America's shipbuilding workforce depends on more than welders, engineers and sailors. It also relies on researchers who can turn data into better decisions.
Katie Smith, Ph.D. (B.S. ’08, B.S. ’08, M.S. ’09, Ph.D. ’22) is doing exactly that. Her work bridges academia and industry, helping regional contractors strengthen workforce training, improve readiness and solve complex operational challenges.
Now, the quadruple Ϲ alumna has been named director of the Valkyrie Defense Lab, a new research and workforce development hub established through a $500,000 investment by Valkyrie Enterprises, a Virginia Beach-based defense contractor.
Dr. Smith is an assistant professor in the University’s Batten College of Engineering and Technology and the School of Supply Chain, Logistics and Maritime Operations. As a mathematician and engineer, she bridges academia and industry — partnering with regional contractors to build and sustain the future of America’s shipbuilding workforce.
Dr. Smith is excited to begin working with students and collaborators in the lab.
"Leading the Valkyrie Defense Lab means I get to give students the same thing this institution gave me: real problems to solve, with real stakes. Artificial intelligence (AI) and simulation are reshaping national defense, and I want our students working on that now, not after they graduate,” Dr. Smith said. “This space puts our students and industry partners in the same room, working on the same problems.”
Located in the Engineering Systems Building, the lab will be a collaborative hub where students work on real-world engineering challenges alongside industry professionals. The research will drive regional economic growth and accelerate next-generation technologies.
It will support engineering and multidisciplinary senior design projects, applied research and workforce development in areas such as digital engineering, AI, machine learning, modeling and simulation, and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance integration.
That range of research is supported by Dr. Smith’s breadth of expertise. She holds a Ph.D. in modeling and simulation engineering, an M.S. in computational and applied mathematics, and dual bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics.
Dr. Smith said that, while her role as an engineer involves complex mathematics and advanced principles, her ultimate focus is helping people.
“I help people understand the data they have and help them shape that data, whether using AI, mathematical models or some kind of modeling and simulation tools,” she said. “That helps them understand the risks and the opportunities, so that they can make better decisions.”
One of the most important programs Dr. Smith has worked on with Valkyrie Enterprises is the Navy Afloat Maintenance Training Strategy. She and her team developed a web application that provides on-the-job training that improves military readiness.
“It’s an all hands-on maintenance training program that trains sailors, while they’re at work so everything they’re learning is on the job. It’s not classroom learning. They’re turning pipes, fixing pumps and welding,” she said. “It means they don’t have to fly a contractor out to do that work. It’s part of the U.S. Navy’s self-sufficiency strategy.”
It’s a prime example of how Dr. Smith’s research employs academic data to solve real-world problems. Dr. Smith was recently interviewed to discuss her research, the launch of the new lab and her vision of the future.
How will your interdisciplinary approach in mathematics and engineering influence the work at the Valkyrie Defense Lab?
My background is a bit eclectic since I started in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics and rounded out my education with a doctorate in modeling and simulation. I have learned a couple of things along the way that I think benefit shipbuilding. The first is that I never stop learning. I have picked up skills in full-stack web development, cloud deployment, machine learning and AI throughout my career, and I hope to continue to learn more. I am always on the lookout for functional gaps that will lead my team to the next great tool for our stakeholders. The second is that listening first is more important than dreaming up solutions. My varied background helps me connect with a diverse audience, so that I can build a working mental model of their systems, which is where the functional gaps that lead to the next great tool reveal themselves.
How do you evaluate the effectiveness of the training programs you develop for the maritime and defense industry workforce?
This question motivated the new phase of our work. During the first phase, we built a system that was excellent at tracking sailor performance down to the process, or competency level. Now, we are ready to expand the system to close the gap on measuring the effectiveness of training and return on investment. We are building live and historical analytics that will connect training to measurable maintenance outcomes and fleet readiness to provide a return on investment framework. We are also developing tailored sailor resumes so that each sailor will have a portable, evidence-based record of what they can do. Ultimately, effectiveness will be measured by whether program managers and Navy stakeholders can use the platform to make better-informed decisions by fully leveraging the available data and tools.
When you talk about systems modeling and simulation, how does that translate into real-world decision-making for a shipyard or maritime operators?
It looks like database queries and Python code snippets designed to dig in and understand the data. Once we understand the data and listen to the individuals who have been working in these programs, we can build data models that are designed to allow us to break down data silos, bridge inconsistent terminology and level the playing field. Only then are we able to simulate in a way that allows us to account for the inconsistencies in the real data rather than waiting for perfect data to arrive. The outputs of those simulations can answer questions. For example, what would it take to bring fleet readiness, in a given qualification area, to a target level by this time next year?
How is digital shipbuilding changing the way engineers and shipyard leaders think about risk management, operational efficiency and resilience?
The biggest change is that we are able to use digital tools to see the risks. Historically, risk in shipbuilding has been tacit knowledge that was learned with experience in the field. Modern digital platforms make those risks more accessible and understandable, so that those who are earlier in their careers can help take action as well. When we track training, maintenance qualifications and workplace readiness, patterns emerge that reveal efficiency bottlenecks and maintenance tasks correlated with failure downstream. The program can increase resilience by making targeted investments based on this risk profile. This allows the program to strategically respond to disruptions using targeted, evidence-based adjustments rather than across-the-board responses to recover efficiently in support of U.S. Navy readiness.
Shipbuilding is facing pressure from workforce shortages, supply-chain disruptions and national security demands. From your perspective, where do systems most often break down — and why?
In my experience, the system fails between data and decisions. For example, a beautiful platform with real-time dashboards is developed, but no one uses it because it does not answer the right questions. Involving the people who will be using the systems and making decisions in the development of the systems is critical to make sure you are building a system that answers the right questions. The system must help them do their jobs and provide them with the data they need to make better decisions.
Opening this fall, Ϲ’s Valkyrie Defense Lab will shape national security, serve as a regional workforce hub and drive long-term economic growth. Through immersive learning, it will prepare students and researchers to advance critical sectors like AI, machine learning, digital engineering and cybersecurity. Discover how the University is driving innovative education, applied research and industry engagement at the Batten College of Engineering and Technology.