Our featured nontraditional faculty member is the first female dean of the Industrial and  Engineering Technology division.  We proudly spotlight Chris Lang, our first featured nontraditional faculty member. We asked Chris the following questions: 

What factors contributed to your decision to choose a nontraditional career?

As a freshmen at the University of South Carolina, Chris was majoring in Anthropology in order to pursue a career in archaeology.  Chris has always been an avid history buff and enjoys reading and watching shows regarding historical facts.  However, her academic studies took a very different turn when she began helping a friend complete a Boolean algebra assignment for a class in his electrical engineering major.  Chris discussed how she greatly enjoyed working on this algebra assignment, so much so, that she went to the USC admissions office the very next day and changed her major to Engineering.  Chris described that during the spring semester of her freshmen year, she was the only female in her engineering classes.  Even by the time she completed her degree at USC, there was only one other woman who graduated with her in Electrical Engineering.  Upon graduation, Chris began working for Dupont at the Savannah River Plant, where, again, she was the only female in her department.  She stated that the men she worked with quickly embraced her as one of their own and treated her like she was their daughter or sister.  After Dupont, Chris began working at the Charleston Naval Shipyard in the nuclear engineering department.  She and another woman were the only females working in that department at the time.  She said that she learned a lot there and worked long hours, but that the work environment created great comradery.  By 1989, Chris began working on her masters degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at USC and by the early 1990s, Chris began teaching at TTC. 

What is exciting about my career choice?

Engineering in general is very exciting!  Chris stated that there is always something new to do in this field.  She loves project management, problem-solving and figuring out the best way to do things, all of which are major components of an engineer’s work.  As a detail-oriented, structured and logical person, Chris has greatly enjoyed working with other engineers and industries. 

What do you find challenging about your career?

Chris said that a major challenge in engineering is having unforeseen issues arise.  Being able to handle these tough situations with team work and in a timely manner is crucial.  For example, when Chris worked at the Charleston Naval Shipyard as their project engineer, her assigned ship came in with a problem in the reactor compartment.  She discussed how great teamwork, although the work package was doubled due to the problem, managed to still get the ship out on time.  She said that she has continued to experience incredible teamwork at TTC.

Did you have a pivotal moment that helped you continue in your career path?

Yes.  While getting her undergraduate degree in engineering at USC, the dean of engineering offered her a small academic scholarship from Dupont.  That scholarship, in turn, qualified her to receive a great reduction in her tuition.  However, during the middle of her college career, her father told her that they could no longer afford to pay her remaining tuition costs, and he suggested that she come back home, work for awhile, and then return to school once she had enough money saved.  Chris said that she was determined to find a way to stay in school.  She went to the USC financial aid office, and although the deadlines for financial assistance applications had expired, one of the financial aid personnel agreed to see what he could do to help.  Upon returning after summer break, Chris received notice that the financial aid official she had spoken with earlier had  been able to obtain some additional funding and gotten Chris not only a small grant but also a loan to be able to stay in school.

What suggestions would you have for others interested in nontraditional career paths?

Chris suggests that individuals should really enjoy what they are doing and not be directed toward a particular career path solely for monetary purposes.  She said that your career interests “need to be a part of who you are.”  She also suggests that if you treat others with respect, then respect will come back to you.  She emphasized that one should never give up, be very determined to reach your goal and it will pay off in the end.

What has your experience at Trident Technical College been like?

Great.  Chris talked a lot about how fun it is to work with the faculty, staff and other engineers at TTC.  She said that there is great teamwork here and that they are like a family.  Chris has also enjoyed working with other schools, especially the Citadel due to the engineering transfer program. She also enjoys working with area industries in order to make resources available to help fill their training needs.