“GearUp,” Old Dominion University’s exhibit and contribution to “Reimagined Nauticus,” a $21-million redesign of the Maritime Discovery Center, opens to the public this weekend, Nov. 9-10, with a discounted admission price of $5.
The University is proud to partner with Nauticus as it celebrates its 30th anniversary on Norfolk’s waterfront with a renovation to reflect its renewed commitment to education, exploration and discovery.
The third floor of the redesigned space features three galleries including “Design, Build, Sail!” “Heart of the Navy” and “Our Port.” ODU’s exhibit is part of the latter gallery and demonstrates the array of careers in the blue economy.
“The purpose of this exhibit is to show K-12 students and patrons of Nauticus many of the great maritime-related careers that are available in their own back yard that they may not have been aware of,” said Elspeth McMahon, the University’s associate vice president of maritime initiatives. “It is also a way of communicating ODU’s Maritime Initiatives to the community while demonstrating how academia and industry work together to support a strong and healthy maritime ecosystem.”
Nate Sandel, Nauticus’ director of education and community engagement, said, "Nauticus is thrilled to partner with ODU on the ‘GearUp’ maritime careers interactive, demonstrating to our visiting students and adults that in Hampton Roads, there are rewarding and lucrative career opportunities for everyone in the maritime industry—whether you have a GED, Ph.D., or anything in between."
With the support of ODU’s Division of Research and Economic Development, in particular, Corrie Marsh, the assistant director for operations, the “GearUp” display was born after meeting Stephen Kirkland, the executive director of Nauticus, who explained plans for the museum’s renovation almost two years ago. It was the perfect time to partner on the important topic of promoting the next generation of the maritime workforce.
Roto, the museum design company responsible for the renovation, created Old Dominion’s interactive gallery including a matching game where participants decide which maritime object is linked to which maritime career.
For instance, a prism pole corresponds to the surveyor job; antennas pair with cybersecurity analyst; and climbing gear goes with wind technician. Other maritime careers highlighted include ship captain, naval architect, marine electrician, dockworker, shipbuilder, terminal operator and customs inspector. Those who interact with the display and want to learn more can scan a QR code that will take them to ODU’s Maritime website where they will find additional information and opportunities for current maritime careers and training in this region.
McMahon worked closely with the University’s network of maritime associates, including Marsh, to decide the best careers to feature in the exhibit. She interviewed faculty and staff, industry partners and personal contacts to select the jobs to highlight—especially the ones with projected workforce shortages—along with the best objects to represent them.
She spoke with representatives from the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, the Virginia Maritime Association, economic development partners and other academic institutions to narrow the list of possibilities to the final 20.
“The creation of this exhibit took a lot of coordination and teamwork from throughout the region—sending out surveys, conducting interviews, reaching out to current industry partners and forming new ones while accepting donations of maritime gear to be used in the display,” McMahon said.
One of the objects sure to be a crowd-pleaser is the EvoLogics Quadroin, an autonomous underwater vehicle used by oceanographers for surveying and monitoring.
“Using biomimicry, the Quadrion mimics the behavior of the penguin, which is sure to be eye-catching. A big thank you to EvoLogics for donating this incredible object that will crown the top of the ‘GearUp’ display, ” McMahon said.
She noted that HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding donated the drafting books used in ship design and naval architecture and contacts at Military Sealift Command donated a sextant, climbing gear and a boiler suit. Tecnico Corp donated a welding mask, torch, paint gun and pipe wrench that people will be able to see and learn from for years to come.
“‘Gear Up’ has been a collaboration between ODU and its maritime partners that we hope will make a lasting imprint on the industry as people of all ages come to learn about great maritime careers and opportunities in Hampton Roads,” McMahon said.
“In order to grow our maritime ecosystem, we must continue to foster our academic, industry and government partnerships. Joining forces with Nauticus for this educational endeavor has been a rewarding experience.”
For more information about ODU’s maritime initiatives, visit ODU’s Maritime website.
For more information about Nauticus, visit www.nauticus.org.