������Ƶ

A focus on technology

Associate Professor Charles “Chip” Ax makes sure his students still master the same basics he learned when he received his agricultural engineering degree from ������Ƶ in 1989.

But the college’s agricultural engineering and diesel technology curriculums also keep pace with the complex systems and current machines that students will encounter

on the job.

“The equipment has become extremely sophisticated,” Ax said of coursework focused on the latest advancements to electronics, hydraulics, powertrains, fuel systems, exhaust systems and precision operation.

Industry partners like Caterpillar, Kubota, Komatsu, Case International, New Holland, Claas, Mack and Peterbilt are clamoring to provide equipment to help train students,

as well as hire them after graduation, adding even more horsepower to the state-of-the-art learning laboratory.

“When students walk out of our building, they will be ready for a selection of well-paying jobs in numerous machine specialties and locations,” Ax said.

Out of the elements, into the future

As one of the first students of the renewable energy program, Ryan Storke ’17 has fond memories of climbing towers to fix wind turbines, analyzing samples from the methane digester, and creating biodiesel from leftover vegetable oil from the campus cafeteria.

The firsthand education prepared Storke for a career overseeing wind, solar and other renewable energy projects across the United States.

“We were doing pretty amazing stuff with the resources that were available. I really enjoyed learning,” said Storke, who also has A.A.S. degrees in diesel technology and renewable energy technology from ������Ƶ.

The brand new facilities at the ACET Center will amplify opportunities for students to excel in the hands-on coursework that has been the cornerstone of ������Ƶ for more than a century.

Pairing the renewable energy and diesel technology programs in the new building made sense for a number of reasons, including cross-training for specific certifications.

“It ties together all of the strongest and best aspects of Morrisville, and that’s a really powerful thing,” Hofmeyer said. “They really do go hand in hand.”

The biggest improvements for both programs: purpose-built labs and high ceilings in the new building, which will accommodate year-round indoor training on state-of-the-art equipment, so students won’t have to worry about wind, snow, ice and rain during lab sessions.

Student spotlight, Eden Adler ’24

For Eden Adler, environmentalism is a lifestyle.

“I have a hybrid car, I sort my recycling, I’m always bugging my friends about doing what is best for the environment,” she said.

So, when she decided to change careers, her penchant for sustainability brought her to ������Ƶ, where she was attracted to the hands-on curriculum and plentiful job prospects.

“When you get into renewable energy, your goal is to save the planet,” she said. “Everything I learn in this program will apply directly back to my life.”

So far, she has learned the basics of electricity by wiring an apartment alongside residential construction students, and studied the boilers that heat the therapy pool at the college’s Equine Rehabilitation Center in her heating and cooling class.

“I really didn’t want to sit in a classroom and do the same monotonous stuff,” she said. “I’m not stuck writing papers every week. It is much more engaging for me.”

While her coursework has introduced her to a number of potential career trajectories, solar energy has piqued her interest the most.

“How to put them together, how they work, how they can power a house or a commercial building,” she explained.

Her ideal job: designing homes that incorporate as many renewable technologies as possible.

“I want to pass on that excitement to other people who are interested in a more sustainable lifestyle but still not sure how to make it happen,” she said.