VICKSBURG, Miss. – Katelyn Huesby, a mechanical engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Walla Walla District, has been chosen as one of five USACE participants for the 2025 session of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center University (ERDC-U).
Now in its tenth year, the professional development initiative, designed to encourage collaboration and technology transfer, welcomed participants as Antisa Webb, chief of the Office of Research and Technology Transfer within the Technology, Knowledge, and Outreach Division and co-sponsor of the program, announced the selectees.
"ERDC-U fosters collaboration between participants from USACE divisions and districts and mentors from relevant ERDC laboratories,” said Webb. “The program involves six-month research projects aimed at developing innovative technical solutions that enhance operations at the workplace, support the Corps and benefit the nation."
Lt. Col. Kathryn A. Werback, commander of the Walla Walla District, endorses Huesby’s selection to ERDC-U.
"Ms. Huesby is a dedicated and innovative mechanical engineer whose leadership, adaptability and technical skills make her an exceptional candidate for the ERDC University Program,” she said. “Her proposed project — to develop a compact, remote-operated inspection system — reflects both her commitment to advancing accessibility and her drive to improve safety in hazardous environments. I am confident she will be a valuable asset to any interdisciplinary team and will represent the Walla Walla District with excellence."
By collaborating with subject matter experts across ERDC’s seven state-of-the-art laboratories, program participants will tackle real-world challenges while simultaneously honing their leadership skills to benefit their home organization.
Huesby, a dedicated USACE team member for six years, currently serves as a mechanical engineer in the Mechanical Design Section of the Walla Walla District. In this role, she leads and collaborates on mechanical design efforts, utilizing modeling software such as SolidWorks, Revit, Inventor and AutoCAD to develop and analyze mechanical systems.
Her work includes performing Finite Element Analysis, documenting detailed design calculations, leading teams in scoping and business case development and supporting project design reviews. She also contributes to site documentation using Matterport and Trimble technologies and has coding experience in Mathematica, MATLAB and C++.
“As a mechanical engineer at the Walla Walla District with a mobility disability, I am committed to researching and adapting compact, remote-controlled technologies — like robots and drones — to improve accessibility and safety during infrastructure inspections,” said Huesby. “My goal is to enhance site access for individuals with disabilities while strengthening USACE’s inspection capabilities, ultimately making hazardous sites safer and more efficient for all personnel.”
In March, she joined her fellow selectees at an ERDC-U orientation session held on ERDC's main campus in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to meet their mentors and familiarize themselves with their planned projects.
Huesby will be mentored by Caroline Webb, a research mechanical engineer, and Jordan Klein, a research computer scientist, both with the Sensors Integration Branch in ERDC’s Information Technology Laboratory.
Huesby’s study will focus on researching ways to improve inspection access for individuals with disabilities, aiming to enhance their ability to contribute to infrastructure site inspections. This includes inspections for design, construction, maintenance, evaluation, assessment and security/protection, particularly in hazardous or hard-to-reach areas.
Upon completion of ERDC-U, Huesby, along with the four other selectees, will attend a graduation ceremony in September. During the ceremony, she will present a comprehensive overview of her ERDC-U experience, detailing her research on improving inspection access for individuals with disabilities.
Applications will open in October for the 2026 ERDC-U session. For information on ERDC-U and applications, visit: https://wiki.erdc.dren.mil/ERDC_University.