Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Lorin Selby visited the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport to hear updates from scientists and engineers whose work ranges from digital transformation to transduction and sonar array efforts. The Sept. 2, 2021 visit was part of Selby’s tour of some of the Navy’s Northeast facilities and its partner facilities including Electric Boat, the University of Rhode Island, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Undersea Warfighting Development Center in Groton, Connecticut.
Dr. Jason Gomez, Division Newport’s chief technology officer, detailed a broad science and technology (S&T) portfolio and noted that the Office of Naval Research (ONR) remains the command’s biggest sponsor of S&T with an investment of about $30 million per year. S&T professionals currently make up about 6% of the Division’s workforce.
In addition to learning about technology road mapping and senior technologist efforts, Selby was briefed on Division Newport’s outreach activities in programs such as the Naval Engineering Education Consortium (NEEC); Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) program; and congressionally sponsored collaborations with academia.
Candie Desjardins, director of Division Newport’s Educational Outreach, explained how the command’s award-winning program differs from the Navy’s Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) and reaches more high school students throughout the school year and during summer break.
“You’ve got to have connectivity with kids in between events and see how we can build those mentoring networks,” Selby said.
After briefs and a lunch with leadership, Selby toured the Acoustic Test Facility to learn more about how Division Newport’s research on transduction materials into the development of transducers, and ultimately into advanced sonar and sensor systems, that will deliver next-generation undersea warfare capability.
“This visit by Rear Admiral Selby is a great start to re-invigorate our already strong relationship with ONR, and get back into a regular face-to-face dialogue with the program managers,” Gomez said.
About Rear Adm. Lorin Selby
Selby graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in nuclear engineering and earned his commission through the Navy’s Reserve Officers Training Corps program. He also holds a Master of Science in nuclear engineering and a nuclear engineer degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
His shipboard tours include USS Puffer (SSN 652), USS Pogy (SSN 647) and USS Connecticut (SSN 22). From July 2004 to May 2007 he commanded USS Greeneville (SSN 772) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. During these assignments, Selby conducted several deployments to the Western Pacific, Northern Pacific, Northern Atlantic and Arctic oceans.
Ashore, Selby’s staff assignments include duty as a company officer and instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy, service as the deputy director of the Navy’s liaison office to the U.S. House of Representatives and duty as the Submarine Platforms and Strategic Programs branch head in the Submarine Warfare Directorate on the Navy Staff. Following selection as an acquisition professional, he served as the program manager for both the Submarine Imaging and Electronic Warfare Systems Program Office (PMS 435) and the Advanced Undersea Systems Program Office (PMS 394).
As a flag officer, Selby served as commander, Naval Surface Warfare Centers (NSWC) from October 2014 to August 2016. In this position, he led more than 17,000 scientists, engineers, technicians and support personnel, both civilian and active duty, within eight Naval Surface Warfare Center divisions located across the country.
From June 2016 until May 2020, he served as the Navy’s chief engineer and the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) deputy commander for Ship Design, Integration and Naval Engineering (SEA 05), where he led the engineering and scientific expertise, knowledge and technical authority necessary to design, build, maintain, repair, modernize, certify and dispose of the Navy’s ships, aircraft carriers, submarines and associated combat and weapons systems.
In May of 2020, he assumed command of the Office of Naval Research as the 26th chief of naval research.
NUWC Division Newport is a shore command of the U.S. Navy within the Naval Sea Systems Command, which engineers, builds and supports America’s fleet of ships and combat systems. NUWC Newport provides research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, undersea offensive and defensive weapons systems, and countermeasures associated with undersea warfare.
NUWC Newport is the oldest warfare center in the country, tracing its heritage to the Naval Torpedo Station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869. Commanded by Capt. Chad Hennings, NUWC Newport maintains major detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as test facilities at Seneca Lake and Fisher’s Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida, and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.
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