Events
- Annual Convention
- Great Teaching Round-up
- Leading from the middle
- fall conference for faculty leaders
- The Texas Network
"I think there is something more important than believing: Action! The world is full of dreamers, there aren't enough who will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to actualize their vision."
Events: 2012 Welding Schedule
Welding Summary
Friday, 11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
"Welding for the New Space Industry"
Speaker: James Bauer, Welding Technician, Armadillo Aerospace
Saturday, 9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
"The Metallurgical Advancements in Automotive Manufacturing and the I-Car Welding Certification Program"
Speaker: Johnnie Dickerson, I-Car facilitator, I-Car Certification Program
Friday, March 2nd, 11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
"Welding for the New Space Industry"
Speaker: James Bauer, Welding Technician, Armadillo Aerospace
Student Story:
A welding career takes off — for the stars
His interest in welding may have started by chance, but James Bauer is now building space rockets and pursuing welding with a singular passion.
“I started out in pre-mechanical engineering, but one day walked past the welding lab and heard all the hammering and grinding. I walked in, intrigued, and fell in love with welding right there. After that, welding was my passion. I’ve been involved in welding and fabrication ever since and have never regretted the directions that it’s taken me,” said Bauer.
He graduated with an associate degree from Mountain View Community College in the Dallas Community College District, and he got an unusual job — in aerospace.
“Right now, I’m a welder for a small aerospace start-up company. Armadillo Aerospace is a private company that builds experimental rocket-powered flight vehicles with an eye toward suborbital and eventually orbital flights,” said Bauer. “It’s what you’d have if you took NASA and made it into a modern company that’s private and profitable.”
His work on the job is important. “I’m mainly responsible for the systems involving welding, especially the pressure vessels and rocket engines, which involve welds of the highest quality and the lightest-weight materials. There’s little room for error, and the welds have to hold to extreme conditions,” said Bauer.
Recent projects in his job as a rocket welder include building fully autonomous rocket-powered vehicles that are self-capable of flight from takeoff to landing, and building a rocket propulsion system that was grafted into a prototype airplane.
Bauer enjoys his work immensely. “I’m lucky — a lot of people just get a basic education and hope they’ll find a job they can stand. With welding, I really found the thing I’m passionate about,” said Bauer.
“Today rocket scientists need me to build their dreams. Mountain View’s welding program was responsible for making me what I am. It got me started in the technical aspects and provided me an overall direction for my life and career. All of the flight vehicles I’ve built are a direct result of the skills I built upon from Mountain View.”
Saturday, March 3rd, 9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
"The Metallurgical Advancements in Automotive Manufacturing and the I-Car Welding Certification Program"
Speaker: Johnnie Dickerson, I-Car facilitator, I-Car Certification Program