New ET Faculty Spotlight!

In a continuing bid to highlight contributions and qualifications of educators in the engineering technology (ET) consortia in Florida, last month we brought you a story highlighting new ET faculty at Gulf Coast State College. This month we journey up to the state capital to Tallahassee Community College (TCC) which has a new ET faculty who recently came on board. Dr. Gideon Nnaji, who is originally from Nigeria, has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from his native country where he worked in construction engineering before moving to the United States of America. He earned his master’s degree and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Florida A&M University and Florida State University College of Engineering.

Dr, Nnaji has been a professor of engineering technology at TCC since Fall 2013. Since coming on board he

has taught a number of ET related classes that include manufacturing processes & materials, industrial safety as well as construction materials, methods and management in the construction management program. Like most of his colleagues, Dr. Nnaji is big on hands-on, minds-on education that centers on real-world situations. “Engineering is not only about ideas and principles, it is about translating ideas that culminate into a physical application and/or product” says Nnaji. It is this same philosophy that stirred his interest in engineering technology and led to his passion for teaching.

The A.S.E.T program offered at TCC is the Advanced Manufacturing specialization which provides broad, transferable skills that require an understanding of engineering technology and industrial applications such as: manufacturing materials and processes, quality assurance, computer-aided drafting, electronics, mechanical measurement and instrumentation, safety and systems that drive manufacturing and industrial processes. TCC also offers a pneumatics, hydraulics and motors for manufacturing certificate and the engineering technology support specialist certificate. (Source: TCC Advanced Manufacturing Program website)

Dr. Nnaji says students have to be disciplined and be willing to explore new technologies in order to

succeed. To ensure relevancy of the course/curriculum, Dr. Nnaji has been working closely with colleagues in devising program mapping tools that give students a better idea about the A.S.E.T degree, its outcomes and expectations. He is also excited about integrating lean and green concepts, relevant to any high-tech setting, to current curriculum. “Trying to impart knowledge to improve/expand students understanding is a rewarding aspect of my job. My particular joy lies in the realization of ideas to actual products and applications that can be used in a real-world setting” Nnaji said.

For more information on the A.S.E.T program at TCC contact Dr. Gideon Nnaji at nnajig@tcc.fl.edu, or visit http://tinyurl.com/l88gxf8. For information on the statewide A.S.E.T degree visit www.madeinflorida.org, or contact Dr. Marilyn Barger at barger@fl-ate.org.