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Home / Academics / Academic Majors / Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering / Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Faculty and Staff / CDR Michael S. Daeffler

Michael S. Daeffler, M.S.E., P.E., Commander, USCG

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Instructor Department Head & Program Chair Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

CDR Mike DaefflerCDR Daeffler graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 2008 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Following graduation, he served aboard CGC Steadfast (WMEC-623) as a Student Engineer. He then attended the University of Michigan, where he graduated with degrees in both Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and Mechanical Engineering; his research concentrated in robotic control and autonomous vehicles. CDR Daeffler served as Section Chief of the Damage Control and Life Saving Equipment Section at the Surface Forces Logistics Center in Baltimore, Maryland. He coordinated life-cycle management and recapitalization of damage control equipment on board all cutters and updated DC policy and tactics. CDR Daeffler reported to the USCGA in 2015 as an instructor for the Naval Architecture and Marie Engineering Department. In 2017 he was selected as a Coast Guard Academy Center for Advanced Studies summer fellowship researching corrosion in 3D Printed Metals and was a leading member of the Academy’s Corrosion Research Laboratory. In 2018, CDR Daeffler joined the Mechanical Engineering Faculty and became a member of the Permanent Commissioned Teaching Staff. He is currently teaching in the Mechanical Engineering Department and the Department Head of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Additionally, CDR Daeffler is a PhD Candidate at the University of Rhode Island Ocean Engineering Program; with research focusing on Deep Sea Soft Robotics. He is a registered Professional Engineer.

Education

  • M.S.E., Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of Michigan, May 2012
  • M.S.E., Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, May 2012
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, May 2008

Courses Taught

  • Introduction to Experiential Engineering – NA&ME
  • Mechanics of Materials Lab
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • Engineering Materials Science (Class and Lab)
  • Marine Engineering Lab
  • Thermal Systems Design
  • Engineering Experimentation (Class and Lab)
  • Mechatronics
  • Mechanical Engineering Design & Design Project Management Lab
  • Ship Propulsion Design
  • Principles of Ship Design & Ship Design and System Integration Lab
  • FE Review
  • Directed Studies (Ice Breaking Ship Synthesis, Corrosion)
  • Advanced Engineering Mathematics
  • Ships and Maritime Systems

Selected Publications and Presentations

  • Yin, A., Shomberg, R., Noel, J., Daeffler, M., Licht, S., & Phillips, B. (2023, May). Rapid Design and Production of Soft Actuators using Dynamic Modeling and Additive Manufacturing for Underwater Soft Actuators. In 2023 American Control Conference (ACC) (pp. 137-144). IEEE.

  • Freeman, R., James, R., Allen, L., Tejero, E., Daeffler, M., & Uscgapl/Mechanical Engineering Collaboration. (2019). CGA/NRL Impedance Probe as a ThinSat Spacecraft Payload. In APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting Abstracts (Vol. 2019, pp. CP10-020).

  • DeNucci, T., Britton, A., Daeffler, M., Sabra, G., and Hopman, J., “Multi-objective Design Study for Future U.S. Coast Guard Icebreakers,” 15th International Conference on Computer Applications and Information Technology in the Maritime Industries, Lecce, ITA, May 2016.

Honors

  • Center for Advanced Studies Fellowship (2017)

Professional Memberships

  • Licensed Professional Engineer, Maryland
  • American Society of Naval Engineers (past member of Sub-Committee for Continuing Education)
  • Society of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
  • American Society of Engineering Education
  • American Academy of Underwater Sciences

Contact Information

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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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