Faculty and Administration

Griffin Grover graduated Magna Cum Laude with an Associate of Technology Degree in Advanced Manufacturing in December 2018. Griffin explains, “Ranken has vastly impacted my career and life since the first semester I was there. After eight weeks of in-class training, I was placed in my first internship at Tech Manufacturing and I’m still there four years later. [Ranken] made it so easy for me to get a job and career that I loved right out of the gate. Earning a wage in a paid internship while working on my degree was a really great aspect of their program. If it weren’t for going to Ranken, I don’t know where I would be today.” Griffin told us some of his favorite memories at Ranken were when his class was given down time to make their own personal projects in the shop. He says, “I made a set of Ford Mustang coasters on an Okuma horizontal mill that I still use today.”

J.C. Owen, Advanced Manufacturing Department Chair and instructor, tells us “Griffin’s work ethic is second to none. He attended class each day with the intent of expanding his knowledge and skills and looked for ways to grow as a machinist. A can-do, can-fix-it attitude drove Griffin. His desire and competitive nature to be among the best have allowed him to become a CNC Programmer for Tech Manufacturing, one of the elite aerospace companies in the St. Louis area.”

Rich Vaughan, Operations and Plant Manager at Tech Manufacturing, explains “Griffin is one of the biggest success stories at Tech Manufacturing!  He started as an intern and became a skilled machinist right away. He was promoted to shop floor programmer/tooling fabricator where he also excelled. From there, he was promoted to an Unigraphics NX programmer, an advanced high-end CAD/CAM/CAE system) and shop lead. Griffin has advanced in every department he has been in. He is also active in recruiting new interns. I can’t say enough about how well he is doing and how successful he’s become here. Griffin has a very bright future in this industry.”

Learn more at https://ranken.edu/find-your-career-path/
https://techmanufacturing.com/

Nicholas Meeks graduated with an Associate of Technology degree in Advanced Manufacturing Technology at our Wentzville location in December 2020. Nick is currently a CNC (computer numerical control) Operator at Tech Manufacturing in Wright City, Missouri, where he served an apprenticeship while completing his degree. The company, founded in 1956, specializes in precision machining of complex aerospace structures.

Rich Vaughan, Operations and Plant Manager at Tech Manufacturing and Ranken alum, tells us “Nick has been a great asset to the team here at Tech Manufacturing!  He is very reliable and always comes to work with a positive attitude and is a team player. Nick will continue to grow with the company.”

Brad Elbert, Advanced Manufacturing Technology instructor, explains “The first thing I look for in a student is passion for machining. Nick had that passion from day one. He is very goal oriented. Nick is the kind of person who will successfully accomplish tasks with little to no supervision. He was always willing to help any student that was struggling. One quote that I heard him say many times was, ‘I just want it to be perfect’. Nick is the type of student that makes my job as an instructor very rewarding. There is no doubt in my mind that he will have a very successful career.”

Learn more at https://ranken.edu/find-your-career-path/
https://techmanufacturing.com/