TechieCrossing, a leading online source for tech jobs, news, and industry trends, recently profiled Andres Fortino, Associate Provost and Dean of Poly’s Westchester campus, in an article called “Teaching Excellence in Technology” by Akbar Ali.
Excerpts from the article:
- Fortino’s interest in technology began not with a desire to be a part of the modern era’s digital revolution, but with his desire to fully utilize the main purpose of technology: to make communication and daily functions simpler and more accessible for users.
- “I am fundamentally an engineer. I love to create new things, build things, and solve problems - but with a purpose, something that is of use or which serves a useful purpose. [This is] different from a scientist that asks why the universe works the way it does - I ask how I can make it work.”
- “I was [at IBM] at the birth of the first PC, saw the world of data networking grow up, and debated the protocols needed to power the Internet. My job was [working] as an ion implanter. We accelerated atoms of boron, phosphorus, and arsenic with electric fields, separated them with magnetic fields, and slammed them into silicon wafers.”
- While at Polytechnic, Fortino has done more than serve as dean: he has spent the last semester developing a radio show with local CIOs, including Alcatel, FUJIFILM, IBM, and the USTA. This program is designed to make students and parents aware of the possibilities and opportunities waiting for those who pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.