Meet Our Faculty
Experienced, Skilled, and Supportive Instruction
Our students benefit from our faculty’s extensive experience and commitment to excellence. Learn from expert mentors dedicated to your success at COCC. With personalized guidance and cutting-edge facilities, our faculty will nurture your potential, empowering you with industry-leading skills for lucrative careers.
Full-time, tenure-track faculty members/advisers are featured below. Most COCC academic programs include a roster of adjunct and part-time instructors who add diverse expertise and personal experience to the learning environment.
View the Automotive Directory for a full listing of faculty and staff.
Faculty Profiles
James (Jim) Siekkinen
Chair of Natural, Industry, Culinary
Assistant Professor II
Email: jsiekkinen@cocc.edu
With a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Purdue University, Jim Siekkinen's path to teaching automotive at COCC is unique. For Jim, however, it feels like a natural progression after a career in private industry. "Automotive has always been my favorite technology,” shared Jim. “I’m excited to train the next generation of technicians for the highly electric new world ahead."
For most of his career, Jim focused his professional pursuits on smart and autonomous systems, specifically applied to the transportation market. After completing his Ph.D. with a specialty in solid state integrated electronics, he worked for General Motors and Delphi developing MEMS automotive sensors and systems for safety and engine management applications. He later led the MEMS and Inertial Sensor product lines at Goodrich-Rosemount Aerospace for the commercial and military aerospace, airdata and engine control markets.
Other professional roles include senior director of Lean Systems for the Intelligence, Space, and Reconnaissance Division of Raytheon Aerospace. Prior to joining the Automotive team at COCC, Jim was vice president of supply chain and operations for Cobham's Advanced Electronic Systems unit, making radiation-hardened integrated circuits primarily for space and defense applications.
At COCC since 2022, Jim is excited for the bright future ahead for his students. "I really enjoy being at this confluence of new electric drive technology in automotive, combined with the challenge of helping folks realize there are great, fulfilling, interesting, well-paying careers in the automotive field."