Last Updated on December 4, 2017 by cassnetwork
KOKOMO, Ind. – Michael Erny has been named dean for the School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering & Applied Technology for Ivy Tech Community College’s Kokomo Service Area.
Erny brings to this assignment a wide range of educational achievement, industry experience and community engagement. He began his career with Ivy Tech in 2006 as an instructor in the School of Technology and progressed through positions as program chair for automotive technology and assistant dean of the technology school. A graduate of Ivy Tech’s Master Teacher Academy and Leadership Academy, he was the recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Instruction in the Kokomo Region in 2014.
In his new role, Erny will oversee programs that include Advanced Automation and Robotics Technology, Agriculture, Automotive Technology, Engineering Technology, HVAC, Industrial Technology, Machine Tool Technology, and Manufacturing Production and Operations.
“Mike is taking the helm of programs that are critical to the future success of both Ivy Tech and the State of Indiana,” said Kim King, acting chancellor of Ivy Tech Kokomo. “With Mike’s practical experience matched by his academic accomplishments, he is prepared to lead this organization through the next several years as we transform both the Kokomo Campus and our technology facilities.”
Erny’s roots at Ivy Tech are deep. His higher education journey began at Ivy Tech 30 years ago and he earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Automotive Service Technology in 1988. When he came back to Ivy Tech as an instructor, he brought professional expertise gained as a service technician, shop foreman and fleet maintenance specialist from 1988 to 2006 at an Indianapolis auto dealership and a Walton shipping and trucking company.
An advocate of lifelong learning, Erny earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Career and Technical Education from Indiana State University and he is working on a doctorate in the field at University of Wisconsin’s Stout Campus.
That commitment to lifelong learning has been cited as the foundation for his teaching success in a field where continuing education is a necessity. He has served as a model of the concept for his students by continuing to update his skills. Along with his academic degrees, he holds a number of National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications – the gold standard in automotive service credentialing – as well as certification as a full-service Cummins technician. He has been certified by the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) to instruct the Certified Production Technician course and has earned “white belt” certification in continuous improvement.
As program chair, Erny transformed the automotive technology program at Kokomo into a leader in the state and, since 2008, he has been statewide lead chair for automotive technology at Ivy Tech. During his tenure, he secured donations of nearly $1 million in equipment, resources, and funding from a number of major corporations in North Central Indiana, including Snap-on, FCA US, and Subaru.
SOURCE: News release from Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region