Suzanne Beckstoffer, engineering director of process and tools at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division, was named the Virginia Peninsula Engineer of the Year by the Peninsula Engineers Council.
Beckstoffer received the award at the 45th annual Peninsula Engineers Council Annual Banquet, which was held on Saturday at the shipyard. Newport News Shipbuilding President Matt Mulherin served as the featured speaker.
Beckstoffer was nominated for the award by the Hampton Roads section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME).
"Among the four highly qualified candidates nominated this year for the Peninsula Engineer of the Year Award, Ms. Beckstoffer's exceptional record of leadership, technical accomplishments, contributions to the profession and contributions to the community stood out above the nominees," said Gary Fuller, president of the Peninsula Engineers Council.
Since her career began with Newport News in 1982, Beckstoffer has made several technical contributions to shipbuilding and ship design. She has helped the company implement new technologies, including computer-aided design, manufacturing automation, robotics and three-dimensional product model environments. Currently, Beckstoffer is responsible for the engineering and design computer tools and processes used to support ship design, construction and overhaul programs.
Beckstoffer has dedicated more than 30 years of service to the Society of Naval Architects and Engineers, holding leadership roles from the local to international levels. She is also a member of the Chi Epsilon and Tau Beta Pi engineering honor societies and serves on the industry advisory boards of North Carolina State University, the Webb Institute and Christopher Newport University.