Wärtsilä, the marine industry’s leading solutions and services provider, hosted the State University of New York, Maritime College and its Cadets on-board the College’s training ship, the Empire State VI during their mid-July visit to Trieste, Italy. The students were part of the second term of the annual 2013 Summer Sea Team. The ship’s visit to the historic city was no ordinary port call.
Upon arrival of the ship in Trieste’s harbor, leaders from Wärtsilä welcomed the group of close to 600, including Maritime Cadets, a contingent of Cadets from Maine and Texas Maritime Academies, faculty, crew and SUNY Maritime College President, RADM Wendi B. Carpenter, USN (Ret.).
Wärtsilä and SUNY Maritime leadership had been making plans for many months for the Ship to visit Trieste, and while in port, a tour of the company’s workshop was planned.
The two vital forces of the maritime world have been working together since 2011 when Wärtsilä donated a state-of-the-art diesel engine to the College, creating a diesel engine lab for engineering students. In May, 2013, SUNY Maritime honored Wärtsilä at the College’s annual Admiral’s Dinner.
Once in Trieste, Admiral Carpenter joined 100 Engineering Major Cadets, as well as Dr. Richard Burke, SUNY Maritime’s Chairman of the Engineering Department, for a four-hour guided tour of the Wärtsilä multi product factory. During the visit, the students also had the opportunity to meet with several Wärtsilä leaders. The following day, Wärtsilä managers arranged a meeting between Maritime College President, Admiral Carpenter and the College’s Engineering Chairman, Dr. Richard Burke, with fellow educators at the University of Trieste.
“Our visit in Trieste and tour of the Wärtsilä manufacturing facility was a unique opportunity for our students and faculty to experience, first-hand, the numerous elements involved in the production of a Wärtsilä engine. Equally as important, they saw the inner workings of a multi-national company with enormous impact,” stated SUNY Maritime College President, RADM Wendi B. Carpenter, USN (Ret.).
Before the ship departed for Malta, SUNY Maritime hosted a celebratory on-board reception. Well attended by Wärtsilä and the University of Trieste leadership, as well as local officials from the historic city whose harbor has been visited by mariners from all parts of the world for thousands of years, it was a fitting close to the Empire State’s time in Trieste.
For the Cadets, visiting the Wärtsilä factory in Trieste, regarded as one of the finest facilities in the world, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Empire State VI will return to the SUNY Maritime College campus on August 9 and the start of another new academic year will begin several weeks later.
For further information please contact:
Ms Jane Bartnett
Director of Communications
SUNY Maritime College
Tel. +1 718 409 7277
jbartnett@sunymaritime.edu
Ms Amy Reynolds
Manager, Communications & Branding, USA
Wärtsilä North America, Inc.
Tel. +1 281 233 6228
amy.reynolds@wartsila.com
Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2012, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 4.7 billion with approximately 18,900 employees. The company has operations in nearly 170 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.
www.wartsila.com
SUNY Maritime College in brief
SUNY Maritime College, one of the nation’s leading engineering schools has a rich 139 year history of educating young men and women. A four-year college located at historic Fort Schuyler in Throggs Neck, the Bronx, New York City, SUNY Maritime offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the following areas: Engineering (Marine, Mechanical, Electrical and Facilities), Naval Architecture, Marine Transportation/ Business Administration(minors in Ship Management and Maritime & Port Security), Maritime Studies, Marine Environmental Science (minors in Marine Biology and Meteorology & Oceanography), Humanities, International Transportation and Trade, and a Master's degree in International Transportation Management. SUNY Maritime’s five engineering programs are accredited by ABET. Founded in 1874, Maritime College holds the honor or being the first maritime college in the U.S.
www.sunymaritime.edu