ABINGDON, Md.-The Northeastern Maryland Technology Council honored four APG employees and one APG retiree during their 11th Visionary Awards Gala April 20. This award recognizes individuals who promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education and technology and innovation advancement.
Larry Muzzelo, the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command deputy to the commanding general, received the most prestigious award of the night, the Visionary Award, for his leadership and partnership with the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program, in addition to the STEM and collaborative work he does in the community. Adam Bogner, with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, or DEVCOM, C5ISR Center received a Leader Award; Dr. Chi-Chin Wu, DEVCOM U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, received a Mentor Award; and Olivia Webster, U.S Army Public Health Center, received a Rising Star Award. Retired ARL employee, Dr. Edwards Schmidt, also received a Mentor Award.
Larry Muzzelo
Muzzelo encouraged CECOM to partner with Maryland’s P-TECH program with Harford County Public Schools and Harford Community College.
“Mr. Muzzelo has led the way for CECOM and APG tenants to provide a strong volunteer mentoring experience and internship opportunities for 30-student cohorts,” the award write-up states.
Each student has a chance to complete their four-year high school diploma and obtain a two-year associate degree in cyber security or information systems in four to six years at no cost to the student.
Additionally, Muzzelo champions the APG Senior Leadership Cohort which began in 2009. He guides the cohort program, so civilian employees can seek the opportunity to achieve excellence for the Army, their organization, themselves and the next generation of leaders at APG. He also developed an internal human resources group of APG tenants exchanging recruitment ideas and best practices, resulting in improved techniques.
“As a visionary, Mr. Muzzelo has provided innovative and strong leadership for CECOM and the Northeastern region,” the write-up states. “He continually works on meeting the Army’s mission and protecting the nation’s warfighters.”
During his remarks, Muzzelo praised the collaboration and partnership among the federal and local government entities, the public schools, and institutions of higher learning, industry and Harford and Cecil counties.
“This collective team has a strong history of engagement and collaboration in promoting and delivering STEM programs and initiatives across the region,” he said.
Muzzelo said APG, Soldiers, civilians and contractors annually engage with more than 40,000 middle and high school students across Harford and Cecil counties. APG, as the largest employer in the region, and the local economy are “inextricably dependent on the availability of a STEM rich workforce.”
“I am pleased to be a part of this great community and to have so many opportunities through which we engage in the advancement of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics,” he said.
Muzzelo said one of the things which appealed to him about the P-TECH program is the requirement for half of the students to meet the free and reduced price lunch meal income criteria.
“So the program is reaching a student population who will become members of the future STEM workforce that we would not typically directly engage with from APG,” he said.
Adam Bogner
Adam Bogner is the division chief of the DEVCOM C5ISR Center’s Engineering and Systems Integration directorate.
Bogner has created and taught an in-house leadership course to train future Army leaders, share new leadership skills and refresh the abilities of existing leaders, presenting many new ideas and perspectives that reinstilled a sense of purpose and devotion to the work of those participating.
“It was very successful,” he said about the leadership class.
Bogner added he would seek feedback from the students and tailor the classes to students’ needs.
According to his award write-up “his mentorship of junior employees has always been a priority and hallmark of his leadership.”
For example, he created and taught an interview class to improve candidate’s skills during interviews aimed at employees at the GS-12 level and below, although open to all members. Now, he is introducing a practical technical refresher course for junior engineering personnel, presenting technical information from a practical perspective.
“The expected outcome for this course is a heightened practical understanding for engineers to develop better systems and products for our warfighters,” the write-up states.
Dr. Chi-Chin Wu
Dr. Chi-Chin Wu is a materials scientist at the DEVCOM ARL, and mentors students of all ages. Wu first realized her love of helping students in high school and later tutoring young students to support herself in college. In this role, she realized she could share her knowledge and experience to help pass on her love of STEM to young people.
At DEVCOM ARL, Wu volunteers as a mentor for 8th-grade students from Harford County through ARL’s Physics and Chemistry Explorations in STEM, or PACES, program and as a virtual and national judge for the Army Educational Outreach Program, or AEOP, eCYBERMISSION.
Wu also mentors summer undergraduate and graduate interns and post-doctoral researchers. She serves as a reviewer/judge for student and postdoc poster sessions.
“She is always eager to hear about the presenters’ work and ask questions to help guide them on their path forward,” her award write-up states. “While her goal is always to teach others, Dr. Wu finds that she gets as much from mentoring as her students.”
Her mentorship also extends to the Materials Research Society, where she mentors resume writing for job seekers.
“I am very honored to receive this award,” she said.
Olivia Webster
Olivia Webster is a biomedical engineer with the U.S. Army Public Health Center.
She serves as the Blast Overpressure subject matter expert and the exposure environmental line of inquiry lead for the Congressionally-mandated FY18 National Defense Authorization Act, Section 734 study, addressing the health effects of blast overpressure exposure to service members.
Her accomplishments include serving as an active member of the Society of American Military Engineers, serves as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, or ORISE, mentor and serves as the Army Health Hazard Assessment Program liaison to the Army’s Medical Operational Medicine Research Program.
“I feel like I can offer that recently graduated perspective,” she said. “I am not in the midst of it, so I can offer more advice on that.”
Additionally she has served as a mentor for a senior’s capstone project at the Science and Mathematics Academy at Aberdeen High School and volunteered at career days. She also participates as a member of the Alpha Omega Epsilon Engineering Sorority which promotes ideals and objectives which further the advancement of female engineers and technical scientists.
She also serves as a mentor to ORISE participants, which involves approving travel and leave requests, providing leadership and guidance, assigning tasks/work and providing feedback on deliverables.
As a University of Maryland Class of 2017 graduate, Webster believes in giving back to aspiring engineers.
“A lot of people helped me and got me to where I am, so I like to try to do that if I can, and help other people,” she said.
Dr. Edward Schmidt
Since retiring from ARL, Schmidt has been a presenter of hands-on STEM demonstrations in local schools and community venues. During the 2019-20 school year, Schmidt was coordinator for Homestead Wakefield Elementary School activities conducted by the Senior Science Society. Additionally, he mentored for 212 contact hours at four schools and one Boy Scout Troop.
Schmidt is working on the Discovery Center’s “Wonder of Science Fair and Family Festival,” scheduled for June 2022, where he is recruiting middle school participants and serving as a judge.
“As a retiree, 100% of his work fits ‘above and beyond’ the regular work assignments category,” his award write-up states.
He is also an active member of the Senior Science Society and currently serves as their secretary.
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