USNA Professor Dr. Jaye Falls Receives Naval Architecture Award
POSTED ON: Friday, July 24, 2026 3:26 PM by USNA Public Affairs
U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) Associate Professor Dr. Jaye Falls has been named the 2026 recipient of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) William H. Webb Medal for outstanding contributions to education in naval architecture, marine engineering, or ocean engineering.
Dr. Falls, who joined the Naval Academy faculty in 2009, currently serves as an associate professor and program director for the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering major. Over her 17-year tenure at the Yard, she has established herself as one of the nation’s premier educators in ship design, teaching a broad array of specialized coursework to hundreds of midshipmen.
“We are incredibly proud to see Dr. Falls recognized with the prestigious William H. Webb medal,” said USNA Provost Samara Firebaugh. “The Naval Academy has a longstanding tradition of shaping and contributing to the naval architecture community. This award not only highlights the caliber of our world-class educators, but also underscores our deep commitment to advancing the Department of War and Acting Secretary of the Navy’s critical priorities to revitalize American shipbuilding.”
Among Falls’ most notable achievements at the Academy is her restructuring of the two-semester Ship Design capstone sequence. Dr. Falls redesigned the curriculum to directly mirror the U.S. Navy’s modern ship acquisition process. Under her guidance, midshipmen conduct complex mission analysis, formulate and evaluate alternative ship concepts, execute technical trade studies, and defend their final designs before panels of practicing naval architects and defense industry experts.
In addition to her work on the capstone sequence, Dr. Falls revitalized USNA's Marine Fabrication course, transforming it into an immersive, hands-on boatbuilding program where midshipmen design and construct full-scale marine craft while acquiring practical mastery of modern shipbuilding materials, production methods, and construction techniques.
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Falls has served on advisory committees addressing U.S. Coast Guard vessel stability regulations and maritime unmanned systems. She has chaired the Chesapeake Sailing Yacht Symposium for more than a decade and authored numerous technical and historical papers on naval architecture.
Founded in 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy is a prestigious four-year service academy that prepares midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically to serve as professional officers in the naval service. More than 4,400 men and women representing every state in the U.S. and several foreign countries make up the student body known as the Brigade of Midshipmen. U.S. News and World Reports has recognized the Naval Academy as the #1 top public school, #3 national liberal arts college, and #5 best undergraduate engineering programs. From a pool of more than 16,000 applicants, approximately 1,200 earn appointments to the U.S. Naval Academy each
year. For more information about USNA, visit www.usna.edu.
Category: Academics