FAU SeaTech, The Institute for Ocean and Systems Engineering Celebrates 15 Years of Excellence in Research and Education

Thursday, Mar 12, 2015
FAU SeaTech, The Institute for Ocean and Systems Engineering Celebrates 15 Years of Excellence in Research and Education

SeaTech, FAU's Institute for Ocean and Systems Engineering, recently celebrated its 15th anniversary with a craft beer event. Hosted by the FAU Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, the event drew close to 150 alumni, faculty, staff and friends of SeaTech at the Dania Beach site. The keynote speech was given by Jim Thomsen, B.S.O.E. '81, Principal Civilian Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy Research Development and Acquisitions. Special remarks were given by Joe Cuschieri, Ph.D., Systems Architect Senior Staff, Lockheed Martin and FAU alumni William A. Venezia, Ph.D., B.S.O.E. '70, Chief Engineer, Naval Surface Warfare Center - Carderock Division South Florida Ocean Measurement Facility, and Faydra Sirbola, M.S.O.E. '10 Lockheed Martin. Guests in attendance enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and were given the opportunity to tour the SeaTech research laboratories.

The SeaTech site is located on eight acres between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway with valuable access to the ocean and seawater. FAU Dania Beach builds on five decades of excellence at FAU as home to the nation's first ocean engineering program. The FAU Dania Beach Campus was established in 1997 as a state-funded Type II research center, the institute is part of FAU's Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering.

"SeaTech’s location offers the university strategic opportunities to excel in ocean science and engineering," said Gary W. Perry, Ph.D., FAU provost and vice president for academic affairs. "With SeaTech and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute bookending 150 miles of Atlantic coastline, FAU has made ocean science and engineering one of the Pillars of its institutional goals within the University’s strategic plan."

"The last fifteen years have been a period of sustained sponsored research activity at SeaTech and in the department, culminating in an aggregate of over $60 million in research expenditures, over 500 technical publications, and several technology breakthroughs, together with the granting of over 500 degrees in ocean engineering, including over 250 degrees at the graduate level," said Manhar Dhanak, Ph.D., Director, SeaTech. "Many of our graduates make up the workforce leadership at Naval laboratories and leading offshore industries. SeaTech is a fitting legacy to Dr. Stanley Dunn, Ph.D. the founding director of The Institute."

SeaTech's team of world-class faculty members, engineers, technicians and students are engaged in federally and industry-sponsored ocean engineering research and technology development in the areas of acoustics, marine vehicles, hydrodynamics and physical oceanography, marine materials and nanocomposites.

"SeaTech is an impressive research facility where the work that is being developed has an important impact on marine technology and continues to attract not only new students but also new areas of research nationally and internationally," said Mohammad Ilyas, Ph.D., dean of FAU's College of Engineering and Computer Science. "We are very proud of our students who continue to contribute to the field of ocean engineering research and advances in marine education after they graduate."

SeaTech builds on and complements the academic programs of the Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering and forms the means for technology advancement, collaboration with academia, industry and government, and transition of research projects to applications.

"We are happy to have the opportunity to showcase our research facilities at the Dania Beach site," said Javad Hashemi, Ph.D., chair of the FAU department of ocean and mechanical engineering. "Our researchers are hard at work in this wonderful facility as we endeavor to lead the nation in discovery and innovation in the field of marine technology."

SeaTech enjoys a long-term partnership with the Naval Surface Warfare Center – Carderock Division and its South Florida Ocean Measurement Facility (SFOMF) which extends offshore south of Port Everglades over 18 nautical miles cross-self by 4 nautical miles along shelf region, encompassing water depth of up to over 700 meters. The partnership provides extensive combined in-water test and evaluation capabilities for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and other underwater systems.