The American Technical Education Association (ATEA) recognized Ivy Tech Community College Fort Wayne for exceptional programs and teaching on June 2. The Advanced Automation and Robotics Technology (AART) program was awarded Outstanding Technical Program of the Year, and AART Program Chair Bob Parker received the Outstanding Instructor of the Year award. Ivy Tech Fort Wayne previously received the Outstanding Technical Program of the Year award for automotive technology in 2016.

“Our Fort Wayne campus continues to be a model for Ivy Tech Community College, leading by example with exemplary labs and faculty providing the highest quality education and training to industry partners,” says Sue Smith, Vice President of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, and Applied Science at Ivy Tech Community College.

Ivy Tech Fort Wayne’s AART program is highly valued by local and national industries. Many local businesses, including Steel Dynamics, Inc. and B.F. Goodrich send their incumbent workers to Ivy Tech to upskill them in the advanced technology that employees greatly need in today’s smart manufacturing world. Graduates are sought after by national corporations, including one student who was recently hired by the Tesla Gigafactory in Sparks, NV.

“Kudos to Bob Parker and our AART faculty for this well-deserved recognition,” says Darrel Kesler, Ivy Tech Fort Wayne Dean of the Schools of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, and Applied Science and Information Technology. “The AART team previously won the National Council for Workforce Education Exemplar Credit Program Award and a state-wide CTE award. This preeminent program is a model for technical education and a phenomenal resource for northeast Indiana.”

Faculty from Ivy Tech Fort Wayne were also recently recognized by ATEA as “Best Practice Heroes” for sharing Best Practices sessions regarding moving technical education online. The following faculty in the School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, and Applied Science were recognized as “Best Practice Heroes” by ATEA: Cait Cramer (Engineering), Nick Goodnight (Automotive), Frank Garro (HVAC), Ryan Voorhees (Construction Technology), and Darrel Kesler (Dean).

ATEA is a national organization. Their mission is communicating the role and importance of technical education to the nation, sharing best practices, developing professional relationships and identifying trends and technology that will impact technical education.

Ivy Tech Fort Wayne’s AART program is open for fall enrollment. Anyone interested in the program should contact the School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, and Applied Science office at 260-480-4157 or contact Bob Parker directly at rparker27@ivytech.edu.