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About

Hugh Jack is a dedicated engineering educator whose research centers on manufacturing education, robotics, and innovative pedagogy for mechanical and electrical systems. His most recognized work, “A Virtual Manufacturing Laboratory” (2020, 5 citations), pioneered internet-accessible labs that let students remotely operate robots, CNC machines, and data acquisition equipment through a standard web browser—a forward-looking approach that anticipated the rise of online and hybrid learning. Jack’s contributions extend to hands-on robotics education, including work with Kilobot swarms (2016, 3 citations) and soft robotics (2018, 2 citations), where he helped translate cutting-edge research into accessible classroom experiences. He has also developed scalable course projects to accommodate academic variation among freshman engineering students (2016, 2 citations) and created practical curricula for teaching motor controller design and analysis (2020, 2 citations). As an Associate Professor in the Padnos School of Engineering at Grand Valley State University, Jack’s impact lies in bridging theory and practice—making complex manufacturing and robotics concepts tangible for students. His work reflects a commitment to democratizing access to advanced laboratory equipment and fostering inclusive, hands-on learning environments that prepare the next generation of engineers.