Erik Christensen

South Florida State College

Erik Christensen holds engineering degrees from the U.S. Naval Academy and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a registered professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia. His first career was in the U.S. Navy where he served for 23 years as an engineering duty officer and deep-sea salvage diver. Erik subsequently taught physics, astronomy, and astrobiology at South Florida State College for 12 years before becoming the dean of applied sciences and technologies for five years. Erik retired from South Florida State College in 2021 and was awarded the title of dean emeritus. He continues to teach astronomy online and support professional development focused on the flipped classroom, open educational resources, and soft skills. Erik continues to be regularly asked to provide keynote presentations and faculty development for various colleges; is an invited speaker at the SACSCOC Summer Institute; facilitates soft skills workshops for colleges, high schools, and local businesses; and is a faculty mentor for the American Association of Colleges and Schools’ Institute on Open Educational Resources where he provides in-depth, hands-on mentoring for three colleges each year. Erik regularly presents at national conferences on the innovative and creative strategies he uses to actively engage his students.