1423 Powhatan St., Suite 1
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Phone (703) 836-6727
Fax (703) 836-7491
Email: asnehq@navalengineers.org

 

ASNE is the leading professional engineering society for engineers, scientists and allied professionals who conceive, design, develop, test, construct, outfit, operate and maintain complex naval and maritime ships, submarines and aircraft and their associated systems and subsystems.  ASNE also serves the educators who train the professionals, researchers who develop related technology, and students who are preparing for the profession.  Society activities provide support for the U.S. Navy; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Marine Corps; U.S. Merchant Marine and U.S. Army.

ASNE is the seventh oldest technical society in the United States.  It was founded in 1888 by a group of naval engineering pioneers, most of them officers of the U.S. Navy's Engineering Corps, who sought a unified approach to their profession in order to make the most of new advances in technology. The purposes of ASNE are:           

  • to advance the knowledge and practice of naval engineering in public and private applications and operations,
  • to enhance the professionalism and well-being of members, and
  • to promote naval engineering as a career field.

For 125 years, the Society’s objectives have been strengthened and preserved to meet the changing needs of a time-honored profession. Today ASNE conducts a variety of technical meetings and symposia, publishes the highly regarded Naval Engineers Journal and a number of other technical proceedings and publications, and fosters professional development and technical information exchange through technical committees, local section activities and cooperative efforts with government organizations and other professional societies.

The Society's annual meeting, ASNE Day, is typically held in February of each year in the Washington, DC, area. The meeting features major addresses by high level industry and government leaders and panel discussions by leading members of the profession.  It also includes presentation and discussion of technical papers on a variety of timely naval engineering topics, presentation of the Society's prestigious annual awards and a large exposition with government and industry exhibits covering the full spectrum of naval engineering technology. ASNE Day is highlighted by the Society’s annual Honors Gala, attended by hundreds of executives and senior managers from both government and industry.

Our website is designed to not only serve our members, but also to support scholars, students and others interested in the varied field of naval engineering.  We welcome your suggestions on ways we can improve your experience. 

CAPT Barrick F. "Barry" Tibbitts, USN (Ret.)

Award: Harold E. Saunders Award
Year: 2006
Recipient:
CAPT Barrick F. "Barry" Tibbitts, USN (Ret.)
Reason:
For his significant contribution to naval engineering as set forth in the following:

For the past five decades, Captain Tibbitts has been an inspiring and forward thinking leader in a broad range of naval engineering domains. His extensive career of notable achievements has materially contributed to the arts and sciences of naval engineering in the true tradition of the Navy’s Engineering Duty Officer Corps. His professionalism, dedication, and technical excellence have distinguished him as a leader among his peers throughout the naval engineering community. Over a period of twelve years, he held three of the Navy's most prestigious technical leadership commands: Commander of the David Taylor Research Center (DTRC), MIT Professor of Naval Construction and Engineering, and Director of NAVSEA's Ship Design Group (twice). He has also been a steadfast leader in educating, mentoring and developing the U.S. Navy’s military and civilian technical leaders in both Ship R&D and Ship Design.

In his various positions, he has always made it a point to mentor rising naval engineers. Captain Tibbitts has demonstrated an unusual ability to spot people with leadership potential early in their careers, and identify what is needed to stretch and develop them. Many of his former students have served or are now serving in senior ship engineering leadership positions, several are ship acquisition program managers, and three have made flag rank. Instituting a leadership centered culture has been the ultimate fruit of his labors.

Captain Tibbitts is recognized internationally as a naval ship design expert. He was unanimously elected as the chairman of the 12-nation NATO Ship Design Group (NG/6), a position he held for ten years at the urging of member nations. Under his leadership, a number of Allied Naval Engineering Publications (ANEPs) were developed, published, and used by member nations in the development of a wide range of naval ships, including NFR 90 – the NATO Replacement Frigate for the 1990s. Captain Tibbitts has clearly demonstrated productivity, growth, and outstanding accomplishment in naval engineering over the years, with ultimate wide recognition by peers as a leader in the field, and of such prestige as to merit the acclaim of the naval engineering community.

Captain Tibbitts remains active in professional societies and is a prolific writer. His writings are often considered required reading in many naval engineering universities and offices. He is an exemplary role model of day-to-day professionalism and the epitome of excellence in Naval Engineering. His accomplishments and long-term distinguished service truly merit the acclaim of the American Society of Naval Engineers by presentation of the prestigious Harold E. Saunders Award.