great minds to join us in future endeavors supporting our warfighters,” NSWC IHEODTD Commanding Officer, Capt. Scott Kraft said. “At the same time, it aids our mission by leveraging the university’s educational knowledge and capabilities of engineering and science faculty, and engineering facilities.”

This partnership is also part of the command’s continuing effort to build relationships to ensure the future strength of the Navy’s workforce by facilitating the training and recruitment of potential future NSWC IHEODTD employees.

NSWC IHEODTD – a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command and part of the Navy’s Science and Engineering Enterprise – is the leader in ordnance, energetics and EOD solutions. The division focuses on energetics research, development, testing, evaluation, in-service support and disposal; and provides warfighters solutions to detect, locate, access, identify, render safe, recover, exploit and dispose of explosive ordnance threats.

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

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MEDIA CONTACT(s):
Larry Jones, Morgan State University
(443) 885-3022

Public Affairs Office, NSWC IHEODTD
(301) 744-6505