Remembering Pat Kraft's Contribution To Portland Community College And Machine Manufacturing
April 9, 2021 Last winter, Portland Community College lost one of its mainstays - Pat Kraft, who passed away. Kraft was an award-winning mechanical engineering technology instructor and program leader. Since joining PCC in 2003, he has helped develop a popular program incorporating the latest technological advances such as 3D printing machines and various high-speed technologies. He is known for coordinating the annual FIRST Robotics Camps for students in the area, leading camps for teacher educators, and teaching a portable tech workshop for Latina High School students. In 2014, he received the Oregon State Award for Outstanding Leadership in Professional and Technical Education for his work in educating students, working with schools, educating teachers, and creating pathways to employers for his graduates. In the early 1960s, mechanical engineering and other professional-technical programs formed the basis of the college when it separated from the Portland Public Schools. At