NSWC IHEODTD Technical Director Ashley G. Johnson (left), Dr. David Wilson, MSU President (center) and NSWC IHEODTD Commanding Officer Capt. Scott H. Kraft (right) sign a five-year Educational Partnership Agreement Monday.

(U.S. Navy photo by Todd Frantom)

INDIAN HEAD, Md. – Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division signed an Educational Program Agreement with Morgan State University, Monday.

The five-year partnership enables the command to provide MSU 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.

“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.