Podcast Guest:
Marilyn Barger, Senior Education Advisor, FLATE
Richard Gilbert, Retired Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of South Florida
March 2024 | 22:59
Episode 50: Show Notes, Slides, Transcript
In this episode, Marilyn Barger and Richard Gilbert discuss the evolution of Florida’s educational programs to meet industry demands, focusing on advanced manufacturing and Industry 4.0. Marilyn explains how they consolidated programs by identifying common skills and integrating industry certifications, leading to program expansion and specialized tracks. Richard highlights the crucial role of Operation Technology (OT) technicians in Industry 4.0, emphasizing the need for networking and edge computing skills. They stress the importance of integrating cross-disciplinary skills in engineering technology programs and suggest avenues for faculty professional development, including workshops and community support networks. Additionally, they address cybersecurity considerations in this context.
Watch this interview and subscribe to our YouTube Channel
to stay up-to-date on the future of work.
Dr. Marilyn Barger is the Senior Education Advisor for FLATE part of the FloridaMakes Network, a Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center in Florida which is continuing its NSF mission supporting manufacturing technician education. She was the P.I. and Executive Director of FLATE, an ATE Center focused on manufacturing technology education in Florida for over 18 years. Dr. Barger serves on several national and regional workforce education boards and has developed award-winning curriculum for STEM programs at all educational levels. She taught Environmental Engineering at Hofstra and FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, authored many engineering education papers, is a registered Professional Engineer in Florida, and a Fellow of both the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) and the American Institute of Medical and Biochemical Engineers (AIMBE).
Dr. Richard Gilbert is a retired Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of South Florida and the co-author of several books and articles that deal with, sensor, instrumentation and programmable logic controllers. In addition, he has created and conducted short courses and training sessions for the Instrument Society of America (ISA). Dr. Gilbert has over 20 biotechnology patents and is a member of the National Academy of Inventors as well as a former Resident Research Scholar for the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Dr. Gilbert has had grant support from NSF, NIH, and DOD and was a Co-Principal Investigator for FLATE, an NSF Advanced Technological Education Center of Excellence and Preparing Technicians for the Future of Work focused on future technician career pathways.
