Polytechnic Institute News

The Austal USA Board of Directors has elected Michelle Kruger as Austal USA President. She has been serving as interim president since August 2023.Kruger joined Austal USA in 2022 as the vice president of global services and support. In that role she led Austal USA’s ship repair and warranty efforts including the development of business strategy and strategic alliances. She also oversaw the stand up of Austal USA’s San Diego repair yard including the delivery of a purpose-built 9000-tonne capacity dry dock.

Bristol, R.I. based naval architecture and marine engineering form Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) announced it has promoted a member of its team, Daniel P. Eling, P.E., to a managerial position.Eling, a senior naval architect with six years of experience at the firm, has been promoted to the role of engineering manager.Eling holds a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Rhode Island.

Colonna's Shipyard said Wednesday that its President & CEO, Tom Godfrey, would retire effective December 31, 2023. Randall Crutchfield has been named to replace Godfrey as the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Crutchfield is currently Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer (COO). Additionally, Jordan Webb, currently Executive Vice President of Shipyard Operations, will become President & General Manager. Both appointments are effective January 1, 2024.“Randall…

Palo Alto, Calif. based AI shipping optimization company Bearing announced it has appointed Jim Daly as chief operating officer.“We’re excited to have Jim on board as we steer the maritime shipping industry toward more sustainable operations with our AI-driven solutions,” said Dylan Keil, CEO and co-founder of Bearing. “He understands the importance of our mission and he’ll be an integral part of our leadership team, helping us scale and create impactful technology to make maritime…

Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA welcomes Michelle Kruger as vice president of global services and support. Operating from Austal’s San Diego waterfront services facility, Kruger is responsible for Austal USA’s global post-delivery repair and warranty efforts, including the development of business strategy and strategic alliances. As the primary customer interface for ship repair and maintenance services, Kruger will lead the pursuit of future government and commercial business…

Crowley has appointed Bob Karl as senior vice president and general manager of the company’s new business unit, Crowley Wind Services. As Crowley elevates the scope of its offerings in wind energy, Karl will lead the company’s wind services team in the strategic development and expansion of services to support the emerging sector. The development of a wind service business unit will see the company continue to leverage its expertise and assets to provide landside and marine logistic solutions throughout the wind lifecycle.

Houston-based dredging contractor Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation said it has appointed David Johanson to the position of SVP, Project Acquisition & Operations, and of Christopher G. Gunsten, P.E. to the position of SVP, Project Services & Fleet Engineering.Johanson and Gunsten will assume their new roles effective August 1, 2022. Their positions will fill the roles currently held by the Company’s Chief Operating Officer, David E. Simonelli, who is retiring on September 16, 2022.

Norfolk, Va. ship repair yard Colonna’s Shipyard announced a series of senior management promotions along with a revised organizational structure effective July 2022.Jordan Webb, currently Vice President, Contracts, has been promoted to Vice President of Shipyard Operations. Randall Crutchfield, currently Colonna’s Chief Experience Officer and Executive Director of Steel America and Weld America, has been named Vice President of Industrial Operations and Facilities. Chris Marsh…

The American Pilots’ Association (APA) announced Clayton L. “Clay” Diamond will assume the duties of Executive Director and General Counsel effective January 1.Diamond succeeds Paul Kirchner, who has been APA Executive Director-General Counsel since 1992. Kirchner will continue with APA as Senior Counsel focusing on issues and projects related to State pilotage and international matters.Diamond, who has been APA’s Deputy Director-Associate General Counsel since 2008, is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

The Panama Canal Board of Directors announced the appointment of Ricaurte Vasquez as the next Panama Canal Administrator.According to a press note from the artificial 82 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, Vasquez will take office on September 4, 2019, succeeding current Administrator Jorge L. Quijano, who concludes his seven-year term at the helm of the waterway.The decision was made by the Board of Directors in accordance to an independent, transparent and rigorous process mandated by the Panamanian Constitution and Organic Law of the Panama Canal Authority."As part of the Panama Canal Authority's autonomous institutional process…

The Coast Guard has developed two separate mitigation system prototypes specifically designed for inland and offshore environments and tested them in the Kalamazoo River and Lake Huron.Whenever there is a need for oil, there will always be a risk of oil spills. This is no less true for bituminous sands, commonly known as oil sands or tar sands. Oil sands are mostly found in Alberta, Canada, and comprised of bitumen, sand, clay and water. They are typically viscous, with a texture similar to peanut butter.

Harvey Gulf International Marine’s parent, HGIM Corp., has announced the appointment of a new Board of Directors to serve following the company’s emergence from Chapter 11 proceedings.The seven member Board includes two current members remaining on the Board and five new members, each with expertise in individual areas particularly suited to support the company’s operation and development and collectively, creating a leadership platform that will enable Harvey Gulf to adjust and thrive in an ever-changing market. Shane Guidry. Mr. Guidry remains the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer for HGIM Corp. Mr. Guidry is the third generation in his family to lead Harvey Gulf. Mr.

Boston-based smart ship technology company Sea Machines Robotics has hired Jim Daly as Chief Operating Officer. Daly was previously Chief Operating Officer and an early member of the leadership team at Rethink Robotics, where he scaled operations from technology concept through first and second-generation products. He most recently led the Sawyer robot product development project from conception through design, launch and global customer deployment. He held earlier senior leadership roles at startups Zeemote, Tea Forte and Handspring, and as a Division Manager at Solectron Corporation. Daly earned a BS from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from Santa Clara University. He serves on the Advisory Board for Robotics Engineering at WPI. Michael G.

ABB has appointed Guido Jouret as Chief Digital Officer, reporting to ABB’s CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer, effective October 1, 2016. Jouret, a pioneer of the Internet of Things, will lead the next level of development and deployment of ABB’s digital solutions for customers globally and across all businesses. Jouret is a citizen of both the United States and Belgium, with long experience in Silicon Valley. He served for 20 years at Cisco after obtaining a PhD in Computer Science. His most recent role at Cisco was as General Manager of the Internet of Things division, which aims to connect billions of devices to the internet across a wide range of industries.

The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI) has announced a new addition to its naval architecture, marine engineering and marine surveying practice. Harrison Brann joined TSGI in October of 2015 as a naval architect. In 2011, Harrison graduated with a bachelor’s degree in naval architecture and marine engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He has a wide range of knowledge of marine engineering specialties including ship stability, damage analysis, systems integration, ship survivability, and firefighting systems. Previously, Harrison has worked for the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) in their ship engineering department analyzing stability calculations for engineering firms, shipyards, and vessel owners.

Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) announced the addition of naval architect Zachary Gilfus and mechanical engineer Marissa Stutzman to its naval architecture and marine engineering practice. Gilfus is the most recent addition to BHGI, joining the team at the end of August as a naval architect and marine engineer. Gilfus graduated this past spring from Webb Institute with a Bachelor’s of Science in naval architecture and marine engineering. During his time at Webb, Gilfus interned at four different companies including Carnival Cruise Lines and General Dynamics NASSCO.

A vote by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE) has confirmed Francis X. McDonald has been selected as the 38th president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. McDonald, a 1985 graduate of the school, has worked on campus since 1994. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President of the nation's oldest continuously operating maritime academy and has earned degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Northeastern University. McDonald topped an impressive field of five that included Coast Guard Captain Melissa Bert, retired Coast Guard Captain Kurt Colella and retired Navy Admirals Michael Nowakowski and Ann Rondeau.

EVP Fran McDonald tops a field of five; choice still must be approved by Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. Pending a confirmation vote by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE), Francis X. McDonald has been selected as the 38th president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. McDonald, a 1985 graduate of the school, has worked on campus since 1994. Currently, he serves as Executive Vice President of the nation's oldest continuously operating maritime academy and has earned degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Northeastern University. McDonald topped an impressive field of five that included Coast Guard Captain Melissa Bert, retired Coast Guard Captain Kurt Colella and retired Navy Admirals Michael Nowakowski and Ann Rondeau.

The Promostudi Foundation and the NATO Centre for Maritime Research & Experimentation (CMRE) today finalized a three-year maritime research and development agreement. The agreement between the two organizations, both based in La Spezia, Italy, includes agreements on joint innovation activities, research in the maritime environment  and reciprocal exchange for educational and scientific purposes, both nationally and internationally. In particular, opportunities will be developed for cooperation in issues of common interest such as robotics, underwater acoustics, underwater systems, and more generally in systems engineering and ICT (information and communication technologies).

It's a career-defining moment for 36 college and university faculty April 30, as the Department of the Navy announces the recipients of its 2015 Young Investigator Program, one of the oldest and most selective scientific research advancement programs in the country. Collectively, awardees will receive $18.8 million in grants to fund research across a range of naval-relevant science and technology areas. This is a banner year for the program, administered by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), which increased funding by 50 percent over last year. "These recipients demonstrate the type of visionary, multidisciplinary thought that helps the U.S. Navy anticipate and adapt to a dynamic battlespace," said Dr. Larry Schuette, ONR's director of research.

Life Cycle Engineering, Inc. (LCE) has announced that Edward S. Godfrey has joined Life Cycle Engineering as vice president of business development. Godfrey will be responsible for partnering with Department of Defense (DoD) customers and other government organizations to establish engineering and technical solutions that support the warfighter and DoD mission. Godfrey has over 36 years of civilian service leading large, diversified engineering and corporate operations organizations within the Department of the Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).

We deeply and sadly regret to advise the passing of George G. Sharp’s Chairman of the Board Dr. Ilario Hilary Rolih on February 16, 2014. Dr. Ilario Hilary Rolih passed away at the age of 82 on February 16, 2014 while on vacation in Cancun, Mexico. Dr. Rolih had more than 58 years’ experience in the marine industry. He was the chairman of the Board at George G. Sharp, Inc. since 1983. He had a Doctor of Naval and Mechanical Engineering Degree from the University of Trieste in 1956…

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research (LASR), partner in the Navy's Damage Control for the 21st Century project (DC-21), recently hosted robotics research teams from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) to demonstrate the most current developments of advanced autonomous systems to assist in discovery, control, and damage control of incipient fires. Fighting fires…