U.S. Naval Academy’s STEM Director Receives MLK Award

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tyler Caswell

The U.S. Naval Academy's (USNA) Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Center for Education and Outreach Director, Dr. Angela Leimkuhler Moran, received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major Award Jan. 15 at the 28th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Dinner.

The event highlighted accomplishments of 11 honorees, recognizing local leaders who keep Dr. King's dream alive through their words, deeds and extraordinary acts of service and commitment.

“Dr. Moran leads our STEM program, which helps reach underserved youth throughout our nation,” said USNA Superintendent Vice Adm. Ted Carter. “It’s an outreach program that inspires youth, women and diverse groups across the nation whom we want to bring, enjoy and develop here at USNA.”

Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Ted Carter speaks at the 28th Annual Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Awards Dinner Jan. 15.

Dr. Moran joined the faculty of the academy’s Mechanical Engineering Department in the fall of 1993 as an expert in materials manufacturing and engineering. Her leadership role allows her to bring STEM education to underserved students in Anne Arundel County and surrounding counties.

“What I do has been amplified many times over by the faculty, staff, administration, and especially by the midshipmen,” said Moran. “These people have contributed over 20,000 hours to help reach underserved populations and promote STEM activities.”

Coordinating with many of USNA’s departments, Moran oversees training of faculty members and midshipmen, and coordinates hosting numerous events each year at USNA.

“Through the help of many departments at USNA, we’re able to reach more than 18,000 students and more than 1,000 educators through our STEM program,” said Moran. “We are able to engage our lessons with exciting hands-on project-based learning activities.”

The outreach program encourages students to use hands-on projects to engage in non-conventional learning experiences.

Dr. Angela Moran (second from left) received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major
Award Jan. 15

“Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character, that’s the goal of a true education,’” said Moran. “Our STEM midshipmen and our STEM faculty know the value of this education extends beyond the formal classroom. This includes shaping the attributes of the 21st century learner. We strive to do that through our outreach efforts.”

USNA STEM events are sponsored by the Security of Defense, Office of Naval Research, the Naval Academy Foundation, the Northrop Grumman Foundation and the Bauer Foundation.

Founded in 1988, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee was designed to honor Dr. King’s legacy in Anne Arundel County.

For more information about STEM at USNA, visit http://www.usna.edu/STEM/.