Released by Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division China Lake Public Affairs Office--
by Steve Boster

The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) Fellows Program provides formal peer recognition for those individuals who make continued and outstanding technical contributions to the success of NAWCWD and China Lake. Three newest members of this group recently were presented their official Fellow pins by Dr. Ron Smiley, head of the Systems Engineering Department. Earning the honors were Rodney Ditzler, Robert Hintz, as new NAWCWD Fellows, and Frank Armogida as a NAWCWD Associate Fellow.

The selection process begins with nomination by a Weapons Division employee. Selection requires approval by a department technical staff selection committee, a Fellow Selection Committee, and finally a majority vote of all Fellows. This process recognizes the nominees as a leading expert in his or her field who has made identifiable original technical contributions critical to the success of Navy programs. One means of demonstrating such contributions is through patent and/or publication activity. Also, recognition from the outside scientific community of accomplishments may be a factor in the recognition.

Such recognition does not come quickly or easily. A Fellow must have at least 12 years of demonstrated excellence in the chosen scientific or technical field. Only technical accomplishment and skills are used as the criteria, not management experience.
To retain the ability of the Fellows Program to distinguish truly outstanding technical contributions, only a limited fraction of the technical population shall be so designated (technical population is the number of NAWCWD’s technical employees). The number of Fellows is limited to 3%, Senior Fellows to 0.75%, and Distinguished Fellows to 0.25% of the technical population.

As the recognized leaders of the technical community, all Fellows bear the responsibility for maintaining the capability, technical image, and morale of NAWCWD. This includes one or more of the following activities:

1. Involvement in promoting activities for increased technical productivity, training, patent and publication awareness, etc.
2. Involvement in the review of appropriate independent exploratory development, bids and proposals, and independent research proposals as technical experts.
3. Contributions to internal and external technical publications.
4. Nomination of candidates for Fellows.
5. Acting as technical role model or mentor for other technologists.
6. Membership on appropriate technical boards/committees.

Fellow programs were established at the Pacific Missile Test Center (PMTC), Pt. Mugu in 1984 and at the Naval Weapons Center (NWC), China Lake in 1988 to provide recognition to those individuals who make continued and outstanding technical contributions. When PMTC and NWC were among the facilities consolidated under the Weapons Division, the existing Fellows programs were merged into a single NAWCWD Fellows Program. These awards continue those long-standing traditions.

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PHOTO CUTLINE:

NEWLY RECOGNIZED FELLOWS PROGRAM HONOREES: Dr. Ron Smiley (2nd from left) presented Fellow Society pins to Rodney Ditzler (left), Robert Hintz (2nd from right) and Frank Armogida (right) during recent ceremonies at China Lake.