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By John Gavin

Dr. Haoyu Wang sits in his small office in the Manufacturing & Construction Management department, with a PowerPoint open of his student’s major accomplishments. As he scrolls through, he can still recall the specifics of every project. He chuckles and says, “My students are all smarter than the professor.”

Wang has spent most of his 15 years ������Ƶ paying forward the encouragement his department showed him, always seeking new opportunities for students to gain real experience within the manufacturing field.

“Our program is very focused on project-based learning,” Wang explains. “We really want our students to have the experience of putting their hands on something realistic.”   

Many of these projects are focused on industries in Connecticut, including GKN Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Medtronic.

“The manufacturing environment in Connecticut is a great place to be exploring ideas,” Wang says, his eyes brimming with excitement at the possibilities. “We have submarines, we have aerospace, we have medical technology. You name it, we have it. The opportunities are here.”  

As Wang strolls into the Manufacturing Robotics Center, located in the Applied Innovation Hub, he remarks, “When I was in college, we didn’t get to play with toys like this.” Wang’s favorite “toy” is the ABB IRB 1200 Arm, or as his students call it, “the very expensive robot arm.” This arm is programmed to deburr products, or smooth out the imperfections which leads to longer lasting and better functioning machinery. A pair of plastic googly eyes affixed to the arm look back at Wang as he walks by.  

Beyond his regular teaching responsibilities, Wang is the co-chair of the Robotics and Automation Society: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Dr. Wang’s chapter of IEEE holds events at libraries to teach children simple robotic programming, provides lessons for Jack and Jill of America, and hosts events where hobbyists, professionals, and students come together to show their engineering projects. These events are often a gateway to great scholarly opportunities, and Wang has recruited students from Tunxis Community College at these events to participate in grant-funded projects ������Ƶ.   

Before heading to his next meeting with a prospective student, Wang leaves one important note behind.

“Not every student can do the things my students are doing in these projects I’ve shown you,” he says while pointing his finger at a collection of photographs of past achievements, “but my philosophy is that every student should have the chance.”