JOHN NICKLOW
PRESIDENT, FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MELBOURNE
The Florida Institute of Technology was founded in 1958 by physicist Jerome Keuper at the dawn of the Space Age. Its nearly 650 faculty and 860-plus staff prepare students for careers in technology and engineering. Nicklow started as president in 2023. “Our Space Coast location allows us to engage with partners across the fastest-growing industries,” he says. “I was honored and excited to help develop and launch a new program, Boundless Opportunity, that is helping high-achieving students in our four-county region with unmet financial needs get one of the world’s best educations here at Florida Tech.”
EDUCATION: Bucknell University (BS, MS), Arizona State University (Ph.D.)
FIRST JOB: I worked in a lumber yard designing and building roof trusses.
SOMETHING SURPRISING: I was an offensive lineman on the football team in college. Granted, I was not very good, but that experience provided me with the financial means to obtain a well-respected college degree in engineering.
HOBBY: I enjoy any kind of jigsaw puzzle, and I always have one or two in progress.
INDUSTRY TREND: Businesses know what skills they want in future employees, so let’s enhance their engagement with universities to better shape programs for those specific industry needs. We know some firms are eager to recruit students as early as their first year, so let’s discuss what that looks like. ... Expanding and enhancing transformative partnerships is not just important, it’s necessary.
