Amidst a maze of colorful exhibition booths, a bustling stream of kids and parents explore cutting edge tech, including 3D printers, tablet-controlled robots, rocket testing stations, and hands on (literally!) electricity experiments.
America’s largest shipbuilder, HII, is at the center of it all with a huge variety of interactive exhibit stations and lots of smiles from their enthusiastic staff. Grant Ronquillo and Kelsie Rountree (mechanical engineer and trade school coordinator for HII, respectively) both talked about the fun being at the Navy League Expo, grinning as they watched kids learn how to weld in a virtual reality simulator.
President and CEO of HII, Chris Kastner, also spoke with Seapower about HII’s dedication to STEM, including a rigorous internship program. “We have a good conversion rate from our interns, especially our technical interns, because we actually give them real work to do when they come into the company,” he said. “They’re not just doing busy work.”
But ultimately, HII’s focus is on the benefit to the larger community.
“If we don’t invest our communities, in STEM, and make sure we have technical talent that can work in the shipyards, then we’re not doing the right thing for the community,” said Kastner.
of Seapower Magazine, bringing extensive experience as an
editor, attorney, and communications professional with 20+
years of experience leading teams across industries and
organizations.
As a defense litigation attorney in New Orleans, Ann drafted
both federal and state legal arguments as well as publishing
legal articles in professional journals. She is also the former
managing editor of the online news website TheLatest.com,
where, in addition to managing the editorial staff and
contributing writers, she was the regular food and lifestyle
section writer.
Additional writing and publishing experience include: editing and self-publishing a community
cookbook for the (now former) U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem, serving as the managing
editor of the Law Journal for the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, the editor-in-chief
of the magazine for the New York University Department of Culture and Communication, and
the associate publisher for the New York City lifestyle publication GO Magazine.
Ann is also an experienced public speaker, including for the University of Maryland’s business
school, the annual Women Officer Leadership conference for AcademyWomen, and American
Councils for International Education.
Ann is also a podcast host and producer, independent filmmaker, and is proficient in French. She
is currently based in Baltimore City, where she lives with her husband, two children, and rescue
dog.
Ann holds a law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and graduated magna
cum laude in mass media communication studies from New York University
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