NEWPORT – Sierra Palmer, an undersea warfare analyst at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, has won the 2021 Helen Martha Sternberg Award, which is given each year by the Society of Women Engineers.
A resident of Tiverton, Palmer recently completed a graduate certificate in robotics engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, with plans to start a master’s degree in defense and strategic studies at the Naval War College.
Palmer is a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts and began working at NUWC Division Newport in the summer of 2019. There, she began investigating a concept of employment for underwater vehicles that could be used as a data mule, under the guidance of a senior warfare analyst. Her research into expanding unmanned undersea vehicle missions led to concept development of employment for unmanned systems for subsea and seabed warfare, according to a statement from NUWC Division Newport.
Palmer’s contributions to Saturn Underway, which provided deeper insight into core tasks required for undersea warfare systems to be successful, and Titan Underway – a follow-on war-gaming event to explore elements of seabed warfare – have displayed her capabilities, according to NUWC.
Palmer has “cultivated an aptitude for innovative decision-making and problem-solving that instills confidence in her customers and allows her to execute near- and far-term strategic planning in a dynamic multivariate paradigm,” the award states. “She is a dynamic multitasker who sees challenges as opportunity.”
The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport is a shore command of the U.S. Navy and engineers, builds and supports its fleet of ships and combat systems. Palmer received the award as part of the command’s annual awards ceremony.
Susan Shalhoub is a PBN contributing writer.
