Richard Cozzens

Director of Thunderworks Innovation Center & Professor of Engineering & Technology

  • Cedar City UT UNITED STATES
  • TH 124
  • Engineering & Technology

Specializing in CATIA, civil engineering design, and aerospace manufacturing research and technology

Contact

Biography

Dr. Richard Cozzens is an Associate Professor of Engineering Technology at Southern Utah University. He has a passion for engineering and technology and strives to provide the best possible learning opportunity for each student.

Dr. Cozzens' research is directly related to what he does in the classroom and what he does to prepare for the classroom. His research has helped him improve his effectiveness as a teacher and mentor. It has always been important to him to push his students academically.

Now with over 17 years of industry and university teaching experience, Dr. Cozzens' career began as a Manufacturing Engineer at the Boeing Company. He spent two years in the rigorous Engineering in Training (EIT) Program where he worked on Composites, CNC Programming, Tooling manufacturing, and Production.

Dr. Cozzens earned a bachelor of science in design engineering from Brigham Young University, master of education from Southern Utah University and holds a Ph.D. in built construction and engineering.

Spotlight

2 min

Engineering and Technology Professor’s Textbook is Translated into Chinese

Dr. Richard Cozzens, director of Thunderworks Innovation Center and associate professor of engineering at Southern Utah University, has over 17 years of professional experience in the engineering and higher education industries. Dr. Cozzens began his career as an engineer with Boeing Company. Three degrees and years of rigorous training later, he has written the handbook for young engineers looking to go into similar fields of aerospace and mechanical engineering. “When the CATIA program originally came out, I saw an opportunity and created the curriculum myself. The first edition of the CATIA V5 Workbook that I wrote was published in 2001, and I’ve been editing every new edition since,” Dr. Cozzens said. “The publishers have stuck with the 2017 edition, but it’s been implemented into the curriculum at over 110 institutions.”Released in 1982, CATIA stands for Computer Aided Three-Dimensional Implemented Application, a multi-platform software suite used by engineers for a myriad of design and manufacturing purposes. Along with being a helpful tool for engineers to model, design, and manage designs, it’s all computer-aided. Dr. Cozzens’ CATIA textbook is not only used in universities but it is also used in training programs for high-end engineering companies for their students. Boeing and Honda are two such examples. And the book’s influence is spreading globally as well. “The book has been translated into two other languages. It’s being taught at the University of Wuhan and recently, a version of the book was released where the curriculum is written in English and Chinese together. The book also provides video instruction where I teach what the students just read in a video demonstration,” Dr. Cozzens added. By meshing practical application with standard textbook teaching practices, Dr. Cozzens has provided countless students worldwide with the knowledge and skills they need to excel in their classes and be successful in their respective engineering and technology careers. The CATIA V5 Workbook is available for purchase on Amazon.com and university bookstores. Dr. Cozzens is familiar with the media and is available for an interview. Simply visit his profile.

Richard Cozzens

2 min

Mountain Biking in Southern Utah and Cedar City

Southern Utah is a vast playground for outdoor enthusiasts, from the proximity of National Parks to countless recreation opportunities, there are adventures for every experience level. A highlight of the Cedar City’s outdoor entertainment options are the fifty miles of mountain biking trails, just minutes from downtown.Dr. Richard Cozzens, an Associate Professor of Engineering Technology at Southern Utah University and mountain biking enthusiast, has been actively exploring all the natural wonders of the Cedar City area for the past two decades.“Over the last ten years, I have focused the majority of my outdoor time to mountain biking and documenting the experiences through photographs and Strava,” said Cozzens. “My focus shifted to mountain biking because of what Cedar City offers; easy to Double Black Diamond rated trails from semi-arid climate to the more forested mountain regions, and all with amazing scenery.”Trails around Cedar City offer plenty of variety and Dr. Cozzens recommends each based on what riders would like to see and what type of ride they are looking for:“Three Peaks Recreation Area offers fast flowing semi-arid desert trails along with intermittent slick rock with some hill and technical challenges. The Thunderbird Gardens trail system offers red rock heaven that transitions from the semi-arid climate to the cooler highlands plateau. The Iron Hills Trail System offers a similar climate transition with never-ending views of Cedar City and the west desert. These trails are perfect for a challenging cardio workout or the adrenaline seeking downhill enthusiast bombing down the C-Overlook trail or Blow Hard trails.”“The future of mountain biking in Cedar City is exciting with over 100 miles of new trails in the planning stages, led by Dave Jacobson, Outdoor Recreation Planner, the Cedar City BLM Field office and the support of C-Chapter of the Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association (DMBTA), International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA), Intergovernmental Internship Cooperative (IIC) and all the local mountain biking volunteers. The teamwork between these different entities has been impressive; they have a common passion and goal.”Dr. Cozzens’ passion for the outdoors and photography (@mountain_biking_southern_utah) educates and inspires others to explore the trails and backcountry of southern Utah. He is familiar with the media and available for an interview. Simply visit his profile.Source:

Richard Cozzens

Social

Industry Expertise

Aerospace
Education/Learning
Manufacturing
Mechanical/Industrial Engineering
Writing and Editing

Areas of Expertise

Concurrent Enrollment
Residential Building Design
Aerospace Technology
Curriculum Design, Delivery & Assessment
3D Solid Modeling
Aerospace Manufacturing Research
SolidWorks
CATIA Specialist
Engineering and Technology Design
CNC Programming

Education

Leeds Becket University

Ph.D.

Built Construction and Engineering

Southern Utah University

M.E.

Education, Emphasis on Technology

Brigham Young University

B.S.

Design Engineering

Accomplishments

Outstanding Faculty Member

Department of Engineering and Technology, Southern Utah University, 2017

Award of Excellence

Southern Utah University Board of Trustees, 2013

Outstanding Faculty Member

Department of Engineering and Technology, Southern Utah University, 2014

Affiliations

  • American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)
  • Board of Advisors for Weber State University Design Graphics program
  • Quality Matters (QM)
  • Society of Manufacturing Engineers
  • Utah USOE’s CTE – Technology & Engineering Advisory Committee.

Media Appearances

Richard Cozzens - Engineering

SUU's Center for Teaching Innovation Podcast  radio

2022-03-09

Richard Cozzens, Associate Professor of Engineering joins us on the Podcast today.

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If you want a career in aerospace, this is a new option you should look at; for college and high school students

St George News  online

2018-04-15

“Being awarded the Aerospace and Manufacturing Strategic Workforce Initiative is exciting,” Cozzens said. “It is something we have been working on for several years, but we now have the resources to make it happen.”

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Southern Utah University Offers New Career Path for Prospective Aerospace Students

Fox13 Utah  online

2018-04-15

In a Southern Utah collaboration between Iron County School District, Southwest Technical College, Southern Utah University and MSC Aerospace a new career path might be the answer future aerospace engineers and employees are looking for.

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Research Grants

Southwest Aerospace and Manufacturing Workforce Initiative

Utah Legislature

2018-01-01

Develop Pathways Iron County School District, Southwest Tech & SUU. Support Concurrent Enrollment and develop
Makerspace and Manufacturing Class

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Technology Intensive Concurrent Enrollment (TICE)

(TICE)

2013-01-01

Online Curriculum and eBook, & Introduction to Engineering and Technical Design. The Technology Intensive Concurrent Enrollment (TICE) grant development team and the curriculum was recognized as the gold standard for all other concurrent curriculum development.

Utah Cluster Acceleration Partnership Grant

UCAP

2016-01-01

Two new Robotics Courses and Robotics equipment

Articles

Southern Utah Offers New Career Path for Prospective Aerospace Students

Fox13

2018-04-15

In a Southern Utah collaboration between Iron County School District, Southwest Technical College, Southern Utah University and MSC Aerospace a new career path might be the answer future aerospace engineers and employees are looking for.

View more

If You Want a Career in Aerospace, This is a New Option You Should Look At

St. George News

2018-04-15

A collaboration between Iron County School District, Southwest Technical College, Southern Utah University and MSC Aerospace will provide a stackable credential pathway for students to quickly move into the high paying aerospace and manufacturing industry.

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CATIA V5 Generative Structural Analysis Workbench

CATIA Solutions Magazine

2002-12-01

CATIA V5's Generative Structural Analysis (GSA) Workbench is a useful and surprisingly easy workbench to operate. This lesson introduces the GSA Workbench at a basic level but expects users to be familiar with the basic CATIA V5 workbenches as well as basic static principles. The lesson uses a simple cantilever beam, applies constraints/forces and analyzes the results.

Courses

ENGR 1010 Engineering in the 21st Century

Civilization in the 21st century has been enabled and shaped by science, engineering, and technology. The foundations and social contributions of infrastructure, industry, and manufacturing are investigated from the perspective of science, engineering, and technology, and demonstrated through hands-on applications.

ENGR 1030 Computer-Assisted Design Using Solidworks

In this course the student will be introduced to the most current 3D solid modeling concepts and principles of parametric design using the SolidWorks software.

CCET 1010 Introduction to Engineering and Technical Design

An introductory course covering the basis of manual drafting and design. Course includes instruction in practices and procedures used in mechanical design, architectural design, and civil design.

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