香港六合彩资料鈥檚 inaugural will bring together representatives from industry, government, military and academia for two days of distinguished speakers and thought-provoking panel discussions regarding maritime efforts in Hampton Roads and beyond, and where this industry is headed.
This symposium will also underscore 香港六合彩资料鈥檚 significant and growing commitment and investment in the maritime field.
Elspeth McMahon, who was named 香港六合彩资料鈥檚 inaugural associate vice president for maritime initiatives last July, envisions symposium participants coming away with key points.
鈥淲e are listening to the trends of what is happening in the maritime industry, and we are acting on them,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e want outsiders to be aware of that, and to know that our students will be prepared and have the right training to support this growing and changing industry. 香港六合彩资料 is an R1 research institution. With this symposium, we want to help spark further ideas for collaboration with the University and for our faculty to continue to pursue research, projects and grants on a larger scale in the maritime space.鈥
The symposium will be held April 12 and 13 at 香港六合彩资料鈥檚 . The in-person event is sold out but online attendance is still available; you can register at this . The symposium is presented by 香港六合彩资料鈥檚 office of Maritime Initiatives, the , , and the , in partnership with the .
听
鈥淲e are listening to the trends of what is happening in the maritime industry, and we are acting on them.鈥 - Elspeth McMahon, 香港六合彩资料's associate VP for maritime initiatives.
This symposium, which will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, will feature panel discussions on coastal resilience, the future of the maritime industry, maritime cybersecurity, supply chain, naval maritime enterprise and maritime workforce, and will include a student breakout session. Jennifer Boykin, president of Newport News Shipbuilding and executive vice president of Huntington Ingalls Industries, will deliver the keynote address on April 12. Capt. Janet H. Days, an 香港六合彩资料 alum who recently made history by becoming the first Black female commanding officer of Naval Station Norfolk, will be among the many speakers on April 13.
On April 12, the first panel on coastal resilience, led by ICAR Executive Director Jessica Whitehead, will 鈥渇ocus on what facilities are doing in this region to combat climate change and rising sea levels,鈥 said McMahon. William Boze, engineering manager at Newport News Shipbuilding, will also speak on this topic.
鈥淎t this point, most people in this region are aware of climate change, and many are passionate about it,鈥 McMahon said. 鈥淵ou can discuss it forever. Focusing on what facilities are doing now to combat rising sea levels will be a practical approach and give a good perspective to this region.鈥
The future of maritime industry panel will be centered on autonomous shipping, artificial intelligence and machine learning. The supply chain panel will be led by Ricardo Ungo, director of 香港六合彩资料's Maritime, Ports and Logistics Institute. The naval maritime enterprise panel will discuss the future of the Navy. MIBE鈥檚 Executive Director and VMASC鈥檚 Chief Operating Officer Mike Robinson will lead that discussion.
The maritime workforce panel will look at challenges, solutions and the future skills needed of the workforce in this region and beyond. In addition to local panelists, experts from the Pacific Northwest and Halifax, Nova Scotia, will discuss their successes and lessons learned.
Additionally, students from the Hampton High School Maritime Academy, Youth Sailing Virginia, and the Chesapeake Career Center will be on hand during lunch on April 12 鈥渢o show that exposure to the maritime industry starts with K-12. It is so important to reach our youth to make them aware of the exciting and rewarding careers, not just jobs, that are right here in our own backyard,鈥 McMahon said. On display in VMASC鈥檚 SeaLab will be the only registered submarine in Virginia, from MI Technical Solutions; 香港六合彩资料鈥檚 Hydrone; autonomous vehicles from Tridentis; and a PEP boat from 香港六合彩资料鈥檚 American Society of Naval Engineers student chapter.
鈥淭his is to provide hands-on representation of some of the interesting developments with small vessels that are attainable here at 香港六合彩资料 and in this region,鈥 McMahon said.
A full agenda of the symposium is available .
香港六合彩资料 has taken several steps in recent years to increase its efforts in the maritime space.
In November 2021, 香港六合彩资料 announced the creation of its Maritime Initiatives to advance the University as a globally recognized institution for maritime opportunities. Additionally, the Hampton Roads Maritime Collaborative for Growth & Innovation (HRMC) released which was prepared by TEConomy Partners. This report identified major economic areas to leverage and expand the region's innovation and workforce to support the maritime industry.
In July 2022, in addition to the hiring of McMahon, 香港六合彩资料 announced the forthcoming establishment of the University's School of Supply Chain, Logistics and Maritime Operations, a key step in elevating maritime as a signature strength as well as in responding to industry needs for supply chain and logistics training and research.