Grad year: 1998
Major/minor: Physics/minored in Music
Extra curriculars while at CC: Swim team, orchestra, choir, TWIG (comedy improv)
Current location: Centennial, CO
Current occupation: Vice President of Orbital Systems at Sierra Space
Once every four years, Erik teaches the Half Block course Investigations in Engineering: Preparing for a Career in Space at CC. He says the course prepares CC students to go into engineering or an engineering field. He didn’t feel prepared to go into that workforce when he graduated and was looking for a way to help people navigate that process and figure out what they really want to do. The class explores all the corners of what a CC degree could be. Daehler has set it up as a real-life scenario to give students the experience they don’t get in other courses. They get to test their skills in multiple places and explore creative ideation.
How did your experiences at CC lead you to where you are today?
I am a very unique engineer and person in aerospace because I can translate the technical for the user or customer. CC fostered in me strong communication and strong presentation skills. I became the person who briefed the non-technical people. This led me to be an architect of systems with the ability to communicate between the two sides.
What is it like returning to campus as a professor?
There’s some great nostalgia tied to it. It’s great to see how the campus has morphed and changed. It’s great to be able to bring some of the stuff I learned back to students and give them the knowledge I wish I had when I was at CC.
What do you hope your students get out of your classes?
Don’t make the decision too early! I hope they get a job out of school. That’s the biggest thing I want them to do. I want to make the uncomfortable part a little less painful.
Why do you think CC helps create strong interns (specifically for the space industry)?
We have too many homogenous engineers. CC students bring a very diverse skill set. Pretty much, from here on out, the math will be done by AI. The creativity will be done by the engineer. We need more engineers that bring that bigger thinking that CC promotes.
Anything else you’d like CC alumni to know?
It’s really powerful for alumni to reach out and coach students in whatever field you’re in. It’s been so exciting to see my students go out into industry and flourish. I wish I’d had it while I was at CC.
