Home / Academics / Academic Majors / Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering / Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Faculty and Staff / LCDR Ian Oviatt

Ian Oviatt, M.S., P.E., Lieutenant Commander, USCG

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Instructor
Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

LCDR Ian Oviatt is a 2010 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy’s Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering program. Following graduation, he served as the Damage Control Asisstant onboard USCGC BEAR. In 2012, he was assigned to Sector Puget Sound in Seattle, WA where he served as a marine inspector verifying safety and engineering compliance onboard commercial ships. Beginning in 2015, he attended post graduate school at the University of Michigan where he earned Masters degrees in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. In 2017, he was assigned to the Marine Safety Center as a Staff Naval Architect and Major Vessel Branch Chief responsible for stability, structural, and fire protection reviews of commercial cargo and passenger vessel designs. As a collateral duty, he served on the Salvage Engineering Response Team (SERT), applying his naval architecture skills to assist with the salvage of a variety of grounded, capsized, and sunken ships. In 2019, following the capsize and total loss of the roll-on/roll-off vessel GOLDEN RAY, LCDR Oviatt used forensic engineering to determine the cause of the accident, earning him award as the Coast Guard Engineer of the Year. In 2021, he was assigned to Sector San Francisco as the Chief of Inspections where he was responsible for the regulatory compliance of thousands of commercial ships, waterfront facilities, and shipping containers in Central and Northern California. He joined the Coast Guard Academy’s Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering faculty in July 2024. LCDR Oviatt lives in Noank, CT with his wife and son. His hobbies include wingfoiling, sailing, and hiking.

Education

M.S.E., Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of Michigan, 2017
M.S.E., Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2017
B.S., Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 2010

Courses Taught

Ships and Maritime Systems
Principles of Ship Design

Contact Information

Email: Ian.A.Oviatt@uscga.edu

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:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.