FEATURE
TRAINING & EDUCATION
RADM Olsen Drives Webb Institute
To the Head of the Class
By Greg Trauthwein
As a former U.S. Coast Guard commanding officer for more than three decades, and the current head of one of the country's best maritime engineering schools, RADM Robert C. Olsen Jr. (USCG Ret.), the president of Webb Institute (Glen Cove, NY) since 2005, is just as adept at listening as he is to giving commands. RADM Olsen, through 36 years in the Coast Guard serving on six ships, including four commands, has always found appealing the challenge of educating the next generation. "As commanding officer, your job is to get the mission done, but also to teach
the young. I like the challenge of dealing with and teaching young men and women. That's what brought me to Webb," he said. Webb Institute is one of the U.S.' most preeminent institutions in preserving the art and science of naval architecture and marine engineering. It is an Honor Code college offering every enrolled student a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to come live in a mansion on the water and immerse themselves in an undergraduate education focused on the complex, challenging, and rewarding field of ship and engineering systems design. The
rigor of the 146 credit academic program, the real world experience of the paid internships in each year, and the relationships built through small classes, teamwork, a dedicated faculty, and industry networking make Webb graduates among the best educated and trained engineering graduates in this country. Webb Institute's only major, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, involves several engineering disciplines, including ship design and systems engineering; marine engineering; electrical engineering; mechanical engineering; and civil/structural
engineering. During Winter Work Term, students work in the maritime industry for two months - making it the only private college of naval architecture that provides a salaried work experience during each of the four years of study. But while Webb Institute's rich history and future lies in the maritime industry, RADM Olsen admits that the institution's rigorous curriculum, which includes healthy helpings of basic engineering principles as well as advanced computer and system training, is a launching pad for a career in nearly any field.
Webb Institute in Glen Cove, New York offers one of the country's most rigorous and renowned naval architecture and marine engineering educations.
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Maritime Reporter & Engineering News