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Welcome to Vaughn College's Futureproof Focus Podcast. Here, we discuss the latest news, career opportunities and insights in the exciting fields of engineering, technology, management and aviation. Through unscripted, honest conversations with prominent industry leaders, students, faculty and alumni, we explore diversity, equity and inclusion in education and employment, and the forces that drive personal and career growth.
20 Episodes
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Join us for a conversation with Brian Bermudez, Vaughn alumnus, aviation maintenance professor and director of the airframe and powerplant (A&P) curriculum at Vaughn College. Brian discusses his love of aviation and teaching, how Vaughn’s A&P program is unique in preparing students for their license exams, where students can work (beyond traditional airlines) and how much they can make in their first year as a mechanic. He also discusses his consulting business, Craft of the Air (COTA...
Vaughn College President Sharon DeVivo speaks with Talon Air CEO James Chitty about career opportunities in charter aviation. They discuss the aviation workforce shortage, Talon Air’s partnership with Vaughn, and how technology and sustainability are shaping the industry.
In this inspiring episode of Futureproof Focus, Vaughn College President Dr. Sharon B. DeVivo sits down with trailblazer and Vaughn alumna Samantha Mitchell—founder and president of Black Women in Aviation. From her beginnings as the first female aircraft mechanic for Air Jamaica to launching a movement focused on representation and mentorship, Samantha shares her powerful journey through a male-dominated industry and her mission to redefine the norm. Learn how her time at Vaughn helpe...
In this episode of Futureproof Focus, Dr. Sharon B. DeVivo sits down with Shari Lindner, learning and development manager at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), and Jason Becker, a Vaughn graduate and mechatronics engineer at BNL. Together, they explore the exciting career pathways available at BNL, the importance of continuous learning in engineering, and the lab’s commitment to fostering innovation through accessibility and professional growth. Jason shares his journey from Vaughn student...
In episode 17, Sharon DeVivo, Vaughn College president and CEO, sits down with Doug Jahnke, assistant professor of engineering and technology, to discuss the new cutting-edge programmable logic controller (PLC) and robotic automation certificate program. Discover how this program opens doors to high-demand careers in robotic automation across a variety of industries such as healthcare, manufacturing and transportation, along with the advantages of pursuing other specialized engineering certif...
Tune in to to hear Xylene DeCoteau's '20 journey to becoming a first officer at Mesa Airlines, and how you, too, can start on your path to becoming a pilot at Vaughn College. She discusses her flight training, how she landed her job and her goals for the future. You won't want to miss this one! You can also watch on YouTube here.
Richard Ugarte, vice president of maintenance and engineering at PSA Airlines discusses the unique partnership with Vaughn where his staff coached the Aviation Maintenance Team to complete in the MRO Americas in Chicago, which had its best showing of 90 teams in April. The conversation also covers a range of timely topics including the aviation workforce shortage, building a more diverse workforce and emerging technologies in the field. This is one you won't want to miss!
Elena Buenrostro discusses how her company, Women Who Drone, is connecting people, especially young women from underrepresented communities, who love drones through shared stories, education and career opportunities. Listen in to see how she's changing the world, one person at a time through a shared passion for autonomous flight.
In this episode, we speak to Vaughn mechanical engineering alum Okera Bullen '22 about his job at a pure electrification company called Nexans working in supply chain management. He speaks about his passion to have a positive impact on society and the world as a whole which brought him to Nexans, which supplies the cable connectors from Long Island wind farms to the land. Tune into this episode to learn how you can make an impact and contribute to a more sustainable future with an engineering...
We know that the cost of attending college can sometimes seem insurmountable, and many students and families worry about affordability. But the evidence is clear—students with bachelor’s degrees earn $1.2 million more and Vaughn College is the best in the nation at moving students to the top 40 percent income—a strong indication of Vaughn’s return on the investment in higher education. Join us as we explore tips to help you finance your educational journey. Watch the video version here: http...
Embark on a journey into the dynamic world of drone careers with Vaughn adjunct professor and aviation attorney Loretta Alkalay in the latest episode of Futureproof Focus. Uncover the diverse career paths drones offer, from drone design, operation and safety, while addressing the need for more women in the field. Join us for an enlightening discussion as we navigate the ever-evolving future of uncrewed aerial systems. Watch the video version on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/ywxa...
In episode 10, Phil Rugile, Executive Director of the Institute for Workforce Advancement and the OSW Supply Chain delves into the world of composites and offshore wind careers. Rugile outlines initiatives to bridge the gap between the kind of careers students are exposed to and the actual opportunities that exist in composite manufacturing and offshore wind, which will ultimately help feed the workforce pipeline. Vaughn is helping to provide training programs for these careers - tune in to l...
In episode 9, Suraiya Nawaz '24 discusses how her several internship experiences (at LaGuardia, the Port Authority, Tesla and Whirlpool) helped to realize the type of work she wants to do with her mechatronic engineering degree from Vaughn. Her passion for sustainability and empowering women in engineering will be driving forces in her future career, as she continues to explore her love of automation and robotics in the aerospace and automotive industries. Tune in and hear her story!
In episode 8, learn how Philip Bredu '22 came all the way from Ghana at age 18 to attend college in the US and pursue his passion for science, math and physics. He quickly transferred to Vaughn and fell in love with mechanical engineering. Vaughn helped him land an internship at Georgia Power which led to a job, which he currently holds today. Tune in and get inspired by Philip's success story!
Tune into episode 6 of our podcast where we speak to Eric Santos-Silva '21 about how his love for aviation maintenance started in the military working on fighter planes in the Air Force and grew into a career as an aviation maintenance technician for Delta Air Lines. Get his perspective on the demand in the industry, future trends and how he's working his way to the top with his connections from Vaughn guiding him every step of the way.
Gagandeep Munder’s ’14 story of becoming a pilot is a unique one. Growing up in India, no one took his passion for aviation seriously. After moving to the US, he knew he could make his dream come true. He got his aircraft operations degree from Vaughn and quickly became a pilot instructor. After that, he moved up the ranks at Delta Connection and just got hired by United Airlines, one of the big three legacy carriers. Listen to this conversation and get inspired to follow your dreams!
Check out this insightful conversation with Patricia Goodwin-Peters, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Atlas Air Worldwide. She discusses the pivotal role the air cargo industry played throughout the pandemic and how the demand for aviation professionals extends far beyond pilots and flight attendants to crew planners and schedulers, R&D and maintenance. See how the future of the industry will become increasingly dependent on artificial intelligence (AI), predictive analytics an...
We speak with Chaundra Daniels, Director of Career Services at Vaughn to learn about the in-demand career fields in engineering, technology, management and aviation, and how students should begin preparing for their careers early.
In this podcast, we speak with Vaughn’s Director of Counseling and Wellness Dr. Stacey Dutil and Athletics Coordinator Omari Wrightabout all the mental health issues facing college students today and the various services and offerings Vaughn provides to help its incredibly diverse population of students.
Hear how Kirei Watson ’18 is living her dream as a rotational program engineer at Collins Aerospace. She talks about how Vaughn helped land her career, her experience as a Black woman working in the engineering industry and how her passion has driven her success. She offers a lot of great tips for aspiring engineers - you won't want to miss our first podcast! Check out our YouTube channel for a video version of this podcast
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