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Dr. Marilyn Barger is the Principal Investigator and Executive Director of FLATE, the Florida Regional Center of Excellence for Advanced Technological Education, funded by the National Science Foundation and housed at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida since 2004. FLATE serves the state of Florida as its region and is involved in outreach and recruitment of students into technical career pathways; has produced award winning curriculum design and reform for secondary and post-secondary Career and Technical Education programs; and provides a variety of professional development for SETM and technology secondary and post-secondary educators focused on advanced technologies. She earned a B.A. in Chemistry at Agnes Scott College and both a B.S. in Engineering Science and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (Environmental) from the University of South Florida, where her research focused on membrane separation science and technologies for water purification. She has over 20 years of experience in developing curricula for engineering and engineering technology for elementary, middle, high school, and post secondary institutions, including colleges of engineering. Dr. Barger has presented at many national conferences including American Association of Engineering Education, National Career Pathways Network, High Impact Technology Exchange, ACTE Vision, League of Innovation and others. Dr. Barger serves on several national panels and advisory boards for technical programs, curriculum and workforce initiatives, including the National Association of Manufacturers Educators‘Council. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Engineering Education, a member of Tau Beta Pi and Epsilon Pi Tau honor societies. She is a charter member of both the National Academy and the University of South Florida‘s Academy of Inventors. Dr. Barger holds a licensed patent and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Florida.

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Richard Gilbert is a Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of South Florida's College of Engineering . Richard is the Co-PI for the grant that supports the NSF designated Center of Excellence for Advanced Technological Education in Florida, FLATE. FLATE, now in its 10 year of operation, addresses curriculum, professional development, and outreach issues to support the creation of Florida's technical workforce. Richard has over 30 years of experience working with the K-14 education community. Other funded efforts include projects for the NIH and the US Department of Education. The latter was for the development of an engineering curriculum for elementary school applications. The former is for development of electric field mediated drug and gene applicators and protocols. This effort has generated over 20 patents and cancer treatment protocols currently in Phase II trials.

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Thirty five (35) years experiences in higher education. Began teaching mechanical engineering, and manufacturing related courses at Murray State University in Murray Kentucky in 1984 for two years. Starting 1986 till 2015 first as assistant professor, and then as professor, taught mechanical engineering, and manufacturing related courses at Eastern Illinois University, School of Technology, in Charleston Illinois. Received tenured in 1992, and Professional Advancement in 2005 while at Eastern Illinois University. Served as engineering technology program director at Polk State College since 2015 till present. Have served as Co-PI in one State funded research grant, two Lumina Foundation grants, and at the present time, serving as a C0-PI on NSF grant dealing with creating simulations to be utilized in both manufacturing and power generating related industries and academic curriculum.

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