Tower Magazine - Summer/Fall 2024 - 13

Vanessa Shonk '20 showcases a group project she
completed while at Thaddeus Stevens College.
ECAD instructor Don Hart, '91
a good salary. Each year he sets
aside time to share life skills with
students: home mortgages, car
loans, credit cards, credit scores,
taxes, 401ks, and health benefits.
" I tell them a job is not just
about how much you make per
hour, " he says. " I really get their
attention when we talk about
these topics.... they always say, 'I
didn't get that in high school.' "
Don feels lucky to work alongside
James Knapp, his fellow ECAD
instructor, as well as for a college
full of faculty " who are experts in
their field who can also teach. "
" We don't have a lazy river, we don't
have a giant rock climbing wall
[like you might find on a campus
of another college], " says Don.
" What our students get is laserfocused
attention on what they
want to learn. That's what we do. "
AN EVOLVING FIELD:
EMBRACING CHANGE
As technology continues to
advance, the tools of the trade also
evolve-and the ECAD program at
Thaddeus Stevens College keeps
pace with industry best practices.
For example, Don says that 3-D
printing has come a long way in
the past decade or two; the ECAD
program now has five machines.
" It never sits stagnant, " he says
both of the field and the program.
" I tell students there's always going
to be change in the engineering
department in any industry. " And
that means possible roles for an
ECAD graduate will also change,
especially as AI comes more into
play and CAD packages update and
evolve to meet industry demands.
With nearly 40 years of experience
in the field, Don has seen CAD
technology evolve in many ways:
faster systems, stronger computers,
enhanced automation. But one thing
remains true, and it's what Sam loves
most about her future profession:
" My program, ECAD, is the
beginning of all the trades, " she
beams. " We're the building blocks.
We create the drawings for what
they do. " When Sam says " they, "
she's referring to nearly everyone
who builds something for a living.
And that's pretty profound.
Thaddeus Stevens College : 12
Tower Magazine - Summer/Fall 2024

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