Robert "David" Curfman earned his B.S. from Virginia Tech in 1983. He is the Chief Engineer and Director of Design and Construction for the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) for the U.S. Navy. He has been recognized as the NAVFAC Engineer of the Year for developing dredging criteria for the U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers transiting harbors with long-period wave swell. He also received the Secretary of the Navy award for Environmental Impact Planning Analysis for Navy At-sea training that enables realistic training while protecting marine mammals to the greatest extent. In 2019, Curfman led the rapid restoration of Navy facilities at Naval Station China Lake that was damaged by a 7.1 earthquake in 2019. “The technical depth that I received at Virginia Tech in steel and concrete design shaped and enabled me to be very qualified for my first job in bridge design. It created a heart for learning that has enabled me to hunger for learning new things throughout my career,” Curfman said