New IT professor at Chadron State
Dr. Mike Courbat is a new assistant professor of industrial technology at Chadron State College, replacing Dr. Lee Moeller, who retired after more than 30 years at the college.
Courbat is a native of Waterloo, Iowa. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science, a master’s degree in industrial technology and a doctorate in engineering from the University of Northern Iowa.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree, he worked in the foundry for the John Deere Co. at Waterloo for seven years. After he and 500 others were laid off, he began working on graduate degrees.
His doctorate dissertation included the testing of inexpensive materials such as straw, corn and soybean stalks and recycled paper for possible use to replace wood products. He also held an internship at John Deere that included advanced ultrasound testing of castings before they were machined. After some interesting preliminary data was found, John Deere’s senior engineering staff continued the research.
After receiving his doctorate, Courbat worked as a technical writer and was a business consultant for the Center for Applied Research at UNI for a year. From 1997 through 2001, he taught courses in hydraulics, pneumatics and mechanical power transmission at Southeast Missouri State University. The courses are similar to those he will teach at CSC.
The past two years, he has lived in Iowa and been a business consultant. He also has been a commercial and corporate pilot and a flight instructor.
Category: Campus News