Hugh Dougherty

Sport Boat Team - Marine Innovation Center • Future Model Year Product Development -- Developing future model year products for the Yamaha Sport Boat lineup, contributing to early-stage concept definition, engineering feasibility, and downstream execution. • Wake Performance Measurement & Analysis -- Leading the quantitative measurement and post-processing of surf wake performance, developing repeatable test methods and analysis workflows to objectively evaluate boat and propulsion changes. • Repowering & Powertrain Integration (Early Development) -- Leading early development efforts for sport boat repowering initiatives to support higher-performance powertrains. >> Developed and implemented new testing procedures and engineering standards, adopted across all engineering teams at the Marine Innovation Center (MIC). >> Supporting integration of a larger-capacity fuel tank to accommodate increased power and operational requirements. • Product Feasibility & Portfolio Alignment -- Established and facilitated quarterly cross-functional reviews with Product Planning to assess the feasibility of new product concepts not tied to a specific model year, improving engineering resource allocation and prioritization. • Process Improvement & Execution Tracking -- Led implementation of Smartsheet within the Sport Boat team to improve project tracking, accountability, and schedule adherence, directly supporting on-time product delivery.

Developing BoatBox, an onboard performance analytics system that ingests live navigation and instrument data, performs real-time analysis, and surfaces actionable performance insights for competitive sailing.

Submarine Engineering - Advanced Capabilities • Future Submarine Concept Development (SSN(X)) -- Developed early-stage concept designs for the payload handling room of the future SSN(X) attack-class submarine, supporting novel capability integration and layout development. >> Researched and benchmarked prior submarine classes, including Seawolf-class submarine and Virginia-class submarine, to understand design decisions, operational constraints, and opportunities for increased automation and efficiency. • Capability Feasibility & Scenario Analysis Tools -- Led development of a MATLAB-based feasibility and scenario analysis tool for evaluating an advanced capability on current and future attack-class submarines. >> Designed the tool with the intent of standalone deployment for non-technical end users, enabling repeatable, rapid feasibility studies for future tasking. >> Drove internal efforts to establish licensing and infrastructure for hosting standalone MATLAB applications on a centralized web server, significantly improving deployment speed and accessibility. • Digital Twin Development – Surface Combatants (DDG(X)) -- Supported early digital twin development for the DDG(X) power plant and drive system, contributing to system-level modeling and behavior definition. >> Developed dynamic system models using MATLAB Simulink and Stateflow, collaborating directly with the U.S. Navy, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, and HII Ingalls Shipbuilding. • Digital Twin Development – Aircraft Carrier Systems -- Supported advanced weapons elevator digital twin development for current and future aircraft carriers. >> Integrated Siemens Teamcenter and NX with MATLAB Simulink to enable hardware-in-the-loop testing, debugging, and system development, supportinga first-of-its-kind industry application.

Dr. Stefano Brizzolara (VT i-Ship Lab) • Led the design, verification, and validation of a prototype personal hydrofoil craft sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), owning the program from concept through physical prototype delivery. >> Developed a feasibility and scenario analysis framework in MATLAB, integrating multiple low-fidelity performance and stability models informed by high-fidelity Star-CCM+ CFD simulations. >> Executed an iterative modeling workflow between MATLAB, Star-CCM+, and SOLIDWORKS, enabling rapid design trades and convergence on a viable prototype configuration. >> Selected and sourced COTS components, manufactured the primary hydrofoil using additive manufacturing, and assembled the full prototype platform. >> Performed as-built validation by 3D scanning COTS hulls, integrating scans into the SOLIDWORKS model, and re-running Star-CCM+ verification to close the loop between design intent and physical hardware. >> Delivered a validated prototype, modeling toolchain (low- and high-fidelity), and feasibility study to ONR stakeholders on schedule, directly contributing to follow-on funding for the lab. • Supervised and mentored six undergraduate researchers, providing technical direction across modeling, fabrication, and testing activities.

• Served as Boat Captain and Project Manager for a 50-ft carbon-fiber offshore race yacht, accountable for technical readiness, safety, and operational execution across the racing season. • Led end-to-end campaign logistics, including crew coordination, provisioning, fuel management, and sail inventory to ensure race readiness on tight schedules. • Managed and oversaw a structural refit of the keel grid and lower rudder bearing, working directly with the yacht designer to evaluate design intent, structural integrity, and execution. • Acted as the primary decision-maker on maintenance, risk, and go/no-go readiness, balancing performance objectives with safety and reliability.

• Founded and led the PavLab Summer High School Internship Program, designing the structure, recruiting ~50 applicants annually, and selecting 2 interns per cycle. • Led field operations for Project Aquaticus, supervising 8 staff members and coordinating 100+ student participants during large-scale autonomous marine robot deployments on the Charles River. • Designed and executed human–robot interaction experiments, integrating mechanical systems and autonomy software using MOOS-IvP. • Delivered a fully operational, end-to-end test environment to DARPA and ARL stakeholders, supporting live demonstrations, experimentation, and data collection.

Race Management

Naval Architecture Research focused on hydrofoil design Thesis: The Design, Verification, and Validation of a Personal Hydrofoil Craft

- 1st Place Year Long Senior Design Project: Pilot Process Feeder System - Team Lead - Teaching Assistant (TA) for MIE 313 Design of Mechanical Components - Teaching Assistant (TA) for ECE 361 Introduction to Electrical Engineering - Teaching Assistant (TA) for MIE 124 Computational Approaches to Engineering Problems