NMC CIT faculty member Kathleen Moore recently traveled to San Diego for the 53rd Annual Tall Ships America Conference. Read on for Kathleen’s personal reflection on this premier three-day industry gathering for professionals in maritime education, vessel operations, and safety.
What was the name of the conference/PD opportunity you attended?
53rd Annual Conference of Tall Ships America
When and where did the event take place?
San Diego, California February 9-12, 2026
Please share details from a memorable keynote speaker, conference session, or something else notable from the event.
I did not realize the event was being held at the Elite Athlete Training Center at the same time the Olympics was under way. The facility torch, which is at the highest point of complex, was lit in honor of the start of the games.
The torch at the Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista (an Olympic training site), lit in honor of the Olympic games.
How likely are you to recommend this opportunity to a colleague?
Likely
Do you have any big takeaways that you’ll be applying to your pedagogy in the near future?
The local sector of the United States Coast Guard attended my presentation on the disparity on comprehensive threat intelligence in maritime cybersecurity which resulted in my being invited to an offsite meeting with they had with the Federal Aviation Administration concerning an issue I addressed regarding GPS attacks on drones. This meeting regarding the problem of meaningful data collection and action on the issue of aerial and marine drone cybersecurity informed me that this space does not have enough practitioners which could provide a great opportunity for NMC students in the CIT program.
Is there anything else you’d like CIE or your colleagues at NMC to know about this experience?
Learning how few people in the smaller commercial maritime industry are unaware of the issue of cyber attacks and the prevalence of GPS spoofing, jamming, and hacking inspired me to design micro-credential program that would potentially dovetail with the CIT and the two drone programs. I will attempt a proof of concept with students in CIT 266 this spring as a final project.