Speaker

A Long Beach City College (LBCC) Electrical Program graduate, Tara Willis has worked as an engineering technician for a world-class theme park and a contract ROV pilot and technician for over a decade. She recently transitioned to being an instructor at LBCC, where she focuses on developing and mentoring students who want to enter the blue economy workforce. As an advisory member and mentor of the Florida Institute of Oceanography’s Peerside program, she mentored two students for an at-sea internship. She aided two other students in their internships with the MATE Floats program at the University of Washington this past summer. From participating in the MATE ROV Competition as a student to being a judge at the World Championship for many years, she has worked to bridge the gap between education and work experience for her students.