Craig Seaboyer is used to hearing a knock at the University Electronics Workshop door and on the other side someone looking for advice and help on a project.
Mr. Seaboyer, the workshop’s manager, senior electronics technologist and consultant, is often called upon when faculty and staff are looking to create something new, when equipment fails, and when teaching and research projects hit unexpected snags. The problem could involve anything from robotics to air pressure systems, from microcomputer programming to a piece of hard-to-replace equipment.
“There is no typical day, and there is no typical repair. Every day changes depending on who walks through the door,” Mr. Seaboyer says.
“I do what I can to help the research and teaching faculty.”
Mr. Seaboyer joined StFX in 1995, at a time when the electronics workshop was transitioning from a physics-only space into a university-wide resource. In many ways, he says, the workshop and his career grew together.
“I grew with the workshop,” he says, reflecting on more than three decades in the role. Before arriving at StFX, he had spent six years in similar positions at Dalhousie University and a year at Acadia University, bringing with him a background in electronics and machining.
His role extends far beyond electronics alone as he helps support faculty and staff from across campus who come to him to help design, build, modify, or repair equipment. He has built controllers from scratch for earth and environmental sciences research, helped human kinetics faculty find solutions for camera systems, and supported projects in psychology, sociology, chemistry, physics, and engineering to name a few. He’s even a familiar face to first-year engineering students as he’s been an invited classroom guest speaker.
“I don’t do research. I support the researchers by understanding what they do,” he explains.
“People tend to come in with a problem. I try to solve their problem—or they’ll say, ‘I want this machine to do this now.’”
Mr. Seaboyer is quick to point out that problem-solving doesn’t mean having all the answers.
“You can’t guess,” he says. If he doesn’t know how to solve a problem, he’ll say that and then get to work to try to figure it out.
That willingness to learn has become increasingly important as technology has evolved. When Mr. Seaboyer started at StFX, he notes the internet as we know it didn’t yet exist.
“I started here before the word ‘internet’ was a word,” he says. “Now I can get information instantaneously.”
As the sole employee in the workshop, Mr. Seaboyer must prioritize requests. During the academic year, teaching needs are given precedence, while the summer months, from April through August, are more devoted to research support.
Mr. Seaboyer says he may be the only person working in a facility like this in Atlantic Canada. For faculty, having immediate, on-campus access to someone with depth of knowledge and problem-solving ability is essential.
“I take pride in the work that I do and the challenges I can overcome,” he says. “That’s my reward.”
Equally important to Mr. Seaboyer is supporting students.
“They’re the reason why we’re here,” he says. “I do everything I possibly can to make things better for them.”
That passion for learning extends beyond the workshop. Ms. Seaboyer has an interest in robotics and is a licensed amateur radio operator. He’s been invited to give presentations on and published articles on amateur radio, something he once thought impossible as he describes his self-described struggles with spelling. “I never thought I could do that,” he says, noting the experience at StFX has always helped. “It opened doors I never thought possible.”
For instance, he notes that over the years he’s gained confidence and public speaking skills through presentations to students.
Mr. Seaboyer also has deep roots in music, particularly the blues. He was once involved with the Dutch Mason Blues Festival and the Stan Rogers Folk Festival. Photos in his workshop capture moments with greats like Jim Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.
After more than 30 years of solving problems, learning new skills, and supporting the StFX community, one thing remains unchanged.
“It’s still fun,” he says. “I’m learning every day, new skills, new perspectives.”
And when someone knocks on the workshop door, Mr. Seaboyer will be ready to see what challenge walks in next.
