Using National Competitions To Focus Student Clubs

Abstract

is an assistant professor in the Automation Technologies program at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). Scott served as the Director of Manufacturing Technologies at RIT's Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies (CIMS) before joining NTID. He has more than twenty years of experience in developing manufacturing systems with a specialty in factory automation. He served as Applications Engineer, Proposals Engineer, Project Manager and Application Engineering Manager at Hansford Assembly & Test Systems (NY); Director of Applications Engineering at Wes-tech Automation Systems (IL); and Vice-president of Engineering at Cox Automation (IL). He started in the automation industry as a machinist, machine builder, robot programmer and controls engineer. He has trained engineers and technicians in machine design and controls implementation and has taught PLC and CNC programming. Specializations include assembly equipment conceptualization, flexible automation, DFM/DFA, and testing/monitoring systems. Scott has received an MS in Manufacturing Management and Leadership from RIT in 1997 and a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Illinois-Chicago in 1984. Scott built his first electric bicycle in 1977 and has been actively developing improved electric vehicles ever since. He founded the RIT Ebike club in 2006 and has been the advisor since inception. Scott led the club to the 2006 Tour de Sol ebike competition in Saratoga Springs, NY. The team placed first and second in the student category with both entered bikes finishing 1, 2 in the three hour marathon race.