Senior Spotlight: Nicholas Yarka ’20


Hometown: Hillsborough, New Jersey

Thesis Title: An Investigation of Marine Gurney Flaps

Post Graduate Plans: Working at Gibbs and Cox

What was your favorite Winter Work internship?
Sophomore year I served aboard the MV Maersk Peary. We went down to McMurdo Station Antarctica, delivering jet fuel and diesel oil. It was a great experience, I learned a ton, hiked around two continents I had never visited before, and saw a ton of penguins.

What will you miss the most about Webb?
I think I’m going to miss the sense of community the most. This place is a family, and it’s going to take a lot of time to find new people who can take their place.

What activities were you involved with at Webb?
I tried to stay involved during my time at Webb. I headed Webb’s Tabletop Gaming Club, served on the Student Court, and was an active member of the Running club all four years. Webb provided me the opportunity to go to SNAME meetings and Broadway plays in the city. I also tried to give back to Webb in my own small way, taking part in the bathroom renovation committee and was a student member for Webb’s reaccreditation.

What’s your favorite spot on campus and why?
I really like the overlook next to Third Terrace by the President’s House. No one really goes there, so it’s quiet and peaceful, but it’s a fantastic little nook to watch an unobstructed sunset.

Senior Spotlight: Isa Hill ’20


Hometown: Frederick, MD

Thesis Title: An Environmental and Feasibility Analysis of a Dual-Fuel System for a High-Speed Diesel Engine on a Fishing Vessel

Post Graduate Plans: Naval Architect at NASSCO in San Diego, CA

What activities were you involved with at Webb?
I have been involved in Women’s Tennis and Women’s Basketball since the teams were started, and I had the opportunity to be Co-Captain of both during my last season. I have also been involved in student leadership as SO President, part of the Education Committee, and planning various events.

What was your favorite Winter Work internship?
My favorite internship was going out to sea with Maran Gas during my Sophomore year. Seeing a ship in operation, working with the operators, and witnessing the creativity needed to solve problems while underway has given me a much broader perspective on the industry and engineering as a whole than I could have otherwise gotten.

What will you miss the most about Webb?
I can easily say that the thing I will miss most is the people, especially my classmates. I have made so many great friends and I have four years of great memories of them. It will be tough to adjust to life when I don’t see them every day, but I know we will remain friends for years to come.

Who was your favorite mentor at Webb and why?
My favorite mentor was Peggy Michel. I spent a lot of time working on the garden and baking with her during my freshman and sophomore year, and she passed on a lot of wisdom. She taught me practical skills like gardening while showing me the importance of making those around you feel welcome, supported, and at home. Peggy remains one of the kindest, most sincere people that I have ever met and I am grateful that I knew her for the time that I did.

Do you have any advice for incoming students?
From your first day at Webb, be grateful for the opportunities you have here and look for ways to contribute and “make your mark”. Find your way to contribute and leave Webb a better place than you found it, but never forget how special this experience is. It is okay to recognize that something is great, and still push to make it greater!

Senior Spotlight: Galen Ng ’20


Hometown: New York, NY

Thesis Title: Hydrodynamic Performance of a Lifting Body Using Near-Field Flow Kinematics from PIV Analysis

Post Graduate Plans: PhD in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering – Hydrostructural optimization.

What would people be surprised to know about you?
I was on Sesame Street a few times as a child actor. I got to meet the puppeteers for Elmo, Grover, Big Bird, and Kermit.

Do you have any advice for incoming students?
Do as much as you can (academic or extracurricular) early on to find your niche and then stick with your passion to develop it.

Favorite Quote.
I talked to Professor Gallagher about it because it happened to him too.”
– Professor Onas talking about his incoming baby

What have you learned from other students?
If you want to impart change in your community, take initiative. Don’t wait for others to take up your idea.

What will you miss the most about Webb?
I will miss the late nights and camaraderie associated with all the work.

Senior Spotlight: Louis (L.J.) Bock ’20


Hometown: Doylestown, PA

Thesis Title: Design of a High-Speed, Common-Rail Diesel Engine Test Platform and Support Systems

Post Graduate Plans: Marine Systems Engineer

Favorite Quote:
“Family is not necessarily blood, but instead who you’d bleed for.”

What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about learning. To me, life is boring if we do not ask questions. In today’s digital world, an infinite amount of knowledge is so easily accessible. All it takes is a bit of curiosity and becoming a life-long learner is the natural next step. Having learned so much in the past four years, I am excited to dive into an incredibly broad industry and learn as much as I can from the individuals already shaping it.

Do you have any advice for incoming students?
Never take any opportunity for granted. Learn to be grateful for the things and people in your life because there are many others who would do anything for a chance at what you have. The quicker one can ingrain this trait in their outlook on Webb and life, the more fulfilling the experience will be.

What’s your favorite spot on campus and why?
I guess my favorite spot on campus is technically not on campus. But in four years, I have not found a better spot than about a half-mile off Webb’s beach into the Sound. Straight out from Webb, I get the most beautiful view of the campus, the NYC skyline, or a Long Island Sound Sunset.

Senior Spotlight: Reneé Tremblay ’20


Hometown: Bristol, Rhode Island

Thesis Title: Bow Flare: The Effect on the Seakeeping Performance of Containerships

Post Graduate Plans: Horizons Hull & Systems Engineer at Chevron Shipping Company (California)

Favorite Quote.
“In a flight simulator, some users will practice flying first-aid missions into underdeveloped countries. Some users will practice flying passenger jets into skyscrapers. Knowledge is a tool, and like all tools, its impact is in the hands of the user.”
(The Lost Symbol, Novel by Dan Brown)

What was your favorite Winter Work internship?
It is just impossible to pick a favorite Winter Work internship but I think my sophomore sea term is one to highlight. Never did I think I would step aboard a 300-meter liquefied natural gas carrier to sail from Texas all the way to South Korea in one shot. I spent nearly 50 days at sea, setting no foot on land in the between time. I made close friends with the officers and crew aboard and enjoyed working in the engine room with the engineers and my classmate, Chris. In addition to learning the life of a seafarer, my experience at sea gave me a great understanding of how ships operate, and how their design impacts their operation.

What’s your favorite spot on campus and why?
My most-recently acquired favorite spot on campus is my desk in the new Couch Academic Center. Despite only being able to spend two weeks there due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I really enjoyed my spot by the windows facing Bollinger Courtyard. Each night, it was the perfect place to view the sunset over Long Island Sound. Throughout my time at Webb though, I have had a great appreciation for Stevenson Taylor Hall too. I am impressed by the rich history of both the building and the grounds which I was able to study extensively in a humanities elective class I took during my Junior year.

Why did you choose Webb?
When I looked at a list of engineering majors in high school, I decided “Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering,” the most-specific on the list, was probably the one for me. I pictured classes that combined three seemingly awesome subjects: math, science, and ships. When I visited Webb for the first time, I was enamored and knew it would be the perfect place to go. The opportunity to build my résumé, the impassioned engineering instruction, and the friendly atmosphere are just some of the things that attracted me initially.

Looking back at freshman year, to the time when I had spent only a few weeks at Webb, I remember it had already felt like a comfortable second home to me. Nearly four years after having made the choice to attend, I find myself incredibly thankful. I developed that résumé and received a great education which helped open the door to a career, my next opportunity. In Webb, I truly found a family beyond mine at home, and I made friendships that I am confident will last a lifetime.

What activities were you involved with at Webb?
I was involved in a multitude of activities at Webb, but some of my favorite things included helping both the admissions and communications departments. With admissions, I enjoyed giving tours of campus, managing prospective student visits, and volunteering at open house and events to share Webb with others. During my freshman year, I even took a trip to Texas to represent Webb in a college fair at a robotics championship competition. I love to speak to others about Webb because for me, it was a truly great place to attend college.

With communications, I served as the Public Relations Chair of the Student Organization for three years. Through helping manage Webb’s social media accounts, contributing content for Webb publications, learning about branding principles with administrators, staff, and the board of trustees, and more, I feel like this position gave me a minor in marketing with all of the skills I was able to develop!

In general, being super involved at Webb allowed me to improve my time-management skills and to contribute to keeping the school environment flourishing and fun to be a part of.

Senior Spotlight: Mary McGuinness ’20


Hometown: Glenville, NY

Thesis Title: Concept Design of a Floating Home: Adapting to Sea Level Rise in the California Bay Area

Post Graduate Plans: Bruce S. Rosenblatt & Associates, LLC in Newport News, Virginia.

What was your favorite Winter Work internship?
My favorite Winter Work internship was my sophomore year sea term. Since I had studied abroad at the University of Southampton during the winter that year, my internship was completed in the summer – I was on the Cape Horn, a MARAD contracted ROS ro-ro container ship moored at Pier 50 in San Francisco. It was seven weeks of biking around the city, sightseeing, and delicious food (and of course completing the sea projects).

What will you miss the most about Webb?
I will miss my class the most – It’s been a unique experience to spend three and a half years with the same group of people. We’ve had a lot of fun times together and it will be sad to not be all together again (at least until reunions).

Why did you choose Webb?
I chose Webb because I was interested in pursuing engineering or architecture in college and thought it would be cool to go to school in the Batman mansion. (It turns out naval architecture is very different than regular architecture)

What activities were you involved with at Webb?
Throughout my time at Webb I have been involved with the Social Committee, Running Club, Art Club, and Leadership Committee. My favorite role has been as Social Committee co-chair during my Junior and Senior year which involved planning various on and off-campus events and parties.

Senior Spotlight: Alec Gonzalez ’20


Hometown: Melville, New York

Thesis Title: Webb’s Open-Circuit Wind Tunnel: Setup and Best Practices

Post Graduate Plans: Small Ship Design

What are you passionate about?
I love the outdoors, including both land and sea. Sailing and skiing are my primary passions.

What’s your favorite spot on campus and why?
Third deck balcony at sunset. No explanation needed.

What activities were you involved with at Webb?
The offshore sailing program.

Do you have any advice for incoming students?
Work hard, but remember to have fun.

Senior Spotlight: Grant Dixon ’20


Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Post-graduate Plans: NSWC Carderock

Thesis Title: Design and Development of a Small Craft Collision Avoidance System

What are you passionate about?
Singing

What will you miss the most about Webb?
Spending time with all my classmates.

Do you have any advice for incoming students?
Try to win a position in the student organization; competition is minimal and they can be really fulfilling.

What would be the best job for you?
Professional Video Game Tester

Senior Spotlight: Linda Waters ’20


Hometown: Annapolis, MD

Thesis Title: A Machine Learning Approach to Renewable Energy and Cost Optimization for Wind-Powered Cargo Ships

Post Graduate Plans: I will be pursuing a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland with their Center for Disaster Resilience. My degree will be a joint focus on environmental and systems engineering with an emphasis on societal impacts.

What was your favorite Winter Work internship?
My favorite Winter Work internship was my junior year internship, where I was working with Naval Group in Nantes, France. My internship introduced me to artificial intelligence programming, which I immediately loved and was fortunate enough to incorporate into my thesis. It was also fun to travel, experience a new culture, practice my French, and eat delicious food everyday!

What are you passionate about?
Renewable energy and sustainability. Anthropogenic emissions, global warming, ocean acidification, and environmental destruction are rapidly changing the Earth, and, as an engineer, I hope to slow, stop, and reverse the adverse impacts of human behavior on the environment.

What will you miss the most about Webb?
I will definitely miss my classmates the most. After four years together, my classmates have become my family, and I can’t believe we won’t be living together, stressing out about assignments, and making countless happy memories together next year.

Who was your favorite mentor at Webb and why?
Professor Scott! He’s one of my favorite professors, and I’m so thankful that he was willing to be my thesis advisor. He always reminds us of the importance of integrity and ethics in our work, and he’s such a great role model.

What would people be surprised to know about you?
I can play the banjo, am formally trained in Bach’s composition style, and know a lot about music theory – I’ve taken over ten years of music theory classes, including some college classes!

Senior Spotlight: Jonathan Wang


Hometown: Tianjin, China

Thesis Title: Improving Shipyard Management: Automated Assignment of Dependencies Within Ship Overhaul Schedules

Post Graduate Plans: NSWC Carderock, Combatant Craft Division

What are you passionate about?
Food. Cooking. Travel. Photography. Adventure. Exploring new places and new foods.

What’s your favorite spot on campus and why?
I enjoy relaxing by the yacht club, especially during sunset. I find the sound of waves relaxing and it is easy to take a break from the work and other things happening at Webb to enjoy a good sunset, watch the waves crash on the beach, and look out across the Long Island Sound.

What would be the best job for you?
One that continually provides new challenges and problems for me to solve. I love the process of working my way through a problem and the satisfaction of putting the effort into solving it. I also work well in an environment where I am given autonomy to complete my own work. I also enjoy a mixture of office and hands-on work and would love to be able to travel occasionally for work.

Do you have any advice for incoming students?
Be involved. Webb is such a small community that your experience, along with everyone else’s will be better when you are involved with the community. There are so many ways to do so: join a sport or a student club; volunteer when opportunities arise; take a position of leadership. Be involved in different activities and learn something new! Work is important, but don’t forget to enjoy all the opportunities Webb has to offer.

What was your favorite Winter Work internship?
Sea Term on a MARAD ship docked just outside downtown San Francisco during the summer (I was in Southampton for the winter). Seeing the inner workings of the engine room was very interesting. Even more enjoyable was having the weekends free to explore the city. I love food and photography and SF had plenty of opportunities to explore both hobbies. It was basically summer vacation for two months in San Francisco with free room and board. The only downside was not getting to experience heavy seas like many of my classmates. The San Francisco Bay is not known for large waves.