By MC3 Michael Ehrlich

Lt. Matthew Martinez, Director of the Navy's Civilian Institutions Programs Office (CIVINS), is pictured in his Herrmann Hall office, March 17. When an officer's needs cannot be met at NPS, CIVINS steps in to place the officer at one of several top universities across the nation.

"Not all of the needs of the Navy are met through NPS, which is when we have to seek out civilian institutions to meet our needs," said Martinez.

"There is no school in the world that has everything under one house … It is just not economically feasible," added CIVINS Program Manager Gerry Gibbons. "And we still find it beneficial to have officers take advantage of schools such as Harvard because of the interaction they get from instructors, professors and the community."

One community where the Navy outsources education is the Judge Advocate Generals Corps. Lt. Cmdr. David M. Shull is currently working through CIVINS to study environmental law at the University of California, Berkley.

"The opportunity to study at a top-tier institution like Berkeley Law will certainly pay dividends for the Navy," said Shull. "I will be well-suited to fill positions within the Navy JAG Corps that require environmental expertise, and given the increasing emphasis being placed on environmental issues, I believe my new skills will be in high demand."

CIVINS supports 71 different subspecialties such as nuclear engineering, music, divinity and shipbuilding. Annually, about 22 percent of officer graduate education assignments are routed through CIVINS.