The word is spreading in southeast Indiana: Kris Brown, Ivy Tech Community College Columbus instructor of the Welding Institute at the Mid-America Science Park (MASPark), produces graduates who are immediately hired as first-class welders. Officials of Jeffboat, in Jeffersonville, and Global Mechanical, in New Albany, have indicated that if graduates of the welding institute simply write “MASPark” at the top of their work application, they will go to the head of the line.
Dr. Tom Sobat, Interim Dean of the Schools of Technology, Applied Sciences, and Engineering Technology, confirmed the effectiveness of Kris’s teaching, “Kris is a first-class welder and a fine instructor. He is the consummate professional whose skills are commensurate with his credentials. He is a kind-hearted man with a genuine desire to help others and who puts the needs of his students before his own. It is fortunate for Ivy Tech and Scottsburg that Kris has found a home with us in the Columbus/Southeast region.”
Kris has many years of experience as a welder. He learned welding at Central Nine Career Center in Greenwood, Indiana. He worked as a welder at Penway, a leading manufacturer of ASME code pressure vessels in Edinburgh, for seven years; at Toyota Motor Corporation, a Japanese automotive manufacturer located in Columbus, for five years; and at Keith Kunz Motor Sports, a race car builder in Columbus, for seven years.
He began teaching welding as an adjunct instructor in 2010 and took the lead in the Welding Institute in January 2014. The Institute is a 40-week program that includes hands-on activities and instruction that focuses on technology, with math, reading and writing exercises embedded in class projects. After completing the program, individuals earn a Technical Certificate in Industrial Technology and are prepared to test for certifications that are valued by employers. The Institute is designed to accelerate individuals to a career; however, credits can be applied toward an Ivy Tech Associate of Applied Science degree. The training is provided in the new state-of-the-art welding lab at the Mid-America Science Park in Scottsburg.
Kris commented, “I love teaching. When I leave, I feel as if I have accomplished something. I feel like I have helped a family out, and that’s a wonderful feeling. I love teaching, itself, and helping others is the best reward. Ivy Tech has helped me – I couldn’t be more proud to teach for the college.”
This article was provided by Ivy Tech Community College Columbus.
