Jose Colmenares

When Jose Colmenares earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in his native Venezuela, he initially planned to be a physicist — and also dabbled in the idea of becoming a professional drummer — but he ultimately decided to pursue engineering.

"There is no physics in Venezuela. We don't have fundamental research like Germany or the U.S. or Japan," Jose says. As for music, he says, "I realized I couldn't grasp harmonic dictations, but I was good at solving equations, so the choice was made for me."

With plans to further his education, Jose came to the U.S. in 2005. His goal was to get a PhD and work in the engineering industry. That's exactly what happened — until things changed.

Jose earned a PhD in material science and engineering from the State University of New York at Stony Brook on Long Island and worked in the engineering industry for about 10 years. It was at that point he realized teaching was his calling.

"I had that thing in my head that I really wanted to be a teacher, so I started adjunct teaching on the side," Jose says. "I had some changes happening in my life, and eventually I saw a job advertised in the Berkshires. I knew the Berkshires because of Tanglewood, so I thought, why not? I applied, I got the job, and here I am!"

A resident of Dalton, Jose has been teaching at BCC since 2020. The community college environment suits him well, he says, because he can put his full effort into his passion of teaching.

"When I first came to the U.S., I didn't realize there was a tenure track and how competitive teaching is. Back home, if you have a PhD, you are automatically a professor, especially if you have a PhD from an American university," Jose says. "I also found that most college professors are really about research, not teaching. Community college was a good fit for me because I didn't have to be a researcher."

This summer, Jose will be working in Cleveland, Ohio in the NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program (NGFFP), a 10-week residential research program. The competitive program selects researchers in six areas of expertise, including Materials and Structures for Extreme Environments, the area Jose will study. He will be conducting research in the Environmental Coatings Lab on thermal spray applications used on aircraft engines, a subject with which he is intimately familiar.

"My senior thesis as an undergraduate was on this topic, and I got into my PhD program doing this," Jose says. "The company I worked for is a global leader in this field. My life for the last 20 years, after I got out of engineering school, has been mostly focused on thermal spray."

At NGFFP, Jose will be making various coatings and testing them in a chamber. "We look at the coatings under a microscope, in an x-ray machine, and do some heat cycle testing," he explains. "There is a new type of material used on aircraft engines that is very light, but it is susceptible to water vapor. You put a coating on the components so they can withstand water vapor, the atmosphere, high temperatures. It's very fundamental science."

This type of hands-on science is not the path Jose had envisioned himself taking, but he finds himself deeply entrenched in the work.

"There are different types of engineers. There are guys who are hands-on who like wrenches and fixing cars. I was more of the theoretical guy. I liked math. I liked reading about technical things," Jose says.

"But my career took me on the other path. I realized very early on that if I wanted to be successful in my PhD, that was the path I had to take."

At BCC, there are three paths of study within the engineering program: an associate degree in engineering, an advanced manufacturing technician (AMT) certificate and an associate degree in mechatronics. The latter two are "stackable," meaning credits earned in the AMT certificate program can be applied towards the associate degree in mechatronics.

The associate degree in engineering is mainly a transfer program, Jose explains. "You take math, physics and chemistry here, plus your elective classes. The idea is you do two years here, then go to a four-year school and finish," he says, noting that most students transfer to UMass Amherst because it's nearby and offers low in-state tuition. "I always encourage my students to apply to at least one other school, because you might be surprised by the financial aid and scholarships you can get," he advises.

While engineering jobs are plentiful and pay is good, the field is not for everyone, Jose says.

"Engineering is very mathematically demanding. Students might come to us because they like tinkering with things, but you have to like math," he cautions. "A lot of students don't realize how important math is." On the flip side, however, some students find themselves doing well in math classes and expanding their educational goals as a result.

"We have some students who might start with mechatronics but excel in math and end up getting engineering degrees," he says, noting that there is a shortage of engineers in the U.S.. "One good thing about being an engineer is that you're always going to have a job. Once you get knowledgeable about what you're doing, once you become an expert in your field, you will be making really good money."

Some BCC graduates of the engineering program enter the job force immediately, such as those who receive an associate degree in mechatronics. Mechatronics graduates work in local industries such as plastics, paper or defense contractors. "It's for people who are making things. There's a lot of emphasis on safety. Employers really want to know that you understand the dangers of the machines you're working with," Jose says. "And there's also a huge shortage of technicians, of people who can fix things. Baby boomers are retiring."

Some of Jose's former students work in Computer Automated Design (CAD) for engineering firms, while others are carpenters or machine operators at local factories. One student he calls a "success story" was working as a nanny but is now employed at LTI Smart Glass in Pittsfield.

"BCC graduates do important jobs in local industry," says Jose, who observes that technicians can make more money than engineers.

"There was a guy my age I worked with in Long Island. He had gone to vocational school. I had PhD. That guy made more money than me," Jose recalls. "He was way more valuable to the company than I was. Once you become an expert in the technology you're working with, you're worth your weight in gold." Developing that expertise starts with education, and BCC is a great place to begin, Jose says.

"We don't have the big research labs that MIT or RPI or UMass Amherst has, but our students can still transfer there," he says. "We have small classes. In other schools, the professors don't interact with the students as much, because they are more concerned with publishing and research. I don't have teaching assistants. I do my own grading. That means my students see me more."

An education in engineering doesn't come without challenges, however.

"I have a lot of students who have multiple jobs, or who have children. That's hard," Jose acknowledges. "Engineering is not only coming to classes — you have to practice on your own. That's a challenge." For those students, Jose advises them to take fewer classes.

Regardless of how long it takes to earn a certificate or degree, the investment will pay off, Jose says.

"It's going to increase your earning potential. I'm not saying it's going to be easy. It requires hard work, but all good things in life do."