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Sixteen incoming engineering freshmen at 51�鱨վ kicked off their academic journey with the inaugural Monarch Accelerator Program to Engineering (MAP2E). The cohort spent a week on campus brainstorming, building prototypes, and constructing miniature catapults. They showcased their projects to family members and Batten College of Engineering and Technology faculty and staff on the final day.

Throughout the week, the students also engaged in team-building activities, attended discussions on career readiness and academic goals, participated in a student-led engineering panel and toured the Hampton Roads Sanitation District Virginia Initiative Plant.

Rob Gies, associate technical fellow at Newport News Shipbuilding, engineering professional in residence and adjunct assistant professor at 51�鱨վ, spoke to the students during the etiquette luncheon.

“This program is really about your professional development and career growth,” Gies said, “But most importantly, it is about learning how to think and think logically. That’s going to prepare you for the future, whether you come to Newport News Shipbuilding or you go somewhere else.”

Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) is the lead industry sponsor of MAP2E. Established in 2023, the program aims to increase the number of 51�鱨վ engineering and engineering technology majors, particularly from underrepresented and underserved communities in Hampton Roads.

Throughout the year, students will have access to additional tutoring, field trips and career advice. They will also join the MAP2E Engineering or Engineering Technology Impact Learning Communities, fostering engagement with peers who share similar academic and professional interests.

For more information, contact MAP2E Program Director Kristin Eden at keden@odu.edu.