Vangelder, Kirk: - Kirk T. VanGelder is a Certified Automotive Technology Instructor at Cascadia Technical Academy, in Vancouver, Washington. With over 30 years of teaching experience at the high school and college level, Kirk encourages students to think critically, learn how to ask questions of themselves, and then search out the answers. In addition to Fundamentals of Automotive Technology: Principles and Practice, he is the author of Fundamentals of Maintenance and Light Repair. He is passionate about helping students understand the science behind automotive technology so that they can continuously embrace emerging systems and technologies in the quickly changing automotive industry.