PRESS RELEASE From the Southern Maryland Chapter:

Patuxent River Revives International Test & Evaluation Association Chapter #1

In July 2024, the ITEA Southern Maryland Chapter was reinstated after becoming inactive in June 2018. The Chapter hosts quarterly meetings and is excited to announce their first luncheon scheduled for Oct. 17, 2024, from 11:30 – 1:00 p.m., at the USMSM Campus SMART Building with guest speaker, DAiTA and Mission Systems Director, Ms. Debra Salamon, to inaugurate the revival of the chapter.

To join us for the commemorative luncheon, please register at https://itea.memberclicks.net/southern-maryland-donations

In July 2024, approximately 20 local ITEA members—many of whom are NAWCAD T&E experts—met to inform the ITEA National Board of their intent to reinstate the Southern Maryland Chapter to an active status. The group reviewed and reaffirmed the ITEA bylaws and received approval from the Board for standing back up the Association’s founding chapter. Elections of officers were completed with Dustin Robinson elected President; Nick Mouriski, Vice President; Ryan Selph, Secretariat; and Jeff Miller, Treasurer.

Chapter President Dustin Robinson, with the NAWCAD Atlantic Test Ranges, says, “We are excited to stand back up ITEA’s first chapter and kick things off with Ms. Salamon as our first speaker. Please consider joining ITEA, as our chapter is aimed at serving all T&E professionals in the Southern Maryland area. We encourage participation from all, from those who just got a job to those with 40-plus years leading complex T&E programs. Please come check us out at our commemorative luncheon and reach out with any questions!”

For questions or information, reach chapter officers at chapter1@itea.org.

Founded in 1980 by Dr. Allen R. Matthews, ITEA is an international, all-volunteer and chapter membership-driven, non-profit education association that fosters, preserves, and advances the art and science of test and evaluation. Chapters host T&E meetings, technical exchanges, and workshops to earn scholarship dollars for local scholarship programs to enhance the future T&E workforce.

ITEA SOUTHERN MARYLAND is the original Chapter—Chapter #1

Hampton Roads Chapter Highlights STEAM Competition and Scholarships 

The Future T&E Workforce Development Shifts Left

The Hampton Roads Chapter hosted the STEAMhack™ Chain Reaction Challenge at the Cybersecurity Workshop the last week of August in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This is a speed-building event where teams of 3-6 high school students receive a kit of materials and about 3 hours to build the most impressive chain reaction-style machine.  The students had to “Catch a Meteor” by building machines to launch and catch a meteor, and integrate the reason for catching a meteor into the story described by the team prior to the triggering of the chain reaction.

We are grateful to the leaders who served as the judges for this competition, Chris Collins, Executive Director, Development Test, Evaluation, and Assessments, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense (Research & Engineering), Justine Gayle, Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton, and Kaila Perry, Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic 5G. At the end of the day long event, the students were treated to a reception where they were awarded a John V. Bolino Scholarship!  First place winners were from Granby High School received $1000, second place $750 Princess Anne High School, and third place $500, Ocean Lakes High School. 

We extend our congratulations to the students for their creative solutions and to the faculty for seeing the value and making this happen on the second day of a new school year!