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Home / Academics / Academic Majors / Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering / Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Faculty and Staff / CDR Nicholas Custer

Nicholas Custer, M.S., Commander, USCG

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Permanent Commissioned Teaching Staff Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

LCDR Nicholas CusterNick Custer is a 2009 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy’s Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering program. He has served aboard the Coast Guard icebreaker HEALY, conducting scientific research in the Arctic Ocean, and as the Engineer Officer aboard Coast Guard Cutter TAHOMA, conducting law enforcement operations across the western hemisphere. He also served as a detached duty Port Engineer at Base Honolulu providing maintenance support to two Hamilton Class high endurance cutters. He joined the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering faculty in July 2018 and was selected to the Permanent Commissioned Teaching Staff in March 2020. He grew up in Plainfield, New Hampshire and currently resides in Ledyard, Connecticut with his wife and two children. He enjoys hockey, sailing, and boat building in his spare time.

Education

  • M.S., Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • B.S., Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, High Honors, U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Courses Taught

  • Analytical Methods in Engineering
  • Dynamics
  • Introduction to Computing
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Ship Propulsion Design
  • Small Craft Design
  • Laboratory in Naval Architecture

Selected Publications and Presentations

  • Custer, N. & Thein, M-W., Novel Reference Trajectories for Improved Marine Surface Vehicle Path Following. IEEE OCEANS, Singapore, April, 2024.
  • Custer, N., & Thein, M-W., Development of MPPlan: An Autonomous Surface Vehicle Model-Based Motion Planning Algorithm. ASNE 2023 Intelligent Ships Symposium, Philadelphia, PA, May, 2023.
  • Custer, N., et al., Lubricant-derived ash impact on gasoline particulate filter performance. SAE International Journal of Engines, 9(3), 1604-1614. 2016
  • Custer, N. C., Ash impacts on gasoline particulate filter performance and service life. Masters Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, June, 2015.
  • Bacon, A. D., Colella, K., Custer, N. C., & Peifer, B. C., US Coast Guard Hamilton Class Powering Reduction. SNAME 2009 Maritime Convention, Providence, RI, October, 2009

Honors

  • The Brand Award presented by American Society of Naval Engineers, 2015

Professional Memberships

  • Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers; Associate Member
  • American Society of Naval Engineers; Member
  • IEEE; Member

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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