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Communications & Marketing

Faculty Spotlight

Noted playwright George Bernard Shaw once wrote, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." Obviously, Shaw never envisioned a place like Wake Tech.

Every Wake Tech faculty member has had success both inside and outside of a classroom or lab, and they each bring an array of knowledge and practical skills with them to help transform students' lives every day. Get to know some of Wake Tech's talented and inspiring faculty, and you'll agree that they can do as well as teach.

Wake Tech Associate Professor Staci Herman Drauss teaches a class.

Turning Preschool Chaos Into Confidence for Teachers

Associate Professor Staci Herman Drauss helps students understand childhood development so they can guide preschoolers’ behavior in positive directions.
Hospitality Management Assistant Professor Barry Tracey stands outside Flavors restaurant at Wake Tech.

Teaching Management Skills With 'Dad Energy'

Wake Tech Hospitality Management Assistant Professor Barry Tracey taps into his restaurant industry experience to get important points across to students.
Welding Technology Instructor Olivia Houle provides tips while examining a student's technique on a vertical weld.

Forging a Bond With Students

Instructor Olivia Houle learned to weld as a child and now shares her expertise and passion for the craft with Welding Technology students.
Assistant Professor Jim Matlock works with a student on a coding assignment in his Python Programming class.

Programming Instruction for Student Success

Teaching is a second career for Computer Programming & Development Assistant Professor Jim Matlock, following decades as a programmer. But being in front of a classroom is almost second nature to him.
Fine Arts Assistant Professor Rebecca Smith holds a copy of "Ladder of Divine Ascent," a 12-century Byzantine icon.

Portrait of the Artist as a Teacher

Fine Arts Assistant Professor Rebecca Smith tries to get students more comfortable with art.
Assistant Professor Queen Lane works with students in her Student Success Strategies class.

Helping 'Underdog' Students Succeed

Part teacher, part cheerleader, Assistant Professor Queen Lane works hard to inspire students to be the best possible versions of themselves.
Associate Professor Amber Johnson works with a student in a Simulation & Game Development class.

Making Games More Than Child's Play

Simulation & Game Development Associate Professor Amber Johnson has been around video games pretty much all her life.
Wake Tech Senior Professor of Mathematics Seth McElvaney teaches a pre-calculus class. (Court Johnson/Wake Tech)

Asking Questions and Tearing Down Walls

Seth McElvaney loves to write questions so much he does it as a side gig in addition to his job as a senior professor of mathematics at Wake Tech.
Biotechnology Associate Professor Drew Vinal in the lab

Researcher Builds Students' Biotech Skills

Dr. Drew Vinal grew up wanting to be a veterinarian. Instead, he became a research scientist, an entrepreneur and a tech executive before finding his calling as a teacher.
Dental Hygiene Assistant Professor Karen Maasch

Anecdotes Put Teeth Into Dental Hygiene Lessons

Dental Hygiene Assistant Professor Karen Maasch often has students' tongues wagging as she shares tales from her years in dental offices to demonstrate what to do and what not to do around patients.
Construction Management Technology Instructor Keith Gray teaches a blueprints reading class.

A Coach in the Classroom

Construction Management Technology instructor Keith Gray went from dishing out assists on the basketball court to dishing out advice to students on reading blueprints and dealing with subcontractors.
Forensic Science Instructor Sandi VanOverbake tells students how to inspect a glass fragment.

Following the Evidence In and Out of Class

In addition to teaching the technical aspects of crime scene investigation, Forensic Science Instructor Sandi VanOverbake passes on lessons she's learned while working as a North Carolina death investigator.
Alex Tang works with Automotive Systems Technology students on an electrical wiring exercise.

Driving Students With Tough Love

Students have come to expect tough love in the classroom from Automotive Systems Technology Instructor Alex Tang, who won a 2024 Excellence in Teaching Award.
Senior Professor of Geology Gretchen Miller

Geology Professor a Rock-solid Teacher and Mentor

A self-described nerd, Gretchen Miller tries to make geology fun for students and mentors female and minority students to build STEM diversity.
Dana Trent shows off a Hindu tapestry to her World Religions class.

Finding Meaning Through Teaching Religion

Dana Trent engages in dialogue with Wake Tech students about their own religious beliefs and customs to open them up to exploring how other people worship.