Name: Stuart Smolkin
Volunteering Position: Asheville Radio Museum at A-B Technical Community College
Time with Organization: 2 years
Occupation: Mostly retired senior executive marketing strategy manager
Stuart joined the Asheville Radio Museum as a volunteer to help bring to life the fascinating story of how radio was first discovered and the huge impact it has on our lives today. He also wanted to encourage interest in STEM in young folks, for example becoming "hams" (amateur radio operators) or communicating with astronauts on the International Space Station. Without radio, we would not have cell phones, wireless internet routers, GPS, and so much more...where would we be without all that technology! Stuart enjoys "giving tours to young folks and seeing their faces light up as they hear the fascinating story of radio...[and] giving tours to older folks...and seeing their pleasure in viewing the equipment they used (or lusted after) over the years." In his spare time, Stuart likes to restore antique farm radios from the 1920s and experiment with today's modern technology.
Thank you, Stuart, for sharing your passion for the radio with the community. What a cool way to preserve our history and show the origins of so much of our current technology!
Learn more on the Radio Museum Website.
Be sure to check out the Fall edition of the A-B Tech Education Journal for a story on the Asheville Radio Museum located in the Elm Building.