My Experience

I was exposed to machine tools during my undergraduate experience and in industry.  My first job was for a company that manufactured construction equipment.  Later, I became involved in training unemployed adults for machine tool jobs.

I learned to read micrometers, calipers, and other advanced metrology tools. Photo:  IMF's (Illinois Manufacturing Foundation) CNC program.  I was an advisor to the IMF.

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My education and industry experience exposed me to computer-aided design, where I learned to read blueprints and create them.  My hobby today is generating architectural visualizations using Autodesk CAD products. I never was a professional welder, but I learned to weld using oxy-acetylene welding, TIG, and MIG methods during my journey.   

Working with professors from the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at NIU, I supported student and faculty research by involving faculty in corporate technology initiatives. Professors Niechen Chen and Christine Nguyen helped me redesign a new lab facility with automation and robotics.

What is memorable to me are my experiences helping turn kids on to technologies.   The robot-building contest was remarkable!  We used 3d printing and exposed kids to hand and machine tools.   Most of all, it was about problem-solving challenges and designing something.

I helped to train thousands of engineers across the globe in over 105 countries.  I exposed executives to the new digital business models and the possibilities of AI and advanced manufacturing.  Part of my journey included creating partnerships with post-secondary institutions to explore emerging technologies and creating an R&D center for AI and Automation.

In the robotics program for Chicago Public Schools students, we exposed them to 3d printing.  Students designed and made their parts for the robots.  As a CAD enthusiast, I have also explored the possibilities of printing my designs.

My work has focused on reskilling/upskilling for emerging technologies for years.  I have designed numerous learning programs to upskill/reskill displaced or those with skill gaps.  My research focused on industrial qualification and certification for skills.  In 2023, I helped the Chief Information Officer qualify skills in cloud engineering for a local corporation.

I managed a global staff of over 40 professionals who provided quality compliance training. My responsibilities included managing staff, handling requests, and reporting metrics on quality compliance. The photo represents a two-month project to install computer labs with LAN connections in a new high-rise facility.  I was responsible for purchasing the equipment, approving the layout, and installing the labs.   I am adept at project planning, implementing program metrics, and scheduling thousands of students across the globe for training.

I have established post-secondary, community college, industry, government, and community partnerships and consortiums.   I have worked with institutions to create skill-based technology programs, including the Illinois Institute of Technology, NIU, MIT, Florida International University, Miami Dade Community College, Dade County Public Schools, National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of Energy. My work includes grant writing, research, and program management.  I have established connections with mHUB, 1871, Plug-and-Play, and other accelerators.  

Working with corporate partners, I have pushed for alliances with community-based organizations such as the Industrial Manufacturing Foundation. The robotics program also trained Chicago Public School teachers and their students by exposing them to manufacturing technologies.  As an advisor to the program, I helped to improve recruitment, marketing, and programmatic improvements.