uscga badge
Search
Close this search box.
uscga badge
Search
Close this search box.
Home / Academics / Academic Majors / Government / Government Faculty and Staff / LCDR Collinson Burgwyn

Collinson “Ned” Burgwyn, M.A., Lieutenant Commander, USCG

Government, Instructor Department of Culture and Languages
LCDR Ned BurgwynLCDR Ned Burgwyn is a 2008 graduate of Virginia Tech where he earned a B.A. in History and was a four-year member of the Corps of Cadets. He joined the Coast Guard shortly after graduation and earned his commission from Officer Candidate School in December 2008. LCDR Burgwyn has spent much of his career at sea and proudly wears the Permanent Cutterman Insignia. He has served as a Deck Watch Officer on CGC NORTHLAND out of Portsmouth, VA, Executive Officer of CGC MUSTANG out of Seward, AK, and Operations Officer of CGC DECISIVE out of Pascagoula, MS. His most rewarding tour was as Commanding Officer of CGC WASHINGTON on the island of Guam. Under LCDR Burgwyn’s leadership the WASHINGTON performed numerous international patrols to assist the Republic of Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia in their efforts to combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing. LCDR Burgwyn’s operational experience in fisheries enforcement sparked an interest in environmental protection and he earned a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University. In addition to his sea time, LCDR Burgwyn served two tours at the First Coast Guard District in Boston, MA. The first as the Flag Aide to the First District Commander and the second as Command Center Chief. In this role he performed Search & Rescue Mission Coordinator duties and oversaw SAR operations in the northeast. Upon selection to the Coast Guard Academy Instructor program, LCDR Burgwyn earned a Master of Law & Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. He joined the CGA faculty in 2023. A native of Williamsburg, VA, LCDR Burgwyn is married to Bryce Burgwyn, a 2010 CGA graduate and they have one daughter. A passionate saltwater angler and aspiring outdoor writer, he has been published in On The Water magazine.

Education

  • M.A., Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University, 2023
  • M.E.M, Environmental Management, Duke University, 2021
  • B.A., History, Virginia Tech, 2008

Courses Taught

  • American Social Movements
  • American Government
  • Environmental Policy

Honors and Awards

  • Coast Guard Commendation Medal (3)
  • Coast Guard Achievement Medal (2)
  • Permanent Cutterman Insignia
  • Command Afloat Device

Contact Information

Apply Now
Apply Now

Sponsor Family Application

Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.

The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.

Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:

  1. If you are Coast Guard active duty you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  2. If you are a Civilian working for the Coast Guard you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  3. If you are non-Coast Guard Active Duty, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  4. If you are non-Coast Guard civilian who has a current security clearance or National Agency check, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  5. All civilians in the families who are 18 years or older and do not have a security clearance or a National Agency Check are required to be vetted through Mind Your Business, the third party vendor hired by the Coast Guard Academy for the vetting process.

After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Important things to note:

There is a Sponsor Family Training that is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled.

The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August. Please bear with us and remain flexible through this process. There will be a meet and greet scheduled on Campus, typically in late August. This will give families an opportunity to formally meet their cadet if they have not already done so. Details on this will also be via email.

CGA Badge
Links from these pages to non-Coast Guard sites are provided as a customer service and do not represent any implicit or explicit endorsement by the United States Coast Guard of any commercial or private issues or products presented there.
learn more