John M. Ryan

Professor, Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering

Education:

• BS Engineering Technology, Capitol Institute of Technology (now Capitol College)
• MS Electrical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University

Classes: 

• DC/AC Circuits
• Electronic Devices and Circuits
• Digital Electronics
• Advanced Analog Circuits
• Communications Circuits and Systems
• Telecommunications

Teaching at Capitol since:  1968

What motivated you to get into teaching, and what do you enjoy most about the profession?

I was in the last quarter of my senior year when the dean asked me if I had ever considered teaching. I was offered a full-time position as an instructor upon graduation. I stayed five years, worked in industry for 21 years, earned my MSEE and then returned to college teaching in 1994.

Describe any of your proudest academic or professional accomplishments, awards, publications, etc.

Professionally, I am proud to have been selected for senior membership in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Academically, my proudest moment was to have received a thank you note from a graduating senior, who indicated that I was an inspiration to her.

What book is on your nightstand right now?

Totality, Eclipses of the Sun by Mark Littmann and Ken Willcox

What have your students taught you?

I learn something new every time I teach a course. My students have taught me that there is always something new to learn, even if I’ve been teaching a class for years.

What one technology do you wish were available now?

I wish that teleportation were available now.

What kinds of projects/committees/groups are you active in on-campus?

I am in my second term as faculty senate president; I serve on the college Writing Committee, the college Library Committee, the Alumni Advisory Board, a Middle States Self Study Committee, and on the Electrical Engineering and Technology Advisory Board.

What are your interests and activities off-campus?

In my free time, I edit and publish a monthly newsletter for the Maryland Army National Guard Sergeants Major Association. I am also a long time member of the National Railway Historical Society and have been gathering information for a future book for the past several years. I enjoy home remodeling and have completely remodeled two bathrooms in my home including tile, plumbing and electrical work.

What should incoming students know about you as a person, and as a professor?

Incoming students should know that I am someone who has “been there,” having worked in the electronics industry for more than twenty years. I am now in a position to give back to the college by making the courses interesting and relevant. My approach to teaching is to teach the way I would like to be taught.