Each year, Professor Richard Harris’s Western Culture II class participates in a art project that requires them to recreate a painting or illustration. The goal of the project is for the student to learn to look closely at-and really see a work of art, as well as acquire a better sense of the roles of composition and color.
This year, the Class of 2019 recreated a painting or illustration from the Post-Impressionist period or later by artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, George Prosper Remi, and Hiroshi Yoshida.
Upon completion, each student work of art was exhibited in the Visconti Reception Room to be viewed during graduation week.
View student art work below.
Class of 2017 Graduates from Webb Institute
On Saturday June 17, 2017, Webb Institute awarded nineteen Bachelor of Science degrees at its 121st Commencement Ceremony. Each graduating student received a dual degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.
Webb’s commencement ceremony opened with the singing of the National Anthem by the WooFs (Webb Family Singers) and included inspirational remarks from the ceremony’s Principal Speaker, Bruce S. Rosenblatt.
Rosenblatt, President of Bruce S. Rosenblatt & Associates, LLC, and Chairman of Webb’s Board of Trustees, addressed graduates on building and expanding relationships, both personal and professional, as a key to success. “Within minutes, you’ll shift from being students at Webb to becoming alumni of Webb,” said Rosenblatt. “Within a short while you’ll start your careers and your marine industry family will quickly grow to include your bosses, co-workers, customers, the vendors you work with, and a myriad of others. That’s a great thing and be sure to take advantage of it as there will be many people out there who will want to help you to be successful, just as others had done for them.”
Additional remarks were made by President R. Keith Michel, Dean Matthew Werner, Former-Dean Richard Neilsen, and the Class of 2017’s Student Speaker, James Morrissey.
Morrissey’s humorous speech touched on the importance of the “family” dynamic amongst students and the unforgettable memories they have made during their years at Webb. “We’ve been through a lot together,” said Morrissey. “Four years at Webb, seven naval architecture classes, six marine engineering classes, four semesters of math, all the classes in between, container ship design, and thesis. Through all that we’ve really come together not only as a class, but as a family,” said Morrissey.
In addition to the awarding of degrees, several students received additional awards and prizes for their outstanding academic achievements in a variety of areas, such as excellence in thesis and mathematics.
Following commencement, Webb’s Class of 2017 will spread out across the country and the world to begin graduate work or start their professional careers in the marine industry. Notable employers include: Carnival Cruise Line, General Dynamics Electric Boat, and Cruise Lines International Association.
Arthur A. Burr ’54 Awarded Honorary Doctorate at Homecoming 2017
On Saturday, May 20, 2017, Webb Institute honored one of its own during the Annual Alumni Homecoming event.
After a fun-filled day of activities, delicious meals, class reunion photos, and presentations, Alumnus Arthur A. Burr ’54 was awarded in a special ceremony with the highest degree Webb Institute can grant, an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science. Mr. Burr was chosen for his excellence in the marine industry, and unwavering support of Webb Institute and its students.
Over the years, Mr. & Mrs. Burr have given so much to Webb. In 2006, their generous donation made The Arthur & Marilyn Burr Junior Classroom possible, which is in memory of Arthur’s departed classmates, John Franklin and John Dalzell. Additionally, in 2007, the Benjamin C. Keeler Reading Room was dedicated because of the Burr’s gifts to Webb. The “Art Burr” William H. Webb scholarship endowment provides a full tuition scholarship for a Webb student each year.
Alumni in attendance for the special ceremony remarked that they were “inspired” by Mr. Burr’s achievement and the example he has set for alumni to give back to Webb.
After receiving his honorary degree, Mr. Burr thanked Webb, his extended family (his Burr Yacht company associates), his wife Marilyn, and daughter Theresa for their support.
The Webb community is eternally grateful for Mr. Burr’s supreme generosity that will transcend throughout our institution for years to come.
Video of Honorary Doctorate Ceremony
Photo Gallery of Homecoming 2017
Bruce S. Rosenblatt 2017 Commencement Speaker
Bruce S. Rosenblatt served as President of his family-owned business, M. Rosenblatt & Son, Inc. (MR&S), a full service naval architecture & marine engineering company established in 1947 jointly by his grandfather, Mandell, and his father, Lester. He is now President of Bruce S. Rosenblatt & Associates, LLC (BSR), naval architects & marine engineers, the successor organization of MR&S.
Mr. Rosenblatt proudly employs a number of Webb Institute alumni, and has taken on several Webb student interns over the years, as well as very generously contributed to Webb’s Mission and Strategic Plan. From 2005 to the present, he has served as a member of the Webb Board of Trustees, the last year as Chairman providing guidance, time, and talent; for that we will be forever grateful.
Founder’s Day 2017
On Friday, April 28, 2017, the Webb community celebrated Founder’s Day. Founder’s Day focuses on honoring and recognizing our founder, William H. Webb for his grand achievements, extraordinary vision, and generosity. William Webb’s grand efforts have given hundreds of students the opportunity to obtain a great education in a truly unique way. Therefore, it has become a tradition to honor him by devoting one afternoon each year to repairing, reorganizing, and beautifying Webb Institute’s historic campus.
During this year’s Founder’s Day observation, students, faculty, and staff spent the day combing the beach, maintaining student whalers, reorganizing library archives, planting new trees and flowers, washing windows, setting up for the evening’s dinner and much more!
After the days tasks were completed, everyone washed up, dressed in their formal wear, and headed to the Visconti Reception Room to enjoy the Annual Founder’s Day Banquet. The evening included performances by the WooFs, a delicious dinner by Flik Dining, the traditional cutting of the cake, and speeches by Webb’s Student Organization President Vincent Commisso ’18, Dean Matt Werner, and President and CEO of Metal Shark Boats, Chris Allard ’04. Allard’s captivating speech touched on the current state of the marine industry, what lies ahead in the future, the legacy of William H. Webb, and the importance of carrying on Webb’s mission.
View Founder’s Day Dinner Video
View Founder’s Day Activity Video
Webb Takes Second Place in WFSA 2017 Ferry Design Competition
A team of Webbies have taken second place in the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) 2017 Ferry Design Competition. The student team, advised by Dean Matthew Werner, consisted of Captain Andrew Vogeler ’18, Brandon Louis ’18, and Nicholas De Sherbinin ’18.
Students from nine institutions, including Webb, submitted designs for a 200 passenger ferry for 30 kilometers of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok Thailand, with the mandate of providing plans for a vessel that is safe, affordable to construct and operate and is appropriate for its intended geographic place. The University of Liege took first place, Webb second, and the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur third.
The team will give a presentation on their vessel at the Ferry Safety and Technology Conference on Thursday, May 11, 2017, in New York City where they will also be receiving their award.
About Webb’s Ferry Design:
The team paid particular attention to ensuring passenger safety and operational efficiency in their design. This was shown through the incorporation of redundancy as a core characteristic in various mechanical systems on board the vessel.
This redundancy is achieved by designing the mechanical systems to be operated by one of two machinery spaces in the ship’s demi-hulls. These systems include the fuel oil system, the carbon dioxide fire suppression system, the fire main system, electrical power system and the steering gear control.
The team also designed easy open/removable windows to provide an easy escape from the vessel in the event of a major emergency.
In order to keep the vessel affordable, the hull is comprised of uniplanar curves aimed at reducing manufacturing costs, while still maintaining efficiency and pleasing aesthetics. The team also planned to reduce the overall maintenance cost of vessel through the use of local shipyards and mechanics, as well as through the use of Cummins engines and generators. The ferry also makes use of a simple interior design, which allows for reduced manufacturing costs when compared to other catamaran ferries.
The team also considered ease of operation by designing a midship loading station which would allow the vessel to be docked at the existing piers. The transverse offset of the propellers relative to centerline increases maneuverability of vessel at low speed operation, while a raised pilothouse and strategic bench placement increases overall pilot visibility. The use of a CCTV system was considered to provide the pilothouse with exterior views of vessel during operation.
Alumni Spotlight: Wombi Rose ’09
Naval Architect — Turned Paper Engineer
After graduating
from Webb in 2009, I pursued a master’s degree at MIT in Computation for Design and Optimization, hoping to learn how to harness the power of technology to create better ship designs without having to build them one at a time. I learned a great deal about Greek symbols, linear algebra, and most importantly, how difficult it is to sum up real-world problems as a system of equations. While at MIT I worked with ABS and the folks at SeaRiver Maritime (ExxonMobil) on building a logistics system for offshore vessels and employing it to attempt to predict future trends in offshore support vessel design. As a lucky coincidence, I met a professional management consultant and fell in love with his job of helping managers identify their biggest challenges and influencing others in their organization to make positive changes. I was incredibly surprised to learn that there is an entire profession dedicated to this and that I could get a job doing that.
Read more…
Webb Institute Ranked #3 Best College in New York
Best Colleges has ranked Webb Institute as the third Best College in New York in their 2017 assessment! Best Colleges, which ranked a total of 25 colleges in its assessment, gave Webb an overall score of 88.52, beating out Cornell University.
Vassar College came in second and Columbia University took first place.
Best Colleges Profile of Webb Institute:
Originally a shipbuilding academy, Webb Institute was established as a private engineering college in 1889 and has remained largely unchanged to this day. With a current enrollment of only 94 students, Webb is the smallest entry on our list of the best New York colleges. The institute’s 26-acre Long Island campus features only four classrooms; each room is divided to accommodate both formal lectures and hands-on project work.
All students who successfully complete the school’s rigorous undergraduate program are granted a dual Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in naval architecture and marine engineering. The 146-credit curriculum includes foundational coursework in fields like mathematics, lab science, materials science and thermodynamics. Third and fourth semester students learn complex methods and theories related to ship design and dynamics, electrical engineering and marine transportation, as well as laws and ethics that guide modern ship construction. Every year, students must supplement their coursework with an eight-week internship period. Most students complete their bachelor’s degree program after four years of full-time study.
Best Colleges in New York Article
Annual Webb Europe Alumni Meeting Held in Rotterdam
Webb Europe meeting in The Netherlands
By Barr Turner ’17
Even thousands of miles from the familiar iron gates and brick edifices of Webb Institute, the sense of community among Webb students and alumni remains strong. Webb graduates and students experienced this at the annual Webb Europe Alumni meeting, graciously hosted this past February by Mark Martecchini (’79) and his wife Laurie at their home in Rotterdam. The event, organized by Leah Sosa (’08), brings together members of the Webb community currently living in Europe. This year, that group included students on winter work assignments, recent graduates completing master’s degrees, and alumni with established careers in various European countries.
Europe’s vibrant maritime industry and wealth of higher education institutions make it an attractive place for Webbies to settle after graduation. This year’s meeting was attended by Webb graduates currently living and working in the Netherlands, Denmark, the UK, and Italy. Additionally, two recent grads are currently completing graduate degrees at European institutions: Delft University in the Netherlands and ETH Zurich in Switzerland.
Three current Webb students were also able to attend the meeting, as they were fortunate enough to complete internships this winter in Europe. This year, students held internships at STX Shipyard in St. Nazaire, France; Lloyd’s Register in Trieste, Italy; and the ship management company Hammonia Reederei in Hamburg, Germany. In recent years, Webb students have held winter work positions at Maran Gas Maritime Inc. in Athens, Greece; Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) in Paris, France; ZF Marine Krimpen in Zaag, Netherlands; and Stolt Tankers in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Over drinks and dinner, the meeting’s attendees shared their experiences in Europe and reflected on the opportunities that Webb has made possible for them. A common theme was the unique and rewarding nature of living and working abroad. Cody Owen (’15) shared his experiences as a student in the Offshore Engineering track of the European Wind Energy Master program, which is comprised of a consortium of universities in northern Europe. As part of this program, Cody has studied at DTU (Denmark), TU Delft (Netherlands), NTNU (Norway), and is currently completing his master’s thesis at TU Delft. Gilberto Besena, who spent a semester at Webb in 2015 as part of an exchange program with the University of Southampton, remarked that he was impressed with the great sense of community and group culture among Webb graduates. Gilberto currently works in the sailing yacht industry in Genoa, Italy.
Overall, this event was a great opportunity for Webbies in Europe to reminisce on fond memories of Webb and discuss the rewards and challenges of working, living, and interning abroad. A wonderful time was had by all. In typical Webb fashion, the evening wrapped up with a few pints at a local bar.
Academic Building
After considering input from the many stakeholders that comprise the Webb community, the Board of Trustees selected the Bentel & Bentel design for our new Academic Center. Located on the second terrace in close proximity to Stevenson Taylor Hall and the Livingston Library, the Academic Center will be readily accessible by students and faculty. The Center will house classrooms and lecture halls, student team rooms and conference rooms, faculty offices, and the Couch Lab (our computer technology center). It will be a modern teaching facility which stylistically complements the Georgian architecture of Stevenson Taylor Hall. We are nearing the final stages of Schematic Design, roughly equivalent to the preliminary design phase in shipbuilding. Please check back here for updates!
At Homecoming, we look forward to updating alumni on the design status. We anticipate start of construction in early 2018 and opening of the Academic Center for the 2019 fall semester.
-President R. Keith Michel ’73