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“Taking action toward new opportunities and refining your plan is essential to maintaining forward momentum,” Samuel Royster said. “Oregon State provided me with a solid education and the tools to grow my knowledge base. This has suited me well in my career.”
Royster says a college internship with Energy Northwest also influenced his pursuits in naval operations. He’s worked for the Navy since 2012, initially serving as a Junior Officer in the Submarine Force, then earning a master’s at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. He recently transitioned into his current role where he seeks to increase efficiency and lower costs related to ship repair.
“Incremental improvements on a single ship translate to large savings, of time and money, when applied across an entire fleet,” Royster said. “Making sustainable improvements will last beyond my short tenure.”
Royster’s master’s thesis highlighted “the economic and environmental benefits of novel cleaning methods,” exploring the use of remotely operated vehicles to clean naval ship hulls. Royster presented his findings at the 2021 NavalX Annual Agility Summit, where he was awarded $100,000 to refine his ideas.
“While that’s now a side project related to my current role in naval maintenance, I still look for opportunities to incorporate robotics and technology tools in the ship repair business,” Royster said.