• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News
  • Subscribe

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds

Advanced Composites program ‘perfect fit’ for Roane State teacher

Posted at 9:33 am August 21, 2013
By Roane State Community College Leave a Comment

Andy Pokelwaldt

Roane State’s Andy Pokelwaldt, right, works with instructor Josh Martin to set up a filament-winding machine used by students in the college’s composite materials courses. (Submitted photo)

As the leader of Roane State Community College’s Advanced Composites Employment accelerator, Andy Pokelwaldt can blend his experience as a military trainer, an educator, and a mentor.

“I enjoy teaching, and I understand what having skills in composite materials will mean in the marketplace,” Pokelwaldt said. “Learning about composite materials will make people more employable, and that’s what this job is all about.”

The ACE program, based at the Halcyon Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, provides three introductory courses in composite materials. People with two- or four-year degrees can take the courses at no cost because ACE is grant-funded.

The program includes instruction in:

  • polymer chemistry required for manufacturing composite materials products,
  • methods used to manufacture composite materials,
  • the role of automation in composite materials manufacturing,
  • how to safely handle hazardous materials, and
  • hands-on application of composite materials manufacturing processes.

“ACE is a great option for businesses who want their employees to learn about composite materials,” Pokelwaldt said.

With Pokelwaldt, businesses have a contact who understands training.

Pokelwaldt was a senior noncommissioned officer, active Army, at Army Forces Command Headquarters, Fort McPherson/Fort Bragg, N.C.; an administrative chief in the United States Marine Corps Reserve; and a supervisor/trainer with the Tennessee Army National Guard. During his service in Iraq, Pokelwaldt trained more than 1,000 Iraqi soldiers in tactics, administrative operations, and logistics.

Pokelwaldt’s military education and experience includes human resources management, lean six sigma, consulting, personnel management, training program development, IT security, project management, and contractor relations.

Pokelwaldt is also a seasoned educator. He spent nearly a decade as a teacher and case manager at Maryville Middle School/Junior High School where he worked with multidisabled and behaviorally challenged seventh- and eighth-grade students.

Pokelwaldt earned his bachelor’s degree in education from State University of New York College at Fredonia, his master’s in education from the University of Tennessee, and his Ed.S. in administration and supervision from Lincoln Memorial University.

“Throughout my career, an enjoyment of teaching others has been a common thread,” Pokelwaldt said. “I am excited to be a part of the ACE program to help train people for jobs in this growing field.”

For more information about ACE, send an e-mail to [email protected], call (865) 354-3000, ext. 4865, or visit www.roanestate.edu/ace. To contact Pokelwaldt, call (865) 354-3000, ext. 4923, or email [email protected].

Filed Under: Business, College, Education, Top Stories Tagged With: accelerator, ACE, Advanced Composites Employment, Andy Pokelwaldt, composite materials, Halcyon Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, polymer chemistry, Roane State Community College

Advertisements


 

Join the club!

If you appreciate our work, please consider subscribing. Besides helping us, your subscription will give you access to our premium content.

Most of our stories are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our members—advertisers, subscribers, and sponsors.

But some are premium content, available only to members. Those are in-depth, investigative, or exclusive stories that are available only on Oak Ridge Today. They generally require at least four hours to report, write, and publish.

You can subscribe for as little as $5 per month.

You can read more about your options here.

We currently offer five primary subscription options to readers, and they include benefits.

Basic

  • Basic monthly subscription ($5 per month)—access premium content
  • Basic annual subscription ($60 per year)—access premium content

Pro

  • Pro monthly subscription ($10 per month)—access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month
  • Pro annual subscription ($100 per year)—save $20 per year, access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month

Temporary

  • Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here.

If you prefer to send a check for a subscription or donation, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

Thank you for your consideration and for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support.

Commenting Guidelines

We welcome comments, but we ask you to follow a few guidelines:

1) Please use your real name, including last name. Please also use a valid e-mail address.
2) Be civil. Don't insult others, attack their character, or get personal.
3) Stick to the issues.
4) No profanity.
5) Keep your comments to a reasonable length and to a reasonable number per article.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these guidelines. Comments held for review, usually from those posting for the first time, may not post if they violate these guidelines. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you also for reading Oak Ridge Today and for participating in the discussion.

More information is available here.

More Business News

City of Oak Ridge Seal

Horizon Center power, airport update, mercury storage on Council agenda

An airport update, potential comments about mercury storage, and an overview of a proposed 69-kilovolt electrical line for the TRISO-X project at Horizon Center are on the agenda for an Oak Ridge City Council work … [Read More...]

Planning Commission to consider rezoning for nuclear fuel fabrication

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday will consider rezoning 110 acres at Horizon Center for a nuclear fuel fabrication company. The property (Lot 6a) has been purchased from the Oak Ridge Industrial … [Read More...]

Update on downtown Oak Ridge Tuesday

A city official will give an update on the proposed development of downtown Oak Ridge during a lunchtime meeting Tuesday. The presentation will be led by Wayne Blasius, director of the Oak Ridge Planning and … [Read More...]

CROET president tells Oak Ridge story on national podcast

Teresa Frady, president of the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee, is the Spotlight Interview guest on this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, which covers U.S. Department of … [Read More...]

Willow Ridge Garden Center named small business of month

  Willow Ridge Garden Center has been named the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce's Small Business of the Month for February 2022. The award is sponsored by Enrichment Federal Credit Union. Willow Ridge Garden Center is … [Read More...]

More Business

More Education News

Learn why bugs are good

Submitted Every bug has a purpose. Did you know that very few caterpillars reach their mature size because birds gobble them down? It is estimated that one pair of chickadees must find 6,000 caterpillars to feed one … [Read More...]

Secret City Academy student charged with terrorism after alleged shooting, bomb threats

A Secret City Academy student was charged with terrorism and other crimes after allegedly threatening to shoot people and use a bomb at the school on Friday, Anderson County's district attorney general said. This is the … [Read More...]

ORHS Masquers presents ‘Into the Woods’

Oak Ridge High School Masquers, the school’s extracurricular drama program, is presenting "Into the Woods," the Stephen Sondheim musical based on the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tales, in four performances this … [Read More...]

Roane State employees receive excellence awards

Four Roane State Community College employees have been recognized as winners of the prestigious Excellence Award bestowed by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development. NISOD has been named the … [Read More...]

Tennessee Holocaust Commission accepting student entries for 2022 contest

“The Holocaust is a lesson in human (and inhuman) history that took place because of hate, bigotry, indifference—all characteristics that know no bounds. These traits spread like wildfire. If we remain indifferent to … [Read More...]

More Education

Recent Posts

  • ORAU launches new app with a variety of resources available, including hundreds of STEM internships, fellowships and research opportunities
  • Disposing of uranium waste could cost at least $7.2 billion
  • Y-12 now getting power from Pine Ridge substation
  • Man sentenced to 8 years after fleeing, crashing, attempting carjackings
  • Three Ohio residents die in two-vehicle crash
  • DOE picks Idaho for nuclear test reactor
  • TBI investigating man’s death
  • Luminarias to feature peace messages
  • Oak Ridge tennis court dance is Thursday
  • DOE bus tours restart in Oak Ridge

Search Oak Ridge Today

About Us

About Oak Ridge Today
What We Cover

How To

Advertise
Subscribe

Contact Us

Contact Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2022 Oak Ridge Today