After 47 years of teaching students the latest technology they need to be successful in the job market, George Dean recently retired from teaching at DeVry University’s Addison campus.

But even though he has officially retired, Dean said he will continue to teach part-time because he enjoys the job so much.

“I have learned that a person must love what they do, otherwise it won’t result in a meaningful career,” Dean said. “Besides, I still want to teach because I have a few good years left in me.”

DeVry, a four-year technology college based in Oakbrook Terrace, has campuses in 23 states and Canada, including the campus in Addison.

To honor Dean’s 47 years in education at DeVry, the school renamed its technology center the George R. Dean Technology Center. The Addison campus held a dedication ceremony Aug. 3 to publicly unveil the newly rechristened computer center.

“It is a huge honor to have the laboratory named after me,” Dean said. “I have always been a supporter of laboratory education, as it is the key to equipping students with the skills they will need in the workplace. Laboratory work is the bridge between theory and practice.”

After graduating from DeVry in 1960 with an associate’s degree in electronics, Dean went to work for the school managing curriculum and development, and eventually served as senior vice president of educational program development and curriculum coordinator.

But his passion has always been teaching. Dean said students not only need to learn about technology in the classroom, but how to apply it in real world experiences that will be essential in the workplace.

“In my class, students had real clients and real deadlines, and they learned how to work with others in a professional environment,” Dean said. “The most important lessons I taught my students to prepare them for their careers is to be flexible and develop good people skills.”

Susan Friedberg, president of DeVry University’s Addison campus, said Dean focused his career on giving students the skills and experience they need to launch successful careers.

“George Dean has truly embodied this philosophy in the classroom, showing students that teamwork and people skills are just as important as technical ability,” Friedberg said. “His many years working to provide the most meaningful educational tools to students will be a big part of his legacy.”

While technology has changed from paper-based to an electronic and now wireless world of communication, Dean said he still enjoys the challenge of preparing students for their careers. He said he is glad the days of checking out big books for research is a thing of the past.

“Teaching is easier now than it was in the old days, as the Internet and e-mail have made research and communication much easier,” he said. “Education is now 24 hours a day, and information is right at a person’s fingertips.”

But with communication now mostly based on e-mail, text and instant messaging electronically, Dean said there is still a demand for face-to-face customer service in the business world, and students still need to learn those skills.

“The perfect job candidate now has to learn not only technology skills, but communication and team player skills as well,” Dean added. “That is what employers are looking for, and that is what I try to pass along to my students.”