Susan H. Skemp is a retired American mechanical engineer, the former president of the

American Society of Mechanical Engineers The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing edu ...

, and the former executive director of the Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center at

Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The university is a member of the State University System of Florida and has s ...

Education and career

Skemp was born in the base hospital of the

Boca Raton Army Air Field Boca Raton Army Air Field was a World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield, located northwest of the 1940s borders of Boca Raton, Florida. During World War II, it operated the only training for the then new and secret technology of ra ...

in Florida, where her father was a radar instructor. After the air field closed, its land became the campus of

, where she would later study and work. Skemp became a technician at

Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies). Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation (especially ...

in 1963, and worked there for 31 years, later transitioning to a role as an engineer for them. During this time she earned an

associate degree An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...

from

Palm Beach State College Palm Beach State College is a public college in Lake Worth, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System. Palm Beach State College enrolls nearly 25,000 students in over 100 programs of study including bachelor of applied science, associat ...

in 1971, and graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 1981 with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering. She served as president of the

for the 2002–2003 term, its second female president, and was an ASME White House Federal Fellow in the

Office of Science and Technology Policy The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is a department of the United States government, part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, Executive Office of the President (EOP), established by United States Congres ...

from 2004 to 2006. In 2008, she returned to Florida Atlantic University as executive director of the Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center, studying hydrokinetic and thermal sources of

marine energy Marine energy, also known as ocean energy, ocean power, or marine and hydrokinetic energy, refers to energy harnessed from waves, tides, salinity gradients, and temperature differences in the ocean. The movement of water in the world's oceans sto ...

. She chaired the foundation board of ASME beginning in 2013, and retired in 2015.

Recognition

The ASME gave Skemp their Dedicated Service Award in 1991. She was named an

ASME Fellow The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing edu ...

in 2001. She was named to the Florida Atlantic University Alumni Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2014, she won the marine hydrokinetics category of the Women with Hydro Vision Awards, at the HydroVision International conference in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skemp, Susan Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Boca Raton, Florida American mechanical engineers American women engineers Palm Beach State College alumni Florida Atlantic University alumni Presidents of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers