"My teaching philosophy," says Dr. Frank Young, "is to help students learn the basic principles of engineering and to apply them to real applications."

And Frank knows real applications. He has 10 years of experience in the aviation industry working on aircraft development and certification. Before that, he spent 19 years in the U.S. Air Force, where he specialized in aeronautical research, engineering and operations.

As the Division Director of Engineering at USF Polytechnic, Frank oversees all undergraduate engineering programs and courses. His duties include assigning faculty and advising engineering students in coordination with the USF College of Engineering in Tampa. He also teaches five engineering courses each year and takes part in program planning and developing and applying technology to course delivery.

Frank joined this campus when it opened in 1987 and has taught here longer than any other faculty member. He has seen the university grow while remaining true to its mission.

"My favorite thing about this campus is the attitude of the faculty and staff," he says. "Their first concern is for the students, and that the campus will always be student-friendly. Although we look forward to being a full four-year campus with many full- time students, community needs and non-traditional students will remain a high priority."

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Frank earned a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas. Before leaving the air force he was chief of the science and technology division at air force headquarters, where he was responsible for top-level planning and budgeting of all research and exploratory development. A licensed FAA flight instructor, he has taught aircraft and flight principles, aircraft performance and navigation. He is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education and the American Institute of Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering.