RALEIGH, NC – (March 13, 2024) – Wake Tech is excited to welcome Rick Sapienza as our new Director of Transportation Technology.
In this role, Mr. Sapienza will lead and oversee the university's Transportation Technology academic programs, including the high-demand Applied Science degrees in Automotive Systems and Collision Repair Technology. He will also manage operations and serve as director of the Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence at the Scott Northern Wake Campus, where the program is based. The Hendrick Center is also home to several manufacturers' master technical programs and short-term non-degree automotive training. The 100,000 square foot training facility will serve as a hiring pipeline to auto dealerships in the Triangle area. Its programs create a skilled workforce capable of servicing the latest vehicle technologies, including hybrid and all-electric vehicles.
Sapienza has more than 35 years of experience in various leadership and education roles in the automotive industry. For the past 12 years, she has worked at North Carolina State University's North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center as Director of the Clean Transportation Program and most recently as Director of Industrial Partnerships. In these roles, he worked with industry, government, and academia to expand alternative fuels and infrastructure across North Carolina, the Southeast, and North America. He is the founder and host of the Sustainable Fleet Technology Conference and Webinar Series. Early in his career, he spent 10 years at General Motors working in vehicle testing, advanced vehicle development, and program management.
Sapienza is passionate about education and accelerating the development, commercialization, and adoption of new technologies.
“Transportation, the movement of people and goods, is paramount to the functioning of our society and economy. To keep things moving, we need well-functioning vehicles and equipment. Join the Wake Tech community and join our company. I am excited to help train the next generation to continue operating the company,” said Sapienza.
He holds a Master of Business Administration from Michigan State University, a Master of Science in Marine Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
For more information about the university's transportation education program, visit transportation.waketech.edu.
