POTSDAM -- Clarkson University's longtime relationship with General Dynamics Electric Boat, a major U.S. Navy submarine designer and manufacturer, reached a new peak this year when Electric Boat hired 24 Clarkson graduates from the class of 2010.

For over 100 years, Electric Boat has supplied the Navy with submarines, including the fastest, quietest and most armed submarine in the world. Electric Boat has been recruiting Clarkson engineers for more than 30 years and, in the past few years, has recruited global supply chain management (GSCM) graduates as well. In 2010, they hired 21 engineering majors and three GSCM majors.

Scott Waring, team leader at Electric Boat for recruitment at Clarkson and a 1976 graduate of Clarkson was, himself, recruited on campus by Electric Boat through the annual career fair his senior year.

"I joined Electric Boat after graduation and I've been there ever since," says Waring. "I've come back to the Clarkson career fair with the company for over 30 years to recruit top graduates."

Waring estimates that there are approximately 125 Clarkson alumni currently working for Electric Boat, a company that employs around 4,000 engineers and designers in total.

"We continue to recruit at Clarkson because it is an ideal fit. It continues to develop the right blend of theory and practical learning for its students and it's great at innovating, almost seeing our needs out in the field even before we see them," he says.

That "blend" includes concepts such as working in teams, having hands-on experiences in labs and through extracurricular activities such as SPEED teams (Student Projects in Engineering Experience & Design), where students use engineering and science concepts for national competitions, and getting real-world experiences through internships and co-ops.

"At Electric Boat, we are innovators, problem solvers, builders, and the 'go to' people in our industry. Clarkson has consistently produced these types of students and I believe it will continue to do so," Waring concludes.