NAVSEA's Corona Warfare Center Leads Historic Partnership with California State University

By Troy Clarke, Naval Surface Warfare Center Corona Public Affairs

LOS ANGELES (NNS) -- Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Corona's commanding officer announced June 10 the establishment of the Navy's first education partnership agreement with the College of Engineering, Computer Science and Technology at California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State L.A.).

NSWC Corona, a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), sponsored two senior design projects at the Southern California university, one of nation's top-rated academic institutions for diversity.

"We are proud to forge this new partnership to attract the best and brightest science and engineering talent for the Navy," said NSWC Corona Commanding Officer Capt. Jay Kadowaki. "This historic agreement allows us to tap into the next generation of engineering talent to support the Maritime Strategy - now and into the future."

As the closest NAVSEA field activity to Cal State L.A., NSWC Corona joined the engineering college's Strategic Alliance Initiative earlier this year and is leading the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) outreach effort locally for NAVSEA.

NSWC Corona is one of NAVSEA's most diverse warfare centers, and its sustained outreach strategy to attract diverse talent has paved the way for NAVSEA to build connections with educators, business leaders, government officials and affinity groups geared toward STEM fields. NAVSEA's commitment to diversity is embedded in each phase of the command's Talent Management Strategy.

"NSWC Corona is at the heart of Southern California's dynamic talent pool," said NSWC Corona's Technical Director and Senior Executive Dr. Bill Luebke. "Located less than 50 miles from Los Angeles, we have close access to more than a dozen world-class colleges and universities that produce high-caliber STEM graduates."

Luebke said proximity has already paid dividends for his 1,000-strong naval science and engineering command.

During the day-long senior design expo on campus, Cal State L.A.'s undergraduates presented the results of their projects. One project involved re-engineering the Trouble and Failure Reports (TFR) Management Query System to remain compliant with ongoing information assurance advances and to make the system easier to use. The Navy uses the TFR system to track a variety of maintenance issues. The other project involved PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) calibration, which the Navy uses during maintenance processes.

In addition to being a top-ranking producer of diverse STEM undergraduates, Cal State L.A. and its students have distinguished themselves in solar engineering challenges, winning the number one spot in the national Sunrayce solar car challenge more than a decade ago.

As the former director of marine engineering for NAVSEA, the Navy's largest systems command, Luebke sees a bright future ahead with the new partnership and is energized by fresh opportunities it provides.

"Based on the results of these projects and Cal State L.A.'s track record in solar technology, the sky's the limit with what we can accomplish together for the Navy and our nation - whether it's improving corrosion resistance for our Fleet or creating the next best energy-saving technology. We're excited about the chance to increase readiness and capabilities while reducing total ownership costs for the Navy."

NSWC Corona serves as the Navy's independent assessment agent and is responsible for gauging the warfighting capability of weapons and integrated combat systems, through assessment of systems' performance, readiness, quality, supportability, and the adequacy of training. The base is home to three premiere national laboratories and assessment centers: the Joint Warfare Assessment Lab; the Measurement Science and Technology Lab; and the new $12 million Daugherty Memorial Assessment Center, dedicated to fallen Sailor Petty Officer 1st Class Steven P. Daugherty.