Member of the Month - July 2017
This member of the month is Stephen Michetti - see what Mr. Michetti had to say to Membership and Graphic Design Manager Michelle Redmon.
Michelle: What got you into Naval Engineering? (What specific event or moment).
Stephen: As a kid I liked to do fix or invent things. For example, playing street hockey before hockey was popular, I took a torch and carefully melted a plastic alcohol bottle around the blade of my stick - and it lasted much longer. My parents would tell me I should be an engineer so at age 17, after graduating high school , I started an apprenticeship at Philly shipyard working as an equipment mechanic. My plan was to work and go to school for engineering and that is what I did. Working in the shipyard, Naval Engineering became the obvious choice.
Michelle: What is a fun fact most people don't know about you?
Stephen: I love adventure, national parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite, and nature so I have been shark cage diving in Oahu, Night snorkeling with manta rays in big Island, watching grizzly bears fighting in Alaska, category 4 whitewater rafting on the Snake River in Yellowstone, repelling over a ravine between two cliffs in Costa Rica, and am headed to an African Safari in Kruger National Park in August.
Michelle: What is one engineer/scientist/ or mathematician dead or alive would you like to meet?
Stephen: As the ASNE-DV chair in 2004 and due to my role as SeaPerch lead for ASNE and NSWCPD, I had the privilege to meet and talk with 3 space shuttle astronauts: Mission Specialist Paul Richards that did a spacewalk or Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) on the international Space Station. Paul actually did his co-op at NSWCPD the year before I started working there; Chris Ferguson who was captain and pilot on three different space shuttle missions; and Captain Stefanyshyn-Piper, also former NSWCCD Commanding Officer, who was on two space shuttle missions. I am in awe of meeting people that have accomplished something so unique and important in the world and I can't image meeting anyone that could compare to that experience. All three of these astronauts agreed to meet with SeaPerch students and they were as thrilled as I was!
Michelle: If you could engineer your perfect concession stand/food truck, what would it be?
Stephen: It would need to be innovative with an element of fun, with quality food and quick service. Customers would make selections and payment on an app and would be provided a pick up time for faster service but there would need to be an element of personal service when the food was delivered. So with the order the customer can opt to add a fun fact or myth if they choose so instead of calling out the person's name, they would identify the person by the fun fact for all to hear.
Michelle: Why are you a member of ASNE?
Stephen: ASNE has opened many doors for me and has allowed me to not only meet many terrific people in industry, academia and government, but has supported the Engineering Outreach initiatives that the team here in ASNE-DV has been involved with for many years. Giving back to the community is so important and ASNE has helped facilitate this is a huge way. As a branch manager at NSWCPD, I encourage all our engineers to publish and present technical papers at Symposia like Intelligent Ships, and to become ASNE members stressing the importance of networking. I have been involved with starting or supporting ASNE student sections at several local universities for the same reasons.