NMRDC Shares the Value of Research and Development at Weller Road Career Day
SILVER SPRING, Md. – Sailors with Navy Medicine Research and Development Command (NMRDC) took part in Weller Road Elementary School’s annual STEM Career Day on October 23.
Weller Road students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade had the opportunity to speak with active-duty Sailors and learn how the command’s mission safeguards U.S. military health and readiness.
“Engagement was high,” said Lt. j.g. Eric Hartel, an entomologist with NMRDC, and one of the command’s representatives at the career day. “Events like this build local familiarity and support for the work NMRDC does and shows some of the benefits of serving in the Navy. I was personally inspired as a kid by similar events, learning that you could have a job in science, and I hope events like this inspire future scientists.”
Hartel, along with Lt. Justin Fletcher, a microbiologist with NMRDC, talked with students about the ways diseases and disease vectors, such as insects, can affect the health of U.S. service members, and how they use their respective expertise to research solutions that keep service members healthy.
Weller Road’s annual career day brings professionals from organizations across Silver Spring to share career opportunities in fields such as public service and STEM.
“Career Day shows students that there are so many different paths to success,” said Amanda Breen, a teacher at Weller Road. “It encourages them to explore their interests and strengths, ask questions and believe in their own potential.”
“Career Day also helps students see how what they learn in the classroom can connect to real-world careers,” Breen added.” When my class saw the organization name ‘Naval Medical Research Command,’ they looked at each word individually to make predictions about what that job may entail prior to listening to the speakers.”
NMRDC regularly attends public-facing events in the local and larger Maryland community, to build trust and relationships with the community. In addition to showcasing STEM career fields, these events connect hospital corpsmen with students to speak on research opportunities in the U.S. Navy.
“The students learned a few interesting things about science in the Navy, and learned a bit about what microbiology and entomology actually look like as a career,” said Fletcher. “I think that this helps them understand that the Navy plays an important role in research and development efforts.”
NMRDC is the headquarters of the Navy Medicine Research & Development collective. We deliver research solutions to enhance the health, readiness and lethality of the joint warfighter, supporting the full spectrum of military operations from the laboratory to the battlefield.
Navy Medicine’s 44,000+ talented and ready forces optimize health readiness, deliver quality healthcare and provide global expeditionary medical support to warfighters.
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