ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY A Few Words with...
STEVE DUSSEAU In the early ’90s, the pieces were just falling nicely into place for Dr. Steve Dusseau.
He “married up” (his words, not ours) and, with the love of his life, began a family that, quite simply, he adores. His engineering education was also paying dividends as he was able to earn quality positions with General Motors and Wire Rope Corporation of America.
INDIANA TECH MAGAZINE: So, early in your career, your education was clearly paying off—you were able to work with one of most recognized brands in the world (General Motors) and then for the world’s leading developer and producer of wire rope. Why did you decide to make the foray into academia?
in everyday life. The fellowship that occurs around these meaningful conversations has developed countless lifelong friendships within the group.
Still, something deeper was calling to Steve and, when he heeded the call, it helped him identify his life purpose. It led him to pursue a Ph.D. and a stage where he could fulfill his newfound purpose. That stage turned out to be Indiana Tech, where Dr. Dusseau was hired to begin the university’s Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) degree program.
PROFESSOR DUSSEAU: I was recently married, and a few mentor couples challenged us to invest in something bigger than ourselves. I was pursuing an MBA degree after my engineering bachelor’s. We enjoyed college-aged people and thought that would be a good place to start. A dream was born.
PROFESSOR DUSSEAU: Never.
Since then, professor Dusseau’s IME program has become a pillar within Indiana Tech’s stellar College of Engineering. He works hard to make sure his students graduate well-equipped to enter the workforce with a solid skill set and confidence. Equally as important, Steve works hard to impart life wisdom to his students that goes much deeper than any course syllabus ever could. Here is A Few Words with Steve Dusseau.
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Fall 2019
Essentially, it was a decision to align my purpose in life with my vocation. I think honoring God with my life is the most important thing I can do with it. Living that out with college students was the reason I left industry to go into academia. One specific way this happens is that my wife and I have hosted a Bible study in our home for area college students every Wednesday evening since 1996. This is my favorite time of the week and we meet all year long. While our students can earn a living with their degree, I believe there is more to life than that. Many have found that the spiritual aspect is foundational to everything. So, on Wednesday nights, I go verse-by-verse through a book of the Bible and then discuss how we can apply it
I consider this a dream come true. INDIANA TECH MAGAZINE: Have you ever questioned your decision to leave industry?
INDIANA TECH MAGAZINE: You have been in Fort Wayne since 1996. Tell us a little bit about your family. PROFESSOR DUSSEAU: I have a wonderful wife and we have been married almost 30 years. Anyone who knows us would confirm that I married up—she’s way out of my league. We have four children, three daughters and a son. All of them are in their mid-twenties and have full-time jobs here in Fort Wayne. Hannah went to college in Ohio, is married to a great guy and is a clinical dietitian at Parkview Hospital. The other three went to college in Georgia. Grace is a human resources generalist at Brotherhood Mutual. She recently earned her MBA from Indiana Tech. Joe is a process engineer and production manager at Master Spas. Emma is a pre-K teacher. My wife and I are very thankful. INDIANA TECH MAGAZINE: Clearly you are a motivated and persistent person who has a love for learning. How have these qualities affected how you parent, how you teach?
