Two Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) employees, Keith DeVries and Justin McRoberts--as part of the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) Defense-wide Manufacturing Science & Technology (DMS&T) team--mentored a team from Indiana University (IU) that was recently named the first-ever champions of the Jim Grandorf Field Consulting Project Award.
The Crane/IU Team was recognized at the Indiana University Jim Grandorf Field Consulting Project Awards Dinner at the Bloomington Convention Center in Bloomington, Indiana. There was a total of nineteen project teams of second-year Master's Degree students that partnered in teams of four with local businesses, government agencies, and non-profits. The Awards dinner marks the culmination of a semester's effort by the students to provide consultative solutions and provide relevant experience in meeting customer requirements and solving active business challenges.
"The students deserve all of the credit for their innovative approach to this project," said Keith DeVries. "Their enthusiasm was evident from the start, and it was refreshing to witness their willingness to adapt to emerging challenges as they were encountered. Their success in this project was ultimately a success for NSWC Crane's support of the OSD DMS&T program and we look forward to utilizing the end product in upcoming evaluations."
NSWC Crane, through the Educational Partnership Agreement EPA EPA-NSWCCD-11-0903, collaborated with the students to address OSD DMS&T proposal evaluation challenges. The team provided analysis of existing evaluation criteria, recommendations to clarify the criteria, and a streamlined evaluation process including dynamic dashboards to facilitate evaluator discussions. The awards dinner also recognized the top five consultant teams and offers cash awards for the top three finalists, based on IU faculty judging.
This year's top finalist was NSWC Crane's project to streamline the DMS&T proposal evaluation process. The four students share a cash award, and are the first champions of the newly named Jim Grandorf Field Consulting Project Award.
NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) with focus areas in Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions and Electronic Warfare. NSWC Crane is responsible for multi-domain, multi- spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today’s warfighter.