Educators
be it at the secondary, or post-secondary level, leave a deep imprint and
impact on a student’s academic journey. They serve as the guiding light for
their students as they maneuver to secure targeted academic goals and achieve
success along the way. Last month we brought you two stories focusing on women
in STEM education. We continue this endeavor
this month, with a spotlight on Bob Frank, associate professor of engineering
technology at Lake Sumter State College.
Frank’s
educational credentials include a B.S. degree in industrial engineering
technology from Kent State University, an M.S. in Industrial Engineering
Technology from Youngstown State University and is currently a Ph.D. candidate
for education at Walden University. His
foray into teaching started a long time ago. He grew up in Pennsylvania where
he was the first in his family to ever seek a degree, or attend college. Frank
brings a wealth of academic as well as real-world expertise in the classroom,
as he’s spent most of his career working as an engineer in the steel industry
for the last 20 years, 13 of which have directly been related to education.
Frank
has always been fascinated with engineering technology, specifically the
applied side of
engineering. His teaching career started in 2005 when he moved
to Florida and started teaching at Central Florida College. At CFC he climbed
the ranks from a faculty member to program director for the engineering
technology-quality specialization degree at CFC, where he was an integral part
of the curriculum development team in the engineering programs. Thereafter he
switched gears to work on the ‘Open Entry/Exit’ initiative at Polk State
College where he developed company-based curriculum for the engineering core
courses, and courses in the advanced manufacturing track in engineering
technology. “I enjoy starting new programs and the development, design and
implementation of new processes” said Frank which brought him to Lake Sumter
State College (LSSC) in Sumterville, FL to build a Power Relay Technology
program with an engineering technology foundation. Course offering for the new program
started this Fall, and have 20 students enrolled in the first semester. “I am
really excited about this new program and am looking forward to see this first
group of students through graduation” Frank said.
Frank’s
passion in the classroom stems a great deal from the experiences he’s had as an
engineer. “Everyone looks at engineering as a field that is too complicated, or
too difficult.” He is teaching four online quality specialization courses at
College of Central Florida, and has taught all the advanced manufacturing
courses and quality specialization courses as well. At LSSC he currently
teaches six core courses of the engineering technology program at LSSC. “These
courses prepare students for the workforce through hands-on labs and
application research” said Frank. The curriculum in these courses are a direct
reflection of the advisory group’s recommendation and requests as well as
integration with the Florida Department of Education learning outcome
requirements. “Engineering is not easy, but it is obtainable with the right
combination of skills sets” said Frank. To that end, he states a student that
embarks on an engineering technology as his/her chosen career path must be
dedicated and willing to be a hard worker. Students also need to have excellent
study skills and be detail oriented, which as Frank states is “the key to being
a successful engineer.”
Frank’s
teaching philosophy is heavily based on students and their learning
styles/strengths. “Striving
to relate to every students is the first and
foremost responsibility of a teacher.” He searches for a common ground of
understanding that “opens a channel of communication” that both he and his
students are comfortable with. Being an
educator, he says is a very demanding position. “I rely heavily on our advisory
groups and corporate partners” as educators are constantly challenged to keep
abreast with new technologies and practices in industry, and to ensure what
they are teaching is accurate and relevant. To that end, Frank makes effort to
discuss educational goals at a personal level and establishes a relation with
each student by sharing his continuous learning experiences and how he’s
mastered subjects through continuous learning.
He entices students with technologies of the future while training them
in the technologies that will help them obtain gainful employment. “I use these
incentives to help students better their lives through education” and emphasize
how putting in the time and effort will help them succeed academically to
become a better person.
Engineering
Technology is a very fascinating field, and anyone who decides to become an
engineer can develop the necessary skills to do so. “I love the field I chose
to work in” says Frank. He summarizes his role as an educator in being able to
take his experiences, knowledge and education to help someone else achieve
similar goals. Doing so, he says, has been very rewarding.
For
more information on Bob Frank and his professional portfolio and endeavors, and
the courses he teaches at LSSC write to him at FrankR@lssc.edu, or
contact him at 352.568.0001 ext. 1024. For information on the two year, A. S
degree in engineering technology at LSSC visit www.lssc.edu/academics/degrees/Pages/et.aspx.
For information on the statewide engineering technology degree at community and
state colleges across Florida visit http://madeinflorida.org/engineering-technology-degree,
or email Dr. Marilyn Barger, executive director of FLATE at barger@fl-ate.org/813.259.6578.
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