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Member of the Month - December 2018


Meet December's ASNE Member of the Month - Travis Rapp! Read on to learn a bit more about Travis in his interview with Membership Manager Michelle.

Michelle: What got you into Naval Engineering? (What specific event or moment).
Travis: My grandpa served in the U.S. Navy “SeaBees” Construction Battalions as a shipfitter during the Second World War and supported construction of Naval facilities ashore as our forces landed in Philippines and New Guinea. His engineering and service experience inspired me to pursue a similar path.

Michelle: What is a fun fact most people don't know about you?
Travis: I’m quite proud of my genre-spanning collection of vinyl records. Whether it’s Springsteen, Coltrane, Cash, or anyone else, I enjoy hearing the classic sound that can only be produced by ridges on a spinning plastic disk.

Michelle: What is one engineer/scientist/ or mathematician dead or alive would you like to meet?
Travis: Katherine Johnson, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work as a guidance and navigation engineer at NASA and subject of the movie “Hidden Figures.” The account of when John Glenn asked her personally to verify his electronic computer orbit calculations is a stunning example of trust and confidence and her story of perseverance in the face of social pressures is truly extraordinary and inspirational.

Michelle: If you could engineer your perfect concession stand/food truck, what would it be?
Travis: It would be hard to beat San Diego’s famous burrito and taco trucks or the Halal lamb gyro stands in New York City. Unless of course, you could have both in one place! You would need to make sure that there was plenty of room inside the truck to actually prepare the burritos and gyros and a rotisserie to carve the meat to order.

Michelle: Why are you a member of ASNE?
Travis: The journal articles and conferences that membership provides access to have greatly assisted with my graduate research and I’m looking forward to remaining professionally engaged as my career progresses.

Michelle: What does "Naval Engineering" mean to you?
Travis: There are so many disciplines that are involved in the broader context of “Naval” Engineering. Diverse examples abound and range from computer-based system controls, hybrid electro-mechanical propulsion systems, or the fundamentals of hydrodynamics. “Naval” engineering is knowing enough about every aspect of the design process to be able to begin to understand the effects of integrating all the components of a complex marine system.

Nominate a Member of the Month

Have someone you'd like to nominate as Member of the Month?  Please direct nominations to Michelle Redmon, membership@navalengineers.org.