Jorge Zurita Valdebenito

Jorge Zurita Valdebenito Adjunct Professor Faculty Profile

Adjunct Professor

Jorge Zurita Valdebenito, originally from Chile, is an accomplished professional with over eight years of experience in both industry and academia. Currently, he serves as a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor at Sinclair College, where he teaches Electronics Engineering Technology, Engineering transfer courses, and Automation and Controls Engineering Technology courses.

Jorge's career began in 2017 with Imerys SpA, a leading non-metallic mining company in Chile. Pursuing further education, he later joined Alliance Automation LLC in 2020 as a Controls Design Engineer/Research & Development Engineer. His contributions continued in 2021 at Abbott Rapid Diagnostics as a Manufacturing Controls Engineer, where he played a crucial role in maintaining the machinery for COVID-19 rapid test kit production in Scarborough, Maine.

In academia, Jorge held a full-time position as an Assistant Professor at Ivy Tech Community College Richmond in 2021, teaching in the Advanced Automation and Robotics and Industrial Technology departments. The following year, he joined Purdue University Polytechnic Institute Richmond/Anderson campuses as a Visiting Assistant Professor, instructing various courses in Mechanical Engineering Technology, Mechatronics Engineering Technology, and Robotics Engineering Technology programs.

Beyond teaching, Jorge contributes as an advanced manufacturing/mechatronics SME Consultant for Core Education Service PBC. He is also pursuing a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering at Capitol Technology University. Since 2022, Jorge has been an active member of the ASEE.

Areas of Expertise:

  • Automation and Controls Engineering
  • Manufacturing Controls
  • Robotics
  • Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • Mechatronics Engineering Technology
  • Electronics Engineering Technology

Biography:

Education:

  • Ph.D. in Systems Engineering (Currently pursuing) – Capitol Technology University
  • Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in relevant fields from recognized institutions

Professional Experience:

  • Tenure-Track Assistant Professor – Sinclair College
  • Visiting Assistant Professor – Purdue University Polytechnic Institute
  • Assistant Professor – Ivy Tech Community College Richmond
  • Manufacturing Controls Engineer – Abbott Rapid Diagnostics
  • Controls Design Engineer/Research & Development Engineer – Alliance Automation LLC
  • Non-metallic Mining Engineer – Imerys SpA

Affiliations:

  • Member of the ASEE since 2022