FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DCC DRAFTING AND DESIGN PROGRAM

REALLY DRAWS ATTENTION

DANVILLE, VA, October 9, 2002 -- Maybe it’s the state-of the-art software that allows 3-D modeling; or the Rapid Prototyping machine that creates physical 3-D models; or the software that allows you to walk through a building before its constructed that makes Danville Community College’s Drafting and Design program so attractive. It may be the innovative and creative teaching ideas of instructors like Rob Huffman, Assistant Professor of Drafting and Design, and Jim Adkins, Assistant Professor of General Engineering Technology/Drafting and Design, but more likely it’s a combination of all these elements that draws students like Natasha Edwards to the program.

“I had just completed the Liberal Arts program when (DCC Counselor) JoLane Dunlap told me about the things they were doing in non-traditional career programs,” says Edwards, who received an Associate in Arts and Science Degree in Liberal Arts in 2000. “The Education for Independence program hosted an information session for women who were interested in pursing careers in (traditionally male-oriented fields of) automotive, electronics, drafting & design/engineering, and a few others.

Edwards quickly signed up for the drafting and design, general engineering and one other information session.

Edwards noted that all of the instructors and presenters at those sessions were great, but she was most impressed at the drafting and design/general engineering session because she got a hands-on demonstration of AutoCAD.

“I knew right then that was what I wanted to do,’ Edwards said. “The instructors, Mr. (Rob) Huffman and Mr. (Jim) Adtkins have been great and very helpful. They gave me a push when I needed it”, says Edwards who graduated in Summer 2002 with an Associate in Applied Science degree in General Engineering Technology and a Diploma in Drafting and Design. “I have a lot of support from my instructors and classmates to help me make it through.”

Huffman, who taught at Dan River High School for 16 years prior to joining the DCC faculty, is by no means a novice when it comes to cutting edge technology and shaping successful careers.

“We’re doing a lot of things that really help sell our program and DCC administration has been very supportive of all the changes that Mr. (Jim) Adtkins and I have implemented over the past three years,” Huffman says. He adds the support includes purchasing software upgrades, new equipment, and the construction of a state-of-the-art drafting lab in the newly renovated Wyatt Building when it reopens later this year.

“One thing we’re most excited about is our new 3-D printer or Rapid Prototyper. We are the only community college in the country to have this type of rapid prototyper which hardens a variety of powders ranging from plastics to metals, to create real parts from 3-D computer-generated designs,” says Huffman, “We’re pretty excited about it. This fall, we hope to be able to go to the rapid prototyper (which will be maintained by the Regional Center for Applied Technology and Training) and fabricate the parts modeled in class.”

Huffman said the department will also use another program called FeatureCam, which has machine shop applications.

“We call it a CAD/CAM program because you can draw a 3-D picture and fabricate the part on the mill from the 3-D image in machine wax or metal,” Huffman says. “With FeatureCam, you can actually see a computer animation of the bits simulating the actual cutting process so we can see whether it’s going to work before we actually put it in the machine. This allows you to practice and see the result without fabricating the part in metal and dulling up bits just to see if it’s right or not.”

If you’re concerned about how fabrication fits into the program, Huffman is quick to offer an answer. “My drafting students aren’t really supposed to be machinists so we aren’t preparing them to run a mill. Instead we are preparing them to understand how things are made and how to create drawings that someone might then fabricate on a mill, says Huffman. “It really helps students. It’s similar to cooking. You can’t create a recipe if you’ve never been in the kitchen and turned on the stove.

“We’re also teaching AutoCAD because its one of the standards in drafting programs,” Huffman adds. “We’ve recently purchased a new product called Solidworks, which is a 3-D solid modeler. It permits the user to draw totally in a 3-D environment. Solidworks and a lot of our software programs are tied together so you can now take a Solidworks drawing and send it to another program or software to actually fabricate it in 3-D.”

Sound impressive?  It is and so is another class that is being offered. It’s the electronic portfolio class, which allows students to create an electronic portfolio of their work for prospective employers.

 “Instead of my students using a paper resume when job hunting, they can provide prospective employers with a credit-card CD, which contains all the information that your typical resume has plus the AutoCAD and other computer-generated 3-D drawings and renderings that a student has created during their two-year stay at DCC,” says Huffman.

“AutoCAD seems to open a lot of doors for students and many wind up employed at a business or industry that uses AutoCAD, says Huffman. “We also have students who enter architectural drafting fields -- that’s a fairly common thing. We have several manufacturing firms in the area that do architectural drawings.”

Huffman said Natasha “Tasha” Edwards was recently hired by the college to work on campus drawings.

“She’s really good,” says Huffman, “She was hired to do a three-week job that quickly developed into a nine-month assignment. She was hired for one assignment, but she was quickly given more assignments, which really helped her to experience AutoCAD and become very talented. She designed the fire evacuation routes for almost every room on the DCC campus.” 

Huffman said she also worked on the Rapid Prototyping project.

 “Tasha worked with Jerry Franklin, an engineer, to lay out the room for the prototyper. She had to visit the site to get specs for machines and figure the structural design for the space. Tasha has even taught a class in Chief Architect, which is one of the software programs that DCC uses. She has some pretty vast work experience,” says Huffman.

Chief Architect is a 3-D architectural modeling program that allows designers to do walkthrough’s and create houses that basically look like a photograph has been taken of it,” says Huffman.             

“Since many of our students enter architectural fields, it is important that they get an architectural class in addition to traditional board drawing classes. Many firms still draw on boards because some people really don’t want to make that change,” says Huffman. “Even though students coming out of our program are gaining skills with the cutting-edge software, there’s still a place for drawing on a board.”

Huffman explains the advantages. “If you want to modify a set of house plans, you can just lay a piece of tracing paper over an existing set of house plans and modify it and get what you need. If you’re going to do that in AutoCAD, you’ve got to recreate the entire floor plan, which is very time consuming, so board drawing is still a viable option. We still have requests for draftsmen with board skills.”

Huffman notes that the drafting program maintains it currency through an advisory committee of persons employed in the field. The constant input from workforce leaders, attractive options for program majors, and quality teaching all combine to make DCC a leader in workforce development and draw so much attention from employers and prospective students.

           For persons considering a career move or exploring new career options, Edwards has some very valuable advice.

         “Look into the different aspects of drafting and design engineering because it’s a very broad field. You can go from automotive design to designing elevators and buildings,” says Edwards. “There are endless possibilities. The more you learn about different types of software, the greater the possibilities.”

  Photo Caption: Danville Community College's Drafting and Design Program is really drawing attention. Recently, U.S. Senator George Allen, Fifth District Congressman Virgil Goode, U.S. Senator John Warner, and DCC President Carlyle Ramsey listened intently as Rob Huffman, Assistant Professor of Drafting and Design, discuss the program.