Who We Are

Dr. Jerry Stachiw, until his retirement from the U.S. Navy in 1994, was the Staff Scientist for Marine Materials in the Ocean Engineering Division of the Engineering Department at the Naval Ocean Systems Center in San Diego, CA. He received his undergraduate engineering degree from Oklahoma State University in 1955 and graduate degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1961.

Since that time he has devoted his efforts at various U.S. Navy Laboratories to the solution of challenges posed by exploration, exploitation, and surveillance of hydrospace. The primary focus of his work has been the design and fabrication of pressure resistant structural components of diving systems for the whole range of ocean depths.

Because of his numerous achievements in the field of ocean engineering, he is considered to be the leading expert in the structural application of plastics and brittle materials to external pressure housings.

Dr. Stachiw is the author of over 100 technical reports, articles, and papers (see attached list) on design and fabrication of pressure resistant viewports of acrylic plastic, glass, germanium, and zinc sulphide, as well as pressure housings made of wood, concrete, glass, acrylic plastic, and ceramics. His book on Acrylic Plastic Viewports is the standard reference on that subject.

For the contributions to the Navy’s ocean engineering programs, the Navy honored him with the Military Oceanographer Award and the Naval Ocean Systems Center with the Lauritsen Bennett Award. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers recognized his contributions to the engineering profession by election to the grade of Life Fellow, as well as the presentation of Centennial Medal, Dedicated Service Award, and Pressure Technology Codes Outstanding Performance Certificate.

Dr. Stachiw is past-chariman of ASME Ocean Engineering Division and a member of the ASME Committee on Safety Standards for Pressure Vessels for Human Occupancy. Under his leadership as the Chairman of Subcommittee on Viewports in the ASME PVHO Safety Standard Committee from 1972 to 1987, the safety standard for acrylic viewports was written, edited and published in 1977 as an ASNI/ASME PVHO Safety Standard. He is a member of the Marine Technology Society, New York Academy of Science, Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Tau Sigma, and Pi Mu Epsilon Honorary Societies.

Dr. Jerry D. Stachiw, P.E. Fellow ASME Honorary Member of ASME Pressure Technology Codes J.Stachiw@Hydroports.com Phone: 361-729-9565 Fax: 361-729-5765

In addition to Dr. Jerry D. Stachiw, the technical staff of HYDROPORTS.COM consists of Dr. Michael A. Stachiw, Dr. Mark A. Stachiw and Dr. Joan L. Stachiw. Drs. Michael and Mark have had extensive experience in the application of electric-resistance strain gages, data acquisition, recording and reduction. In addition, they have refurbished model-scale structures for use in pressure testing for hydrospace and in the actual pressure testing of numerous structures for use in hydrospace.

Dr. Joan Stachiw has conducted numerous experiments of the effects of various agents on stressed acrylic and is very knowledgeable in the application and interpretation of acoustic emissions. Like all of the members of the staff, she has participated in the pressure testing of structures for use in hydrospace.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.