DAHLGREN, Va. (March 28, 2019) – Dr. Elizabet Haro – a Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) engineer who specializes in Human Systems Integration (HSI) – credits her parents’ inspiration and dedication for motivating her to be the first in her family to graduate from college. Haro’s motivation eventually led to a doctoral degree and her current position leading a science and technology team focused on developing a strategic direction of applied research and advanced technology development to grow the Navy’s expertise in Human Performance, Human-Device Interaction and HSI. “I came to this country when I was eight years old. Only my immediate family accompanied me on the journey and I remember vividly leaving my friends behind because freedom no longer existed,” recounted Haro. “My journey to freedom was through the sea. My parents came to this country without knowing anyone or speaking the language. But they knew that through hard work, education and dedication, the opportunities were endless for my sisters and me. After finishing my bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Purdue University, I knew I wasn’t done. It took me years, but I finally went back to school and finished my PhD at Virginia Tech. I joined NSWC Dahlgren Division because I want to help protect the freedom and waters that gave me the opportunities and embraced my family, when I was a child.”