Technology Department News Archives

Two Technology Professors Emeritus

Chet BlakePosted May 25, 2006

Chester Blake, Ed.D. (top), and Donald Dawes, M.S.Ed. (bottom), two longtime Technology professors, have been given the honorable title of Professor Emeritus. Chet received his title two years ago while Don received his this year.

Achieving the status of professor emeritus means that, upon retirement from full-time employment, professors have Don Dawesdemonstrated meritorious service in teaching and professional involvement, as well as contributions to the College and community. They also must have been employed by the College for fifteen years or have ten years teaching experience as a professor at the College, five of which are immediately prior to retirement.

Now that Chet and Don have received this prestigious title they are permanently listed as Department of Technology faculty and they have certain rights and privileges at College activities and functions. Congratulations and thank you to Chet and Don!

Three New Technology Degrees

Posted April 14, 2006

It's official, three new four-year majors have been added to the Technology Department. The new B.S. degree majors are Automotive Management, Aviation Management, and Industrial Design. Automotive Management will give students the skills they need to be both an automotive technician and a business professional. Aviation Management is for those interested in becoming a pilot and working in business, perhaps running their own FBO. Industrial Design prepares students who want a career designing and developing new and better products, such as iPods, automobiles, and furniture. These three new majors are available at no other SDA institution; only at WWC.

More information about each of our new majors is now available. Call the Technology office at 509.527.2712 if you have questions or e-mail us at technology@wwc.edu.

Hydraulics Field Trip

Posted: March 23, 2006

Students in the Hydraulics and Pneumatics class (TECH 326) got to experience hydraulics in action when they went on a field trip to the construction site of a new strip-mall in College Place. Braden and Nelson, a local construction company, showed the class the groundwork they have been doing at the site, the hydraulic systems on their excavator, and let them each take a turn operating the excavator. students on field trip

The Hydraulics and Pneumatics class teaches students the principles of pressure and flow as they relate to hydraulics (liquids) and pneumatics (gases). They also learn about the operation of basic components, how the various components perform, fundamental equipment design, and hydraulic and pneumatic use and it was beneficial for them to see what they had been learning about in class used in a work environment.

Moving Forward with Aviation Fundraising

Posted: February 13, 2006

The Fundraising as of 1/31/06drive to reach our fundraising goal of $400,000 is now fully underway.

Phase One:

The first step is to raise $20,000 to fund the acquisition of aircraft maintenance tools. We are excited to say that we have long since passed this target and are continuing to climb to the ultimate goal.

The Walla Walla College Flight Center is abuzz with the current changes that are taking place. These changes begin with the welcoming of our new Director of Maintenance, Dave Muth, and his wife, Tricia, to the Walla Walla College family. Dave comes to us from Boise, ID and is completely immersed in setting up a new maintenance shop for the college aircraft. He is a playing a large role in the completion of the first phase of fundraising.

Phase Two:

The second step is to raise $273,080 to fund the acquisition of a Frasca TruFlite 1- Flight Training Device (FTD).

Students will gain valuable experience in the FTD that will create a positive transfer of learning to their flight lessons in the air. In the FTD an instructor will have the freedom to push the limits in the name of experience without having to worry about going outside the bounds of safety. The FTD can always be reset which is not a luxury a pilot has in flight.

Click on the following link to learn more about the FRASCA flight training device. Frasca TruFlite

Phase Three:

The third step is to raise $96,920 to fund an aircraft fleet transition.

The current aircraft fleet is going to be sold to assist in the acquisition of newer aircraft. Each of these aircraft will be equipped with Garmin Avionics. When a student steps into one of these aircraft they will be greeted by a beautiful radio stack that will include a full color moving map GPS.

These aircraft will be the same type of aircraft that the student will learn to fly using the FTD. The benefit from this transfer of learning cannot be overstated.

Excitement is in the air as these changes become evident. We pray that God will continue to lead as we move forward with His work.

Email Interview with Rob Holm

Rob HolmPosted: February 7, 2006

(This is a summary of an email interview with Rob Holm from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, where he is earning his Master's degree. Click here for the longer version.)

TD: How does West Lafayette, Indiana compare to College Place, Washington?

Rob: It doesn't. Geographically, it's night and day. Roads don't turn because there's nothing to go around. The summers are really hot and humid and the winters are dry, cold, and windy.

TD: Are you feeling homesick?

Rob: Yes and no. Mountains, twisting roads (for motorcycles), scenery, rivers, dams, and evergreens are part of my makeup. There's not much of any of that here. But I'm not homesick in the sense that it has been a good experience for my family to be in a place that's not familiar to us.

TD: How do you like your classes?

Rob: Overall, the classes here are incredible. The instructors are first-rate and take their craft seriously.

TD: What kinds of things are you learning in your classes?

Rob: Last semester I had classes in managing technology labs, methods for teaching technical topics, curriculum development for technical programs, and methods of research. This semester I have classes in statistics, developing instructional materials, current trends in technology education, quality processes in industry, and finishing my thesis.

TD: Do you have any new plans for when you come back?

Rob: Yes, but you'll have to wait and see on them. Wouldn't want to ruin the fun now, would you?!

TD: When will you be heading back to WWC?

Rob: If I finish my thesis in time, probably mid-June/early July. If I don't finish my thesis before May, then I'll be graduating in August, which means we'd be home toward the end of August.

New Industrial Design Major in the Works

Posted: January 15, 2006

The Technology department is making good progress in developing and getting approval for a new technology major, Industrial Design. Industrial Design (ID) can be defined as “creating and developing concepts and specifications that optimize the function, value and appearance of products and systems” ultimately benefiting those who produce and use them (from the Industrial Design Society of America). This major is an important addition to the courses already offered at WWC because ID is a growing concern for product developers everywhere as well as a subconscious requirement for consumers.

Dr. Linda Nelson, Technology department chair, has spent countless hours researching and planning the course requirements for the new major and, as of the middle of January 2006, the major has been approved by the WWC Curriculum Committee. Next, the Cabinet, Faculty Senate and Master Planning must approve the major. If all goes well, a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design will be available to students starting with the 2006-07 school year. Stay tuned for updates on the program’s progress as the year goes on.

Free Car Care Clinic Being Held

Posted: January 11, 2006

Students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to attend three free car care clinics being sponsored by the Technology department and Wolfpack Automotive. The clinics are:

Part 1: Repair shops…How NOT to Get Ripped Off (January 15),

Part 2: Basic Automotive Maintenance (January 22) and

Part 3: How-to Clinic (January 29).

All clinics will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Canaday Technology Center room #128. Please RSVP to wolfpackauto@wwc.edu if you plan to attend. For more information go to wolfpackauto.wwc.edu.

Aviation Program Challenges and Solutions

Posted: December 27, 2005

Over the past few years, WWC has had to face the growing cost of maintaining an older fleet of aircraft and increases in liability insurance premiums. Our aging fleet has become more expensive and time consuming to maintain. Furthermore, there are those who question the safety of older airplanes. Since 9/11, the cost of liability insurance has escalated at an alarming rate. Seventh-day Adventist campuses are the only college campuses that still maintain the costly protection of $50,000,000 liability insurance. Most other schools and insurance companies have lowered their limits dramatically. Seventh-day Adventist flight schools have consistently maintained the $50,000,000 to protect the assets of the Church and its schools. Currently, each Seventh-day Adventist school is paying between $150,000 and $200,000 in annual premiums for this coverage. We do face challenges, but we are ready to meet them.

The Department of Technology has developed a two-part strategy to answer these challenges. First, an updated fleet of aircraft will push the aeronautics program to the cutting-edge of technology. Our current aging fleet will be sold to make way for five new airplanes (four Cessna 172s and one Piper Seminole) and a state-of-the-art flight training device. This will not only reduce the number of planes that need to be serviced and insured, but allow students to train in updated equipment, with all of the newest benefits. Verified calculations indicate that by cooperating with willing investors, new aircraft could be obtained through a lease-back, or donation process.

Secondly, WWC has hired a new aircraft maintenance director. David Muth joins our team this January. His position will provide the opportunity to offer A & P courses, in addition to creating savings from maintenance fees. Through updating the aircraft and the addition of a maintenance staff person, flight instruction at WWC will become not only affordable, but profitable.

The Mac Lab Gets a Face Lift

Posted: November 28, 2005

It started as a couple of students with a vision, and turned into a complete renovation of the Technology department's Mac Lab... Click here to read more about it.

2005-06 New Technology Faculty and Staff

Posted: September 1, 2005

Two new members have been officially added to the Technology Department for the 2005-06 school year. Elaine Hinshaw, new part-time Technology faculty member, and Steve Porter, new Wolfpack Automotive shop manager, are both excited about the school year.

Elaine, formerly adjunct faculty for Technology, is excited about her new position. While only a small step up from adjunct faculty it means she gets her own office (visit her next to the Drafting Lab in the CTC) and that she will be teaching more classes.

Steve, graduate automotive technology major from WWC, began his new job as shop manager in July. Since then he's been getting the shop ready for the new school year. Go to the Wolfpack Automotive web site to find out more about it. wolfpackauto.wwc.edu

 

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