NEWPORT NEWS, Va., March 3, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) announced today that Suzanne Beckstoffer was named the Virginia Peninsula Engineer of the Year by the Peninsula Engineers Council. Beckstoffer, engineering director of process and tools at HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division, received the award at the 45th annual Peninsula Engineers Council Annual Banquet, which was held on Saturday at the shipyard. Newport News Shipbuilding President Matt Mulherin served as the featured speaker.
Beckstoffer was nominated for the award by the Hampton Roads section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME).
"Among the four highly qualified candidates nominated this year for the Peninsula Engineer of the Year Award, Ms. Beckstoffer's exceptional record of leadership, technical accomplishments, contributions to the profession and contributions to the community stood out above the nominees," said Gary Fuller, president of the Peninsula Engineers Council.
Since her career began with Newport News in 1982, Beckstoffer has made several technical contributions to shipbuilding and ship design. She has helped the company implement new technologies, including computer-aided design, manufacturing automation, robotics and three-dimensional product model environments. Currently, Beckstoffer is responsible for the engineering and design computer tools and processes used to support ship design, construction and overhaul programs.
"We are proud to have Suzanne recognized by the Peninsula Engineers Council for her hard work, dedication and expertise," said Jennifer Boykin, Newport News' vice president of engineering and design. "Throughout her career at the shipyard, she has been at the forefront of implementing new technology to improve our work in engineering design, touching every aspect of our shipbuilding business."
Suzanne Beckstoffer accepts the Virginia Peninsula Engineer of the Year award from (from left to right) Gary Fuller, president of the Peninsula Engineers Council (PEC); Scott Opdyke, representative from the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), the society that nominated Beckstoffer; and Ken Hoffman, the PEC Engineer of the Year committee chair. Photo by Dar Mook/HII
