Manufacturing

Robert Fultz has never left College of DuPage.

He first started at COD in the 1980s because he didn’t want to enroll in an engineering program at a four-year school due to the amount of math he would need to study. He initially wanted to be a draftsman, but after working as an aid in the CAD lab, he realized that wasn’t the right career.

“About that time, I was taking a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) class. I got to work with computers, which I liked, and not just make a drawing but the actual part,” he said.

COD also helped Fultz with his first industry job.

“Bob Johnson had just retired from COD and was working at Dynagear, and they were looking for some part-time help. He reached out to Roger Jacks, my drafting teacher, who told me to apply,” he said. “With the CNC classes I was taking and Bob’s help, I started writing programs for Dynagear.”

After earning his associate degree, Fultz could no longer be a lab aid, so he was asked to teach a class. At one point, he was teaching part-time, working part-time and taking classes at Governors State University.

More than 30 years later, he still teaches part-time at College of DuPage and enjoys working in the manufacturing industry. His classes include two that are part of the CNC Operations certificate – Manufacturing 2252, CNC Operations, and Manufacturing 2200, Production Technology.

“I get to work with machines that cost more than a house, computer software that is more expensive than a car and make parts that have tolerances smaller than a human hair,” he said.

Learn more about the Manufacturing Technology program at College of DuPage