Program: Continuing Education
Education/Industry Certifications: U.S. Navy (Electronics Technician "A" School)
Has taught at SCC since: 1986 (as adjunct instructor in Electronic Systems Technology program), since 2013 in the Continuing Education Division
Years of work experience outside SCC: 51 years (four years with the U.S. Navy using shipboard communication and radar equipment and 47 years repairing, maintaining and training of laboratory instrumentation
Describe your teaching philosophy.
Use basic and developed concepts to explain and prove electronic and electrical principles. Do my best to ensure all attendees have grasped the specific subject matter before progressing.
Why did you decide to teach at a community college?
The opportunity to guide a student's development with hands-on training techniques, which gives them basic circuit understanding and allows them to contribute quickly to their current or prospective employer.
What can prospective students expect when they enroll in your program?
To be treated with respect, patience and as an individual with one-on-one student/instructor interaction.
What experiences outside of SCC do you bring to the classroom/laboratory that enhance student learning?
I have gained analytical thinking that allows me to logically troubleshoot a circuit. I use that approach to help students resolve circuit issues during classroom and individual instruction, which hopefully they will take with them.
What advice do you have for students pursuing a degree in your program?
Be patient and give yourself time to understand basic electronic/electrical principles. Without those basics you will be guessing most of the time as you answer questions or attempt to resolve a circuit issue.
What do you enjoy most about working with students?
Seeing the expression on a student's face when he or she gets it. That face of delight when they grasp something that they have struggled to understand.
What has been your proudest moment as an instructor?
Receiving a thank you from former students for the time and effort that I gave them while they were in my classes.
What do you like to do when you're not teaching?
I design and fabricate wood furniture. I lose myself in the smell of newly cut wood and finishes while paying close attention to the detail at hand.
What would students be surprised to know about you?
I struggled, as an electronic student, during the early stages of my instruction. It is because of my own experience that I tend to be more patient with students who are not grasping the basic principles as quickly as their peers.