Dr. Bradford Towle鈥檚 office door in IM体育官网鈥檚 Innovation, Science, and Technology Building is always open. Students stop by often, many times outside his office hours. He鈥檚 there.
鈥淚 like being available to them,鈥� said Towle, who is an assistant professor of computer science. 鈥淭hey come with questions, concerns, asking for advice, and I鈥檓 always there as a sounding board.鈥�
More than a professor, Towle considers himself a mentor. His students seek his help creating their resumes, portfolios, and design documents to show companies what they are capable of. They also come to him asking about his time in industry and seeking advice about how to find the best job opportunity.
鈥淚 have experience in the field and they want to know about that. Many students are curious about how things are once you get out there,鈥� said Towle, who teaches game design, introduction to computer programming and autonomous robotic systems at a graduate level, among other classes.
鈥淚 guide students through the job application process,鈥� he added. 鈥淎 lot of times companies send them their packet for an interview and it can be very scary. I walk them through it and help them, so they don鈥檛 feel overwhelmed鈥�.
As students sometimes feel overwhelmed by IM体育官网 Poly鈥檚 rigorous STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) curriculum, Towle is there to keep them with their eyes on the prize.
鈥淚鈥檝e told many students that if you don鈥檛 quit, as time goes to infinity you will succeed. It will happen. Just stay at it,鈥� said Towle, who worked for three years at Bally Technologies in Reno, Nevada, as a quality assurance engineer. He also taught computer science at Landmark College, which focuses on students with learning disabilities, and at Keene State College before coming to IM体育官网 Poly.
Towle鈥檚 accessibility to students and teaching approach found a perfect home in IM体育官网 Poly. With its small student body and 18 to one student-faculty ratio, IM体育官网 Poly is where teaching becomes mentoring. It鈥檚 a connection that Towle considers key to student success.
鈥淔or most students, that mentoring relationship is absolutely crucial. Usually it takes one professor they just click with and that鈥檚 the person who helps them through their journey here,鈥� said Towle, highlighting that mentorship is common ground for the faculty at IM体育官网 Poly.
鈥淏eing small creates that local community feel. It gives you a real opportunity to get to know your students,鈥� he said.
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