KINGSTON, R.I.—March 26, 2025—The University of Connecticut and University of Rhode Island were jointly awarded a five-year contract from General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) to provide regional workforce development support to the Maritime Industrial Base. The contract will support ongoing activities and drastically expand the work of the UConn-URI Navy STEM Coalition, which, since 2017, has developed a K-16 pipeline across southern New England to encourage both the skilled trades and engineering careers needed to build submarines.

The UConn-URI Navy STEM Coalition was established in 2017 through the leadership of professors Michael Accorsi at UConn and David Taggart at URI via funding from the Office of Naval Research. In 2021, the program was expanded under the current leadership of professors Alexandra Hain at UConn and Valerie Maier-Speredelozzi at URI through a grant from the DoD STEM National Defense Education Program. Hain and Maier-Speredelozzi will continue as the institutional leads of the ANCHOR (Advancing Naval Careers through Higher-ed Outreach and Research) contract.

“The UConn-URI Navy STEM Coalition recognizes the critical support from the ANCHOR contract, managed by General Dynamics Electric Boat and funded by the U.S. Navy through the Maritime Industrial Base Program, which enables continued investment in workforce development and STEM education,” said Erica Logan, the Navy’s maritime industrial base deputy director of workforce.

“By working alongside URI and General Dynamics Electric Boat, we are not only advancing naval engineering and skilled trades but also inspiring a pipeline of talent to meet the demands of this vital sector,” said UConn Engineering Dean JC Zhao. “The coalition’s efforts will have a substantial impact on southern New England and beyond, ensuring that our students and workforce are equipped to lead in submarine production and innovation for decades to come.”

In the last three years, the coalition has steadily increased its presence across southern New England, engaging over 13,000 students in the fundamentals of naval science and engineering. The Navy STEM Coalition’s staff and engineering university student members have taught Connecticut and Rhode Island students the fundamentals of buoyancy, additive manufacturing, and the core trades essential to submarine production through over 75 regional classroom visits and more than 20 large-scale outreach events nationwide. The coalition has also engaged and trained dozens of teachers through programs ranging from day-long workshops to year-long residencies.

Maier-Speredelozzi said, “Inspiring undergraduates and K-12 students to pursue STEM careers is always rewarding, and we are excited to expand our outreach with K-12 teachers. When we work with teachers, we magnify the impact to include not only the students in their classes today, but also for years to come.”

Looking forward, the ANCHOR contract will enable the coalition to significantly increase activities in the region, including the development of multiple new summer programs at both campuses for K-12 students, undergraduate summer researchers, and pre-service teachers. Regarding the growth of K-12 summer programming, Hain noted, “Through targeted summer programs in engineering and skilled trades, we are committed to preparing students for careers in the submarine industrial base. By offering partial and full scholarships, along with free options, we’re dedicated to inspiring and equipping the next generation of talent, breaking down barriers to ensure that a skilled workforce is ready to meet the unique demands of submarine production and innovation.”

The coalition will also offer significant funding for those already working within the industrial base to come back to UConn or URI for graduate school in a partnership with the National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology, the premier fundamental research facility for submarine development in the region.

“The eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island region – which includes two public flagship research universities, GDEB’s campuses in Groton and Quonset Point, and U.S. Navy operations in New London and Newport – is the undisputed global epicenter of submarine research, development and manufacturing,” said URI Engineering Dean Anthony Marchese. “For decades, UConn and URI have responded to the research and workforce development needs of our regional Maritime Industrial Base partners and we are proud to continue to fulfill that mission through the ANCHOR program.”

In expanding to support GDEB and the wider industrial base, the coalition will establish a comprehensive pipeline for submarine production from elementary education to graduate school, ensuring students in southern New England are supported in their path to building the future of the underwater fleet.  

With the Navy indicating that the Maritime Industrial Base will need over 150,000 new employees in the next decade to meet procurement demands, the submarine sector will be vibrant for decades to come. Once called “the Silicon Valley of undersea warfare” by former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, southern New England is set to see much of that growth and thus is in vital need of the pipeline development GDEB and the coalition will be achieving through this partnership.

“The ANCHOR program demonstrates the power of public institutions investing in their local communities and their student body by leveraging the private sector of the Maritime Industrial Base. Partnerships like this create a sustainable impact on the economic growth and community well-being of our region,” said Sean Morrone, Electric Boat’s manager of supplier and workforce development.

Meeting the needs of the Maritime Industrial Base at this time requires innovative collaborations between industry, government, and academia, and the coalition is eager to continue inspiring the next generation to “build giants.”