1. What is your career history?

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) program at Virginia Tech. While I was a student, I had a co-op position with Newport News Shipbuilding for 18 months. I then went to work for Burlington Industries for six years as an industrial engineer, before accepting a position with Interface Incorporated, where I stayed for 16 years and assisted architects and interior design companies. Now, I'm research faculty in Virginia Tech's ISE department and the director of the Center for High Performance Manufacturing and the Learning Factory.

2. What is your favorite part of working at the Learning Factory?

It's been a creative experience. The Learning Factory started as a Ph.D. research lab, so we first had to clear it out and develop a design for what we wanted it to look like, and I enjoy being involved in those kinds of facility operations. Another one of my favorite parts is working with the students in the lab.

3. For those who may not know, how would you describe Industry 4.0 technology?

Most of it has to do with machines communicating via the internet of things. Manufacturers are seeing that the use of the internet helps collect more data faster, and helps to exchange data between people and things, and places, faster. For example, our HAAS machining center is connected to the internet and we can collect machining data from it. It allows our data scientists to analyze how that machine is doing and to identify trends. The ability to use the computational capabilities of the internet within a manufacturing environment is what makes Industry 4.0 a good thing.

4. What inspired the Industry 4.0 GO Virginia project?

We realized, although we had state of the art equipment in the Learning Factory at the time, that local employers are probably using different kinds of equipment. We decided to get employers, educators, and economic developers in a room together and discuss the types of Industry 4.0 equipment used in the area. Then we could make sure the equipment in our space was compatible with what our employers were using. We also wanted to allow employers to use our space as a test-bed to try out Industry 4.0 technology in a nonthreatening environment without a financial obligation. This year, Spectrum Brands is testing the feasibility of a cobot, or collaborative robot, to see if it would work for their operation. The advantage is they can use ours and see if it’s a good fit before they decide to buy one.

5. What goals do you hope to accomplish with the project?

Our biggest goal was to have two meetings, which we held in Blacksburg and Roanoke. They were about three months apart and were with economic developers, educators, and employers in our region. At the meetings, we gave multiple presentations on Industry 4.0 so everybody could have a collective understanding of what the term means. Then, we sent everybody away with homework, asking them to tell us what Industry 4.0 technology they have at their sites. With that information, we could identify some skill gaps in the workforce. Ultimately, the goal of the GO Virginia Region 2 grant is to develop a draft curriculum centered on Industry 4.0 technology to make sure current and future members of the workforce have the necessary skills to work for any of our employers without skipping a beat.

6. What has the students’ reaction been to the technology in the Learning Factory?

The Learning Factory was created so students can gain hands-on experience with Industry 4.0 technology. Most of our students understand Industry 4.0 and most of them know the theory behind it. Robots and autonomous vehicles are familiar to them. However, many of our students have not had the opportunity to play with those toys, and previous students couldn't use that type of technology until they got out into the workforce. Now, the Learning Factory allows students, starting at the sophomore level, to use the kind of equipment they’ve heard about in classes. We currently have 50 seniors in various capacities working on projects in the Learning Factory. So, the feedback from the students has been, "Why did we not always have this?" They love it.

7. As you move forward with this project, is there anything in particular you are looking forward to learning or doing?

I'm looking forward to telling others that the curriculum we’re developing is designed by three different categories of people, the people who educate for a living, the people who make stuff for a living – the employers – and the economic developers who drive business to the area. These three groups of people advised us on this curriculum and what needs to be included, so that's a great story. A lot of times, curriculum is created without necessarily accessing those who would benefit, but with this project, we were able to get input from those groups.

8. What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

I was in industry for 25 years, and making the transition from industry to education was a big deal for me. Some people spend their entire career in either education or manufacturing, but I've gotten to split time in both. And I have loved it. I have a Master's degree in Education so I knew I wanted to teach, but I didn't quite know how to do it at first. I consulted a career counselor and said I would like to know how to shift to a teaching role. He advised me to work at a community college before transitioning to a university setting, which I did. I was vice president of workforce development at Bridgemont Community and Technical College in West Virginia for a while, and then I came back to Virginia Tech to teach. I always enjoyed education, so that career transition has been extremely satisfying for me.

9. What hobbies and activities do you like to do when you’re not working?

About ten years ago, my wife and I bought some property in Floyd County. We enjoy walking every day, fishing, and doing various projects around the farm, including building bridges across creeks. My wife and I travel a little bit; in fact, next week we'll be going up to Massanutten but that doesn't consume a lot of our time. I spend most of my nonworking time playing outside.

10. If you could invent anything what would it be?

I would invent instantaneous teleportation so we don't have to get on a plane to go somewhere; it would be nice if we could immediately bolt from Blacksburg to Hawaii or Cabo San Lucas.