NATICK, Mass. (Aug. 12, 2014) -- The 8th Annual Future Workforce Poster Presentation, hosted by the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, or NSRDEC, proved that every poster definitely tells a story. All 32 displays told a story of college students and their NSRDEC mentors using science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, to improve life for the nation's warfighters.
"The Future Workforce Poster Presentation event brought together students hired through the Pathways program, Oak Ridge Institute for Science Education program fellows, and student volunteers through UMass Lowell's Harnessing Emerging Research Opportunities to Empower Soldiers program," said Kelly Mitchell, a lead staffing analyst, Workforce Development, NSRDEC. "All three of these programs are vehicles for students to contribute to our mission of support to the Soldier."
The posters were manned by student presenters, an opportunity that helped them further hone their professional speaking skills.
"The annual poster day is an important event at NSRDEC," said Sharon Menard, NSRDEC Workforce Development manager. "It promotes collaboration, and it gives them the chance to network and make a lot of connections. The event also gives the students the chance to present in a safe and supportive environment. It preps them to present in their field further down the road."
Two University of Massachusetts Lowell students, both studying plastics engineering, worked together on a really "cool" NSRDEC project. David Van Schalkwijk, who is in Pathways Program, and Stephen Burbine, who is in the HEROES program, were involved in testing of the Multi-Temperature Refrigerated Container System. The two students also created drawings of subcomponents. Both feel the experience greatly enhanced their skills using a computer-aided design software program called SolidWorks. There was also the added benefit of helping the Soldier.
"I've worked in private industry in a co-op (job) before this," Van Schalkwijk said. "The part I like about here is that I feel like my work has a little bit more meaning by working in public service."
Another participant in the event, Shalli Sherman, graduated from Northeastern University in December and was a co-op student last year. She has returned to NSRDEC as an ORISE contractor and is working on multifunctional textiles. She is working with coatings on fabrics, including focusing on antimicrobial coatings for textiles.
Sherman said she enjoys working at NSRDEC because of the collaborations with academia and because NSRDEC works continuously to improve life for the Soldier.
"That's my favorite part about working here," Sherman said.
The event itself was coordinated by a student working at NSRDEC, Melissa Tobin. Tobin, a business major at Stonehill College, has worked on NSRDEC's Workforce Development Team for the past three summers and during winter break. Mitchell is her mentor.
"It is so great to see how enthusiastic our students are about their research and how they are truly dedicated to the mission of supporting the Soldier," said Tobin. "The poster presentation not only allows the students to show off their hard work, it is also a great way for them to network with the workforce, which creates great opportunities for the students as well as NSRDEC as a whole. We always get a lot of positive feedback from the rest of the workforce about this event, as it leaves the impression that the future of the installation is in good hands."
Thomas DiPasquale, who is in the UMASS Lowell HEROES program, feels what he experienced at
NSRDEC will help him in his field.
"I did a lot of chemistry," DiPasquale said. "I learned a lot about fiber extrusion. I learned all types of procedures. I feel really fortunate."
Jason Soares, a research chemical engineer at NSRDEC, is one of DiPasquale's mentors.
"Thomas worked on the incorporation of metallic nanoparticles into polymeric fibers," said Soares. "The metallic nanoparticle fibers will be made into a knitted or nonwoven material that will be the basis of a chemical sensor being co-developed with UMASS Lowell through a HEROES collaboration. It is always a pleasure to mentor future scientists and engineers and provide a peek into a real research lab setting . . . We can make the connection of research to real-world applications and products to show students how science can impact our Soldiers."
Quoc Truong, a physical scientist at NSRDEC, is committed to mentoring young people. Last year, he mentored two UMASS Lowell students. This year, he is working with three UMass Lowell students and a postdoc student developing advanced chem-bio protective materials.
"I feel so blessed with having a job at Natick for the past 30 years, working among extremely bright, gifted colleagues," Truong said. "As I become older, I think it's extremely important for me to pay back for the blessings I've received, through passing on the knowledge that I have gained in working here to younger, talented and energetic colleagues and friends. I sincerely hope that they will do the same when they become older."
Dr. Laurel Allender, NSRDEC acting director, summed up the spirit of the day.
"So, we have called this the "Future Workforce Poster Presentation," but what I am seeing is that these people aren't waiting for the future -- it is happening now," Allender said. "They are doing that work now, and it is just very exciting. I have definitely learned a thing or two."
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The Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to develop technology and engineering solutions for America's Soldiers. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.
AMC is the Army's premier provider of materiel readiness--technology, acquisition support, materiel development, logistics power projection and sustainment--to the total force, across the spectrum of joint military operations. If a Soldier shoots it, drives it, flies it, wears it, eats it or communicates with it, AMC provides it.
Related Links:
Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center
Army.mil: Science and Technology News
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