Drexel Engineers Join STEM Innovators at 1st Annual Naval Academy Science and Engineering Conference

November 10, 2010 Drexel engineering undergraduate students Daniel Harbuz (CS) and Megan Gribb (CAEE) participated in the First Annual Naval Academy Science and Engineering Conference (NASEC) November 8-10 in Annapolis, MD. Harbuz and Gribb joined a wide variety of institutions, key policy makers and science advisors in a discussion on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and the challenges our nation faces in solving some of the critical issues of today and of the future.

“The conference provided a great opportunity to discuss ideas with students from other schools.  I participated in a group focused on Transportation and Energy; we discussed solutions to traffic congestion by proposing an emergency stopping mechanism for vehicles. Considering some of the ideas presented, I wouldn't be surprised if cars eventually drive themselves” said Gribb.

The main theme of the conference was “Innovation and Innovators.”  The conference focused on three topics: Information (Cyber Security), Transportation (the Energy Grid) and Disaster Preparedness. Students heard keynote addresses from the Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, the President of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and CAPT Jim Lovell, USN (retired). The conference provided a forum to bring together the nation's future Navy and Marine Corps officers with their peers from other colleges and universities, both civilian and military, from across the country.

“For me, one of the most exciting parts of the conference was the presentation by Stuart Feldmam. Considered to be one of the founding fathers of modern Computer Science, Feldman is now a Vice President of Engineering at Google. His talk really set a motivational tone for the rest of the conference and inspired ideas for discussion amongst the participants,” said Harbuz.

For more information of the NASEC, visit the NASEC website.