Andrew Vogt, PhD
Associate Professor, Engineering

Dr. Andrew Vogt’s teaching philosophy is guided by two principles, curiosity and efficiency.

“Curiosity leads us to study a topic and allows us to really understand the ins and outs of research, while efficiency is all about sustainability,” he says. Andrew describes curiosity as a pure, open-minded impulse to explore, such as the ease with which children learn new concepts with virtually no instruction. Efficiency adds maturity to that childlike impulse, creating structures and pathways for accomplishment.

Andrew’s work has always been grounded in the sensations of the body, and he teaches his students at Salt Lake Community College to learn using multiple senses—for example, sight and hearing can provide radically different understandings of acceleration. His instruction also relies on non-academic activities, like music and endurance exercises, to encourage a comprehensive understanding of engineering concepts.

“Authentic experiences help us connect what we teach with our lives,” Andrew says. “For example, the wave patterns of music directly correspond to stability of motion, and running can help us understand efficient biomechanics.” His lecture, to be delivered in Spring 2026, will follow that approach and use running as a lens to examine how curiosity drives exploration and how efficiency promotes sustainability of inquiry.

Andrew earned an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Idaho and holds a PhD from the University of Utah. Since arriving at SLCC in 2012, he has taught many subjects ranging from statistics to engineering applications for the guitar.

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