‘Insatiable curiosity’ feeds interest in technology
Chuck Ganze is the division chair for Computer Technology at Lee College.
“I’ve had an interest in electronics since I was very young. I just had an insatiable curiosity about how things worked when I was growing up. It evolved into computers, radios, TVs and things like that.
“We had the old tube type television, and I’d be sitting there watching TV with my family. The TV would go out, and my father would come along, hit me in the back of the head and say, ‘Go fix it.’ So I learned how to pull the tubes out and make a diagram of which tubes went where. Then I’d get on my bicycle, pedal down to the drug store or gas station, and use their tube tester to check which one was bad. I’d buy a new one, bring it home and fix the TV. I was a genius.
“I still have that curiosity about how things work today. That’s one thing that interests me not only in electronics, but in the computer industry now. With all this hacking and stuff going on, cyber security is a big deal. So I got certified, and I got both of my instructors certified. We’re going to start cyber security classes in the fall.
“When 3D printers came out, I ordered one. It’s new technology. Students need to know how these things work. And I just bought 10 more. We’re going to set them up in a classroom and teach coding so that they can become proficient using them.
“It’s interesting keeping up with all the new technology. I enjoy it, but I do it for my students. That’s the most satisfying part of this job, seeing them graduate and move on to be successful out in the world.”
— Chuck Ganze, 74
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