The Mass Board of Higher Education has finally approved our Mechatronics program! It will officially start fall 2022 but you can start chipping away credits with the Advanced Manufactured Technician Certificate, which stacks with mechatronics

We have also installed two state-of-the-art automated equipment to our maker space in the Berkshire Science Commons. An Intelitek robotic CNC mill and a Fanuc Robotic Arm, these additions to our laser, water-jet cutters, wood routers, and manual mill and lathe would be the backbone of our advanced manufacturing component to our Mechatronics program

Machining Videos

Router

Mill

After Spring ’21 finals some of our students from different departments belonging to the STEM academy joined us for a two day seminar, where they learn the basic operation of our Stratasys 3D printer and our Epilog Laser cutter, this was a preview of the type of activities we will hold in our maker space when completed. With a more advanced 3d printer, robotic machining equipment and a water jet cutter amongst other interesting automated manufacturing equipment

You can see in the pictures that the current space for the equipment is just too small. We can’t wait for the maker space in the Berkshire Science Commons to be completed by the end of this year!

Some of our student’s 3D print designs

Students observing the laser cutter as it performs their programmed cut

Students observing the laser cutter as it performs their programmed cut

An example of the laser cut path on a piece of 1/8″ thick wood

WTBR FM hosted BCC to discuss the new mechatronics program in process of being approved by the New England commission of higher education! check it out! and if you have any questions about it, contact us!

http://www.pittsfieldtv.net/CablecastPublicSite/show/36385?channel=1

This fall our department welcomed Dr. Ahmed Zayan as our newest faculty member, a graduate of Tuft University’s Electrical Engineering Ph.D. program with multiple years of experience teaching at the collegiate level, ranging from introductory courses to technical graduate level curricula. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Materials Sciences from Khalifa University and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from American University of Sharjah

His industrial experience encompasses the fields of water and electricity transmission, naval safety inspection and scientific editing for peer reviewed journals. His doctoral research focused on Thallium-based solar cells, being Thallium the same material he researched during his Master’s thesis

This broad expertise in engineering & research, combined with his excellent reputation as an educator at Tufts where he developed a course on Solar Energy Harvesting, and diverse scholarly work and cited publications are just the beginning of what we are sure will be a fruitful career at BCC and the Berkshires!

This year, the Berkshire County STEM week which is traditionally offered to local K-12 public school students and educators as well as the community in general will be hosted virtually. This allows us to host showcase our facilities and educational programs online, and this presentation will be permanent throughout the year.

If you are considering one of BCC’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) programs take a look at our virtual campus tour: https://www.berkshirecc.edu/academics/stem/stemvideotour.php
The Engineering/Mechatronics related displays are on the right side of Melville hall

A tour of the Berkshire Innovation Center, a partner of BCC can be seen on the following video, we look forward to welcoming our mechatronics students for the capstone course at the BIC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWtiVmIncDg

Lastly,  here is the video presentation for our STEM week activities: https://youtu.be/MSiCeHub0k8

Small colleges like ours would not survive if it wasn’t from local members of the community who give their time and effort to our educational mission. At the engineering department we are lucky to have two adjunct faculty, Profs. Mossman and Sullivan, from one of our local high-tech employers, General Dynamics. Prof. Sullivan is an engineer at GD during the day and has been teaching microcontrollers part time at BCC since 2008. It is clear by talking with him that he is passionate about engineering and loves his job. On his “free” time he does not only help train the next generation of engineers and techs at BCC, but also is a prolific electronics hobbyist. Some of his homebrewed projects include light detection glasses for the blind, which vibrate as the wearer approaches an object, a satellite-tracking antenna for his satellite radio and a similar design for a drone communications antenna, both projects required a serious dive into geometry as well as programing the electronics. He is also an amateur radio operator, which was a very popular hobby for connecting people across long distances before the internet linked the world together, but unlike some old timers who have left the radio hobby due to tougher restrictions on radio bandwidth as well as the competition from cheap internet and cellphones, he has used his brainpower in developing software algorithms to improve the quality of communication which more efficient use of the limited frequencies for amateurs.

His latest project is a CO₂ detector using off-the-shelf low cost components. If the CO₂ content in a room is too high, it can be an indication of poor ventilation and excessive amount of people, which equates to the same conditions that will make the COVID-19 virus to be easily transmitted in a multiple contagion event.

We are thankful for the time Prof. Sullivan volunteers to our college and we are looking forward to students connecting with him with all the questions about electronics and programing they can think of.

Prof. Sullivan testing his glasses-for-the-blind design

Testing his radio improvements at Mount Greylock

Prof. Gary Bradway, who has been been teaching at Berkshire Community College Engineering department since 1986 has decided to retire after 34 years of fruitful service to the institution and the Berkshires engineering community. Prof. Bradway is a staple of the college and laid the foundations for the next decade of academic success. He has educated countless engineers who have made a difference in the western Massachusetts region and all over our nation. Before joining BCC he worked as an engineer for Lenox Machine (now known as Valmet). He is also an avid skier and coach. We wish him the best in the next step and will be missed by students and colleagues!

Hear Professor Colmenares talk about our new Mechatronics program at Minute 21 and 25 seconds  on Morning Drive from Access Pittsfield TV and WBTR-FM
If you want to learn about our non-credit offerings from our director for workforce development of advanced manufacturing Paul Magtingly he is on minute 14 and 50 seconds

http://www.pittsfieldtv.net/CablecastPublicSite/show/34937?channel=1

We have started the approval process for our new mechatronics program, stay tuned! it will involve training on electronics & mechanical technology both with a manufacturing flavor as required by the Berkshires manufacturing base!