Faculty Spotlight

Associate Professor Craig Laker

If you take one of Professor Craig Laker´s classes, expect energy and passion, even at 8 a.m.

Whether he´s teaching criminal justice, psychology, or microeconomics, you can expect more than a dry lecture. Humor, strange stories, and real life examples punctuate his teaching. He cares about his subjects, and it shows. Listen to his "Laker´s pearls of wisdom" on why time spent at Trine matters in your life and career plans. "It makes the students wonder what I am on, but I just enjoy teaching and learning," he says.

He developed his teaching style by modeling the most influential teachers in his life. "The most important influence on my teaching came from Dr. Bill Selke, one of my criminal justice professors in college. He had a working background in the criminal justice field, combined with the education to truly develop his students," he says.

For all the laughs, he takes his job seriously. "I see my role as a mentor to the students. We wear many different hats as a professor–career and relationship counselor, teacher, lawyer, social worker, and advocate – and always look out for the best interests of the student."

He enjoys teaching because it develops professionals. "Seeing my students succeed and grow while at Trine and then flourish in their chosen career charges me up. When they succeed, I succeed, the program succeeds and the University succeeds. That means the world to me. Nothing makes me feel any more proud than when my current and former students tell me of their accomplishments and careers."

But there´s a process to get there, and Laker has some advice for his students. "Look at your college career as a full–time job, not part–time throughout the semester and a whole bunch of overtime during midterm and finals week. I do not need to have the best and brightest students, just those with passion for their fields of study who want to make a difference in society."

Take Professor Laker´s advice. You’ll leave with a career–orientated education that combines practical experience and theory to create the marketable professional – you.