NSBE - March/April 2009 - 20

daniel Grant of NAvAIR community servant, Well-rounded engineer By Kevin M. Briscoe efore Daniel Grant arrived at the NAVAIR (Naval Air Systems Command) headquarters facility in Lexington Park, Md., his pedigree was already impressive. The 1997 graduate of Joseph C. Wilson Magnet School in Rochester, N.Y., was a member of the National Honors Society and “Who’s Who Among American High School Students.” He then parlayed those early academic feats into acceptance at The Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering. Now, as an electronics engineer at NAVAIR, the principal provider for the Naval Aviation Enterprise, Grant is a valuable member of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD). Grant began his NAVAIR career in a unique program that reflects the U.S. Navy’s willingness to invest in the professional development of its work force. As a part of the Engineering Science and Development Program (ESDP) for three years, B “I thank God for placing the right people in my life to motivate me to be the best I can be.” Grant, 29, was afforded the opportunity to explore different career options on a rotational basis, with each assignment enabling him to build the technical, managerial and teamwork skills to become an exceptional engineer. Grant consulted with mentors and supervisors to identify assignments that best met his career goals. “My experience in the ESDP has been invaluable to my career,” says Grant, whose first assignment was with advanced development, experimentation and demonstrations for Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and Homeland Security efforts, where he was trained as an information assurance officer and communications engineer. “Through this development program, I learned how to manage my career and become a well-rounded engineer. I had 20 • march/april challenging work assignments and positions that were outside my comfort zone, which prepared me to adapt to changes in the workplace.” After his stint there, Grant rotated to NAVAIR’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Office. As the Small Business Technology Transition (STTR) manager, which partners small businesses and universities to develop basic research technologies that might transition to aircraft platforms, he planned and managed a $15-million budget and coordinated training for the technical leads. In his current position in the Avionics Science and Technology Office (S&T), Grant is still playing a key role. “My current role in the Avionics department consists of being the technical manager for eight SBIR projects and keeping track of the technical development throughout the phases of the program,” Grant says. His duties also include supporting strategic planning for emerging novel technologies for aircraft systems. In addition to a career that appears to be on an upward trajectory, Grant still finds time to provide the type of mentorship that has marked his career. He is an active member of NSBE’s Patuxent River Alumni Extension chapter and served as the cochairman of the ESDP Council. In his community, he volunteers with educational outreach programs for youth, and he is the founder of the Young Professionals Initiative. YPI is an association that plans and promotes the importance of retaining young professionals in the Southern Maryland area. In doing so, YPI has partnered with St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce and Patuxent Partnership to help meet the area’s great work force needs and to help young people make a difference in their community. “I am honored to be in a position to give back to my community,” says Grant. “I could not have accomplished my career and personal achievements without the help of others. I thank God for placing the right people in my life to motivate me to be the best I can be. Now, it’s important that I ensure that students and young professionals have the opportunity to develop their skills and abilities to become future leaders, especially in science and math careers.” ■ www.nsbe.org 2009 •

NSBE - March/April 2009

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