ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – The U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) congratulates its four selectees for the 2020 cohort of the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Systems Engineering Non-Resident Master’s (MSSE) and Program Management Non-Resident Master’s (MSSPM) Degree two-year programs.
According to the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center, the NPS-MSSE program is a two-year master’s degree opportunity designed for Department of Defense (DOD) organizations faced with a wide range of systems engineering (SE) and integration challenges. The program courses provide students with essential SE skills, advanced understanding, and hands-on experience in SE methods, tools, knowledge, and expertise relevant to their work, and enables them to better meet the needs of their customers. The NPS-MSSPM program combines systems engineering with program management knowledge and skills. The program is designed to broaden the technical capabilities of DOD acquisition workforce members with nontechnical backgrounds enabling them to successfully manage and lead programs or projects in support of the defense acquisition system.
This year’s ATEC selectees are Marcus Chavez (U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range (WSMR)), Benjamin Hill (U.S. Army Redstone Test Center (RTC)), Travis Kennamore (RTC), and Michael Savacool (U.S. Army Evaluation Center (AEC)). Chavez, Kennamore and Savacool were accepted into the NPS-MSSE cohort, and Hill was accepted into the NPS-MSSPM cohort.
Chavez is a flight safety officer at WSMR and currently holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Hawaii. Prior to his job with WSMR, he served in the New Mexico Army National Guard and served as an active duty service member in the Army as a junior enlisted soldier, noncommissioned officer, and commissioned officer in Military Intelligence and Air Defense Artillery. While attending the NPS-MSSE program, Chavez hopes to expand his knowledge base beyond physical and statistical modeling with a broader understanding of the system-of-systems aspect of Army acquisition.
Hill is a deputy chief engineer for the Missile and Sensor Test Directorate at RTC, and he currently holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Auburn University. He previously held a position as an electronics engineer for RTC prior to his current position. By attending the NPS-MSSPM program, Hill aspires to develop a skillset that will enable him to comprehend technical problems and evaluate solutions based on cost, schedule, and performance.
Kennamore is a principal range instrumentation engineer at the Missiles and Sensors Test Directorate at RTC. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alabama. Prior to his job with ATEC, he was a test engineer with Benchmark Electronics; technical support advisor for the University of Alabama; and engineering intern for Program Executive Office Missiles and Space in the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, which is now known as the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center. While attending the NPS-MSSE program, Kennamore wants to enhance his technical acumen and immediately put to use the systems engineering skills acquired through the coursework in solving complex problems facing the test and evaluation community.
Savacool is a general engineer for AEC and serves as an ATEC system team chairperson. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State. Prior to his current position with AEC, he previously held positions as manual machinist, computer numerically controlled programmer/operator, and custom machine builder. By attending the NPS-MSSE program, Savacool wants to obtain the insights he’ll need to help him scope the most efficient and relevant testing needed to continue ensuring the warfighters have the best weapons that provide the overmatch needed to accomplish their mission.
ATEC wishes all four selectees well in their studies and looks forward to their successful completion of their programs.
The NPS-MSSE and the NPS-MSSM non-resident programs began on Sept. 28. For more information on the programs, visit the following links:
https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/naval-postgrad-ms-sys-eng/
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