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. 

Dr. Al Skolnick

Award: Harold E. Saunders Award
Year: 2004
Recipient:
Dr. Alfred "Al" Skolnick
Reason:
For his for his significant contribution to naval engineering as set forth in the following:

Dr. Skolnick has been a stalwart leader of naval engineering for nearly half of century. He is one of the nation's top experts in directed energy systems and it was his personal unwavering leadership and technical acumen that led to the successful testing of the first Mid-Infrared Advanced Chemical Laser (MIRACL) and the associated SEALITE Beam Director system in the early 1980's. This effort produced the most significant test results ever attained in DOD laser development in the shoot-down of four, small, high speed flying targets. Even after 20 years, its continuous output power remains the highest ever achieved in the United States. This work became the basis of all directed energy programs now be considered for warship combat systems providing the warfighter a critical capability against anti-ship cruise missiles.

Dr. Skolnick, however, did so much more than develop the laser weapon systems of the future; he developed the engineers needed to design and build these systems. As President of the American Society of Naval Engineers for two terms, he led the Society through its 100 anniversary celebration by driving membership to unprecedented levels. In addition, he visited nearly every section of ASNE throughout the country, provided inspirational and motivational leadership and council, promoting ASNE as the society for engineers interested in highly complex combat systems. Dr. Skolnick also educated the engineers of the future. For over 20 years he taught mathematics to college students at Marymount University and Northern Virginia Community College constantly being the promoter of importance of a strong technical education in support of our national defense.

His efforts throughout his career directly lead to advent of the most capable warship weapon systems ever developed and an enormous increase in the interest in naval engineering. His accomplishments are most worthy of the acclaim of the American Society of Naval Engineers by presentation of the prestigious Harold E. Saunders Award.