The unique collaboration between St. Mary’s College of Maryland Department of Physics and the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) is expanding to two additional academic departments, chemistry and mathematics, at the public honors college.

Funding to support the expansion comes from The Patuxent Partnership (TPP), which will contribute to St. Mary’s College $180,000 of its recent award of $850,000 from the Office of Naval Research. The contribution is part of TPP’s new “STEM for all” initiative aligning with the organization’s mission to collaborate with government, industry and academia on initiatives in science and technology and to support workforce development.

Since 2003, NAWCAD and the physics department at St. Mary’s College have collaborated under the direction of physicist Frank Narducci, of the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Expanding the collaboration to chemistry and mathematics is a welcome addition.

Randolph Larsen, associate professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at St. Mary’s College, says, “This funding will help us increase our research efforts in the fields of materials science and fuels analysis.”

The collaboration model allows St. Mary’s College students and recent graduates to develop familiarity with Navy practices and programs and gain six months or more of training and experience.

The funding will be used over a three-year period.