BUZZARDS BAY, MA, ISSUED SEPTEMBER 12, 2023… Massachusetts Maritime Academy, a leader in offshore wind training, is the recipient of a $1 million award provided by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC).  This funding will be used for the expansion, design, development, and implementation of an Offshore Wind Vessel Simulation and Training Center.
                                                                                 
“The clean energy industry will bring valuable jobs to residents across Massachusetts,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, when announcing the grant recipients on August 29th at Pipefitters Local 537 in Dorchester.
 
The $1 million funding awarded to Massachusetts Maritime Academy will allow development of the Academy’s Offshore Wind Vessel Simulation and Training Center (OWVSTC), a facility that will serve to create, support, and increase offshore wind development initiatives while delivering workforce training for offshore wind to workers and students with an emphasis on expanding opportunities for underrepresented populations. The project will look to design and install a full-service simulation platform capable of training a range of functions related to offshore wind support vessels from basic tug handling maneuvers for maritime related trainees to advanced seamanship methods for master mariners.
 
The OWVSTC will provide educational and training programs for the skilled trade and labor unions, K-12 dual enrollment and extended learning programs, undergraduate and continuing education programming, and professional training.  It is expected to be operational in 2024.
 
“Strengthening a dynamic and inclusive clean energy workforce is vitally important to reaching our state’s climate targets. These awards stand at the intersection of the climate crisis, environmental justice, and economic development,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These awards empower our communities and residents to actively join this clean energy transition by creating pathways that offer accessible entry points into valuable careers, ultimately creating a diverse, inclusive and robust workforce.” 
 
“We are grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center for providing the funding to move forward with this important project,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “With 75% of the Academy’s student population from Massachusetts and more than 85% from the New England region, we are focused on offering programs that result in opportunities for career and economic success within our region.”
 
The Academy is one of more than 40 organizations in receipt of a total of $18 million from the Healey-Driscoll Administration to drive equitable clean energy workforce development. The grants have been awarded to organizations that are focused on lowering barriers faced by underserved and unrepresented populations entering the clean energy workforce, introducing young people to clean energy careers, providing essential training for climate critical fields and supporting minority- and women-owned businesses entering and expanding in the clean energy sector – all in an effort to form the strong, skilled, inclusive workforce that is essential to achieving the Commonwealth’s climate goals in 2030 and 2050. 

About Massachusetts Maritime Academy: Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a fully accredited, co-educational, state university offering Bachelor and Master of Science degrees that are highly regarded in the worldwide maritime industry and beyond. For more than 100 years, Massachusetts Maritime Academy has prepared students for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. As the nation's finest maritime university, Massachusetts Maritime Academy challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimented lifestyle with a typical four-year college environment.  Follow Massachusetts Maritime Academy on FB:  @massmaritime, @MassMaritime.Advancement; IG: @massmaritime, @mmacademyalumni; Twitter: @MMAadmissions, @MMAcademyAlumni; YouTube: Massachusetts Maritime Academy. 

INCOMING CADETS FROM THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND FIVE OTHER COUNTRIES COMPLETE INDOCTRINATION PROGRAM

BUZZARDS BAY, MA, ISSUED SEPTEMBER 1, 2023…Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA; www.maritime.edu), a top-ranked public university with undergraduate degree programs focusing on science, engineering, technology, math, and business that blend academics and experiential learning, recently held its Orientation Graduation for the Class of 2027.

Some 403 cadets, cheered on by family and friends, participated in the traditional ceremony, held on August 30 in the campus’ Clean Harbors Athletic Stadium. Massachusetts residents represent 68% of the incoming class with New England states in total comprising 75%. Students from ten other states throughout the country, including Hawaii, Arkansas, California, Texas, South Carolina, and Kentucky, are members of the Class of 2027, in addition to students from Panama, Guyana, Lithuania, Canada, and Trinidad & Tobago.

The young men and women (84% male and 16% female) who arrived on campus in mid-August have successfully completed the Academy’s indoctrination program and will now begin their journey as cadets. The orientation program is designed to quickly transition students to a regimented lifestyle, build teamwork, camaraderie, self-discipline, and time-management skills while immersing them in a culture of maritime customs and traditions.

The program is led by upper class cadet leaders, known as cadre, who instruct, challenge, and model the skills and behavior necessary for success as a Massachusetts Maritime Academy cadet. The team of 118 cadre supported the incoming cadets during the demanding indoctrination program that includes physical training and hands-on instruction. Cadets gain skills in basic firefighting, watchkeeping, water survival, sailing, and rowing. In addition, they learn the Academy’s history, customs and traditions, honor code, drill and ceremony, discipline program, and regimental manual.

“Orientation Graduation represents an important milestone in a freshman cadet’s Academy experience and is a true celebration,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “The entire Academy community welcomes the class of 2027 and look forward to seeing these young men and women grow, learn, and become leaders during the next four years and far beyond.”

Orientation Graduation also provided an opportunity to recognize MMA Provost of Academic Affairs Brigid Pavilonis’ promotion from Vice President to Senior Vice President and Captain to Commodore, with Rear Admiral McDonald offering congratulations on behalf of the entire Academy community.

In addition, the ceremony honored upper class cadets who went over and above the call of duty, unselfishly devoting themselves to top quality training and setting a noteworthy example for the incoming class.

RECIPIENTS OF THIS YEAR’S COMMANDANT’S LEADERSHIP AWARDS:

Cadet Second Class Recipients 

• From 1^ST COMPANY: Quintin Pease, Marshfield, MA
• From 2^ND COMPANY: Tanner Linhard, Waterbury, CT
• From 3^RD COMPANY: Nicholas Murphy, Rockland, MA
• From 4^TH COMPANY: George Laing, Milton, MA
• From 5^TH COMPANY: Caleigh Tompkins, Kingston, MA
• From 6^TH COMPANY: Liam Howell, Sandwich, MA
• From 7^TH COMPANY: Anthony Welch, Lanesborough, MA

The Office of the Commandant’s Unsung Hero Awards:

• Stephen Feeney, Rochester, MA
• Ally Reddish, Canton, MA
• Mariana Gubert, Newtonville, MA
• John Aidonidis, Hanover, MA
• Nolan Kennedy, Auburn, MA
• Scott Heine, Wrentham, MA

The following cadets were recognized as cadet candidates for orientation 2023:

• From 1ST COMPANY Anthony Cappello, Braintree, MA
• From 2ND COMPANY Sylvia Mattraw-Johnson, Coxackie, NY
• From 3RD COMPANY Kyle Stephens, Saint Martinvill, LA
• From 4TH COMPANY  Jackson Dalmau, Brewster, MA
• From 5TH COMPANY Tyler Kelly, Marion, MA
• From 6TH COMPANY  Kukunaokala Cates, Kailua, HI
• From 7TH COMPANY Lorenzo Cicco, Taunton, MA

Highest Scores for both Knowledge and Firefighting Exam:

• Igor Visnevskij, Klaipeda, Lithuania

Commander’s Award for Top Physical Fitness:

• Sylvia Mattraw-Johnson, Coxackie, NY
• Sean Petersen , Plymouth, MA

Company Awards:

• Firefighting: 5th Company
• Drill/Marching: 6th Company
• Esprit de Corp: 5th Company
• Commandant’s Award (2nd Place Overall): 5th Company

The Admiral’s Cup was presented to 6th Company, commanded by cadet Michael Nogueira of Kingston, MA.

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BUZZARDS BAY, MA, ISSUED AUGUST 7, 2023…The Office of Intercultural Engagement at Massachusetts Maritime Academy  has named its new office the Captain Paul Cuffe Center for Inclusion, in honor of the master mariner, philanthropist, abolitionist, and education advocate.

Approved by unanimous vote of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Board of Trustees, the Cuffe Center is housed inside of the newly constructed Fantail Student Center and is set to officially open in September of this year.

The Captain Paul Cuffe Center for Inclusion has a mission to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through programs, events, and student support initiatives – and to continue the legacy of its namesake, a man whose life’s work revolved around social justice.

Born on Cuttyhunk Island in 1759, the son of a freed slave and member of the Wampanoag tribe, Capt. Cuffe joined his first whaling voyage at the age of 14. He went on to become a successful mariner, whaling captain, merchant, entrepreneur, and abolitionist, who used his influence to enact change for people of color in the maritime industry.

He also established the first integrated school, located in Westport, Massachusetts, where students of all races were welcomed to learn together. In 1812, Cuffe was one of the first Black men to formally meet with a sitting U.S. president (James Madison) and was likely the wealthiest Black man in America during the course of his life, making his fortunes sailing the Atlantic and New England coastline. The captain fought for change in the voting rights of Black men, and risked imprisonment and enslavement in his efforts toward social justice.

“We are excited not only to honor this individual’s extraordinary life, but also to bring awareness to the importance of representation in the industry,” said Patrick Nobrega, Director of the Captain Paul Cuffe Center for Inclusion. “There is no expiration date on excellence, and through the new Center we look to ground ourselves in the accomplishments of those who came before – while looking to the future.”

“Captain Paul Cuffe overcame massive adversity to achieve the success he did, all the while advocating for equality and enacting change for the betterment of his community,” said Michael Ortiz, Dean of Enrollment, Equity & Inclusion. “We’re honored to name the Center after him and have him as a beacon of principled leadership for our campus community.”

In striving for Inclusive Excellence, the Captain Paul Cuffe Center for Inclusion seeks to foster a sense of belonging and supportive environment for students of all backgrounds. Efforts include diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and events, international student services, education abroad experiences, bias incident response, The Women’s Coalition, advice for first-generation students, and support for LGBTQ+ students.

Over the summer, the space will come to life with designs dedicated to telling the story of Captain Cuffe and will be unveiled during a grand opening event in September. The space will also feature an original piece by award-winning Native artist and Cuffe family descendent Elizabeth James Perry.

“The Academy wishes to thank Cuffe family descendants Robert Kelley and Elizabeth James Perry, as well as Carl Cruz of the New Bedford Historical Society, for their support in the naming of the Center,” said Ortiz. “We’d also like to thank Dr. Bruce Rose and the entire New Bedford Whaling Museum staff, including Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes, former curator of the Paul Cuffe Exhibit.”

“By honoring the namesake of our new center, we continue Captain Cuffe’s legacy of philanthropy, social change, and positive impact within the Academy’s community,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “The center stands as both a tribute to and acknowledgement of the many strides this remarkable individual made in his life-long pursuit of social justice.”

To learn more about Captain Paul Cuffe’s life and accomplishments, please visit www.paulcuffe.org or the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s exhibit.

About Massachusetts Maritime Academy: Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a fully accredited, co-educational, state university offering Bachelor and Master of Science degrees that are highly regarded in the worldwide maritime industry and beyond. For more than 100 years, Massachusetts Maritime Academy has prepared students for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. As the nation's finest maritime university, Massachusetts Maritime Academy challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimented lifestyle with a typical four-year college environment.  Follow Massachusetts Maritime Academy on FB:  @massmaritime, @MassMaritime.Advancement; IG: @massmaritime, @mmacademyalumni; Twitter: @MMAadmissions, @MMAcademyAlumni; YouTube: Massachusetts Maritime Academy. 

MARITIME GLOUCESTER’S 39^TH ANNUAL EVENT TAKES PLACE THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, THROUGH SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

BUZZARDS BAY, GLOUCESTER, MA, ISSUED AUGUST 1, 2023… Massachusetts Maritime Academy is proud to announce that the SSV Ernestina-Morrissey will take part in Maritime Gloucester’s 39^th annual Gloucester Schooner Festival. 

The festival takes place from Thursday, August 31, and concludes Sunday, September 3, with the schooner race.  The Gloucester Schooner Festival has become a community-wide celebration of the age of sail in Gloucester Harbor.  Every year schooners from all over travel to Gloucester to race and to show off their beauty and grace both under sail and as a dock-side attraction.

The SSV Ernestina-Morrissey will be open for deck tours on Saturday, September 2, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. during Maritime Heritage Day.  She will also be participating on Sunday in the Mayor’s Cup Race.

The SSV Ernestina-Morrissey was built in 1894 at the James and Tarr Shipyard for the Gloucester fishing fleet.  Originally a fishing vessel, over the course of her long history she sailed to within 600 miles of the North Pole and later brought immigrants to the U.S.  Returned to the U.S. in 1982 as a gift from the newly independent Cape Verde, she sailed as an educational vessel until 2005.  Sitting dormant for many years, after a seven-year refurbishment in Maine under the care of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, she has returned to the Commonwealth.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy will focus the efforts of the Schooner SSV Ernestina-Morrissey on undergraduate sail-training and leadership training for cadets, K-12 STEM programming, community outreach and awareness within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and beyond. These three pillars will look to ensure the legacy of SSV Ernestina-Morrissey as an educational asset for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The SSV Ernestina-Morrissey homeport is New Bedford, MA; however, she is part of the permanent fleet of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. The National Landmark is operated by the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

For more information please visit the Gloucester Schooner Festival website at https://www.maritimegloucester.org/schooner-festival. 

About Massachusetts Maritime Academy: Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a fully accredited, co-educational, state university offering Bachelor and Master of Science degrees that are highly regarded in the worldwide maritime industry and beyond. For more than 100 years, Massachusetts Maritime Academy has prepared students for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. As the nation's finest maritime university, Massachusetts Maritime Academy challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimented lifestyle with a typical four-year college environment.  Follow Massachusetts Maritime Academy on FB:  @massmaritime, @MassMaritime.Advancement; IG: @massmaritime, @mmacademyalumni; Twitter: @MMAadmissions, @MMAcademyAlumni; YouTube: Massachusetts Maritime Academy. 

Massachusetts Maritime Academy Holds Commencement and Commissioning Exercises

BUZZARDS BAY, MA, ISSUED JULY 5, 2023…Massachusetts Maritime Academy (www.maritime.edu), a top-ranked public university with undergraduate degree programs focusing on science, engineering, technology, math, and business that blend academics and experiential learning, held its 180^th Commencement Exercises on June 17^th, conferring some 350 undergraduate and 50 graduate degrees, paving the way for the men and women to begin their careers in the worldwide maritime industry.

Marty Walsh, the former United States Secretary of Labor and present Executive Director of the National Hockey Players’ Association, provided the keynote speech during the exercises, extolling graduates for remaining focused during the past four years during the height of the pandemic.

“Some of you lost loved ones, some of you had mental health struggles – I’ve been there, and many others have as well,” said Walsh. “But whatever you faced, and despite all these challenges, you kept going, you persevered, you proved yourselves worthy. You earned this degree in ways no one has done before in the history of our nation. You did it and no one can ever take it away from you.”

Walsh and Capt. Kenneth Turner, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, received honorary degrees during the commencement exercises.

Walsh served as Mayor of Boston from 2014 to 2021 and as United States Secretary of Labor under the Biden/Harris administration from 2021 to March of 2023, resigning his position as Secretary of Labor to accept his present post as Executive Director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association.

Turner, a retired U.S. Navy Captain and submarine nuclear weapons system officer with 26 years of service, is at the helm of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) in Waltham, Massachusetts. Prior to joining the MLSC, Turner served as Director of Diversity & Inclusion/Compliance with MassPort.

A number of members of the graduating class of 2023 were commissioned prior to the June 17^th Commencement Exercises. Fourteen graduating cadets accepted commissions into the United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy Reserve during a June 15^th ceremony held on the USS Constitution, with United States Army and Massachusetts and Vermont Army National Guard commissions taking place on June 16^th.  

“Commencement and the acceptance of commissions are extraordinarily momentous occasions in an Academy cadet’s life,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “As we extend our congratulations and farewells to the outstanding class of 2023, we stand confident that the education and experiences these fine graduates received at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy will serve them well in their careers and lives in general. We expect great things from our cadets – and we are never disappointed.”

About Massachusetts Maritime Academy: Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a fully accredited, co-educational, state university offering Bachelor and Master of Science degrees that are highly regarded in the worldwide maritime industry and beyond. For more than 100 years, Massachusetts Maritime Academy has prepared students for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. As the nation's finest maritime university, Massachusetts Maritime Academy challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimented lifestyle with a typical four-year college environment.  Follow Massachusetts Maritime Academy on FB:  @massmaritime, @MassMaritime.Advancement; IG: @massmaritime, @mmacademyalumni; Twitter: @MMAadmissions, @MMAcademyAlumni; YouTube: Massachusetts Maritime Academy. 

PHOTO 1: Marty Walsh former United States Secretary of Labor and present Executive Director of the National Hockey Players’ Association addresses graduates during the Massachusetts Maritime Academy’s 180^th Commencement Exercises

PHOTO 2: Cadets cast their covers in the air following Commencement Exercises

BUZZARDS BAY, MA, ISSUED JUNE 30, 2023…Massachusetts Maritime Academy (www.maritime.edu), a top-ranked public university with undergraduate degree programs focusing on science, engineering, technology, math, and business that blend academics and experiential learning officially welcomed the SSV Ernestina-Morrissey home during a June 15th event.

Former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, current Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, and Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega attended the special occasion along with Academy staff, cadets, alumni, and many members of local communities.

The Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey was built in 1894 at the James and Tarr Shipyard for the Gloucester fishing fleet. In addition to being a fishing vessel, over the course of her long history she sailed to within 600 miles of the North Pole, and later brought immigrants to the U.S.  Returning to the US in 1982 as a gift from the newly independent Cape Verdean people, she sailed as an educational vessel until 2005. Over the past seven years, the two-masted tall ship has been refurbished by Bristol Marine in Maine and is now ready to undertake her newest commission as a sailing school vessel for cadets at the Academy.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy now focuses the efforts of the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey on undergraduate sail-training and leadership for cadets, K-12 STEM programming, and community outreach along with awareness within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and beyond. These three pillars will look to ensure the legacy of Ernestina-Morrissey as an educational asset for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

“The return of the Ernestina-Morrissey to our campus marks a new chapter for this celebrated vessel,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.  “Her future now lies in training young mariners – a true testament to her gloried past.”
 

About Massachusetts Maritime Academy: Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a fully accredited, co-educational, state university offering Bachelor and Master of Science degrees that are highly regarded in the worldwide maritime industry and beyond. For more than 100 years, Massachusetts Maritime Academy has prepared students for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. As the nation's finest maritime university, Massachusetts Maritime Academy challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimented lifestyle with a typical four-year college environment.  Follow Massachusetts Maritime Academy on FB:  @massmaritime, @MassMaritime.Advancement; IG: @massmaritime, @mmacademyalumni; Twitter: @MMAadmissions, @MMAcademyAlumni; YouTube: Massachusetts Maritime Academy. 

 Photo 1: (left to right) SSV Ernestina-Morrissey Capt. Tiffany Krihwan, Massachusetts Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll.