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Elizabeth (Elisha) MH Garcia, Ph.D., P.E.

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Professor Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
​​​​​​​​ Dr. Elisha M.H. Garcia served as faculty at the USCGA for the 2008-2009 academic year and rejoined the faculty permanently in 2010. In between, she worked as an Instructional Manager on a Department of Education grant at Miami Dade College in Miami, Florida. She got her Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in the department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering with her dissertation entitled “Prediction by Energy Phenomenology for Harnessing Hydrokinetic Energy Using Vortex-Induced Vibrations” in the fall of 2008. During her studies at the University of Michigan, she received two Master degrees, one in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and one in Aerospace Engineering. Prior to her graduate studies, she obtained a Bachelor degree in Ocean Engineering from the University of Rhode Island. She specializes in hydrodynamics and fluid-structure interactions with applications to marine renewable energy, as well as engineering pedagogy. Her experiences include experimental work at the Marine Hydrodynamics Lab at Michigan, computational fluid dynamics, and analytical analysis of vortex-induced vibrations, in addition to curriculum development and diversity recruitment and retainment.

Education

  • Ph.D., Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of Michigan, 2008
  • M.S.E., Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, 2006
  • M.S.E., Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of Michigan, 2005
  • B.S., Ocean Engineering, University of Rhode Island, 2002

Courses Taught

  • Principles of Naval Architecture
  • Statics and Engineering Design
  • Engineering Material Science Lab
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Dynamics
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • Ship Structures
  • Marine Engineering
  • Introduction to Computing
  • Analytical Methods in Engineering

Selected Publications and Presentations

  • Garcia, E.M.H., and Bernitsas, M.M, “Effect of damping on variable added mass and lift of circular cylinders in vortex-induced vibrations,” Journal of Fluids and Structures, vol. 80, July 2018, pp. 451-472.
  • Garcia, E.M.H., Corl, M.J., DeNucci, T.W., and Taylor, T.E., “Systematic Approach to ABET Criterion 4: Continuous Improvement” Proceedings of the ASEE Northeast 2016 Conference, April 28-30, 2016.
  • Garcia, E.M.H. and Cost, D.H., “Instructor-Developed Concept Map for a Survey Course,” Proceedings of the ASEE Northeast 2016 Conference, April 28-30, 2016.
  • Garcia, E.M.H., “Instructor-Developed Course Concept Maps Used to Contextualize Material,” Proceedings of the ASEE Northeast 2015 Conference, April 30-May2, 2015.
  • Clippinger, D., E. Garcia, and T. Taylor, “Dynamically-Induced Roll in Head Seas,” to be presented at Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers Annual Conference, Providence RI, Oct 2012.

Honors and Awards

  • National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship
  • Rackham Engineering Award, U of M Rackham Graduate School
  • Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society

Professional Memberships

  • Professional Engineer – Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
  • American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)
  • Marine Technology Society (MTS)
  • Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME)
  • Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

Contact Information

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.

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