CASTINE — Maine Maritime Academy is the recipient of a $1.5 million gift from Guy E. Mossman ’79E that will establish The Maine Maritime Academy Endowed Chair of Nuclear and Reliability Engineering in memory of Edward L. Mossman ’50E. The funds associated with the endowment will support a faculty chair position in the Academy’s Department of Engineering in perpetuity.

Maine Maritime Academy President Craig Johnson ’91 acknowledged the gift with appreciation saying, “The Mossman Endowed Chair of Nuclear and Reliability Engineering will play a pivotal role in providing academic training and programming in the field. Nuclear energy will play a critical role in the maritime future through multiple applications. The ability to attract and maintain exceptionally talented faculty, made possible through gifts such as this one is paramount to our growth. We are honored that the Mossman endowment will allow the opportunity to expand our offerings to include coursework in the quickly evolving field of nuclear engineering. We are grateful for their generosity and foresight.”

With recent advances in modular microreactors, nuclear energy offers promising means to mitigate carbon emissions associated with climate change in the context of propulsions, desalination, power generation, and the production of hydrogen fuel cells. In 2024, Maine Maritime Academy reintroduced a minor in nuclear engineering with the expectation of launching a stand-alone major in the field in the fall of 2026. In addition to the endowed chair, Maine Maritime Academy will name the Materials Testing and Nuclear Engineering Laboratory in the American Bureau of Shipping Center for Engineering, Science, and Research after Edward L. Mossman.

Speaking about the gift, Guy Mossman said, “I am pleased to support the internationally recognized strength of Maine Maritime Academy’s engineering program and dedication to workforce development by underwriting an endowed chair position in the rapidly developing field of nuclear energy. I am proud to establish the endowment in memory of my father, Maine Maritime Academy alumnus, Edward Mossman ’50E.”

The creation of the Endowed Chair of Nuclear and Reliability Engineering will enable the Academy to expand course offerings in the interconnected technical disciplines of applied nuclear technology development and operations and reliability engineering. Nuclear and reliability engineering are natural extensions of existing training in marine engineering operations, maintenance, automation and control, and steam generation and systems. Training in the aligned disciplines of nuclear and reliability engineering will prepare students for a wide range of careers in the maritime and shoreside power fields.

Professor of Engineering Paul Wlodkowski praised the gift, saying, “The philanthropy of the Mossman family, in establishing the Endowed Chair of Nuclear and Reliability Engineering, is a major catalyst in reconstituting these vital technical disciplines that were taught at MMA decades ago. The resources will also support the Academy's vision of becoming the preeminent training facility for the Nuclear Merchant Mariner.”

Maine Maritime Academy is a co-educational, public college offering 22 academic programs in marine engineering, management, science, and transportation to promote the maritime interests of the United States. The college is consistently recognized for providing a high-value education by organizations including the Brookings Institution, U.S. News and World Report, and Money Magazine. Its current Niche ranks it #1 in Maine for value, 36 in the country for value. A 2022 Report by Georgetown University ranked MMA #1 among all public colleges for return on investment for low-income students at public bachelor’s degree institutions.