By MC3 Michael Ehrlich

NPS Department of Systems Engineering Professor and Chair Clifford Whitcomb will be named a fellow at the 25th Annual International Symposium of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) in Seattle, July 13. The appointment recognizes Whitcomb's scholarship, research and professional contributions to systems engineering.

"It feels great to be recognized at this level by your peers," said Whitcomb. "This is one of the most significant distinctions I have made since being a part of the Systems Engineering Department here at NPS."

Whitcomb, who is a retired Engineering Duty Officer himself, has been a part of systems engineering at NPS from the beginning.

"I wanted to be a part of the implementation and growth of a systems engineering department," said Whitcomb. "Eventually attaining ABET accreditation for our programs, and being nationally ranked by U.S. News and Report as the number 20 systems engineering graduate program in the country is very satisfying."

According to Whitcomb, part of that satisfaction comes from knowing that his students will have a direct impact upon systems engineering in the Navy. He notes that "the education they get here is directly and contextually relevant to their careers and the nation."

The Department of Systems Engineering at NPS was founded in 2002 and has since grown into six different curricula including a PhD program. INCOSE is a not-for-profit professional society founded to develop and disseminate the interdisciplinary principles and practices that enable the realization of successful systems.