Pictured: CFK Marine Engineering instructor Anthony Margiotta (right) instructs students during a lab on the Key West Campus. 

CFK marine engineering instructor earns national recognition

Anthony Margiotta named American Boat & Yacht Council Foundation’s 2021 Educator of the Year

KEY WEST, FL, December 17, 2021— Anthony Margiotta, a Marine Engineering, Management, and Seamanship (MEMS) instructor at The College of the Florida Keys (CFK), has been named a 2021 Educator of the Year by the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) Foundation. The award honors an extraordinary marine service technology instructor teaching in a high school, post-secondary school, or corporation in the United States.

Margiotta has taught marine engineering, seamanship, and welding courses at CFK since 2013. In his nomination of Margiotta for the honor, CFK Dean of Marine Science and Technology Jack Seubert, describes Margiotta as engaging and focused on his students’ success. “His classes are filled with lively, interactive discussion and hands-on, skills-oriented learning activities that provide students with essential experience needed to thrive in their careers.”

Margiotta is an active member of the College’s MEMS Advisory Board and Curriculum Committee. Prior to teaching at CFK, Margiotta served nine years in the U.S. Coast Guard as a lead navigator, master helmsman, and buoy tender— an experience that contributes to the knowledge and expertise that he shares with his students. He maintains currency in his subject matter through his work with industry organizations and CFK partners including ABYC, the American Welding Society, and Yamaha.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, Margiotta was commended for his quick work to adapt his traditionally in-person classes to be held virtually, while still achieving necessary learning outcomes. Since then, he has developed a hybrid model for his classes that includes online instruction as well as modified lab activities to ensure safety while meeting program learning outcomes.

CFK offers an Associate in Applied Science in Marine Engineering, Management, and Seamanship, college-level certificates in Marine Propulsion and Welding, as well as industry certifications. In May, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced that CFK was among 27 entities designated as Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE) for 2021. The CoE designation recognizes colleges and training institutions that prepare students for careers in our nation’s maritime industry.

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