MCC Daily Tribune
The People Behind the Sydor Optics Advanced Technology Center: Bob Cunningham
In this series, we will be introducing you to some of the people who have been instrumental in bringing the Sydor Optics Advanced Technology Center to life. We begin with someone who has literally had a hand in dozens of construction projects worth a quarter of a billion (yes, billion) dollars in his decades-long career.
Bob Cunningham's journey to Monroe Community College is unique. He attended high school at a seminary, worked as a butcher, and later did HVAC service work when he started teaching night classes at MCC. Bob taught for 20 years, during which he wrote the HVAC program at MCC. The next 20 years, he spent as the Academic Learning Services Director.
Bob retired from MCC years ago, but do not tell him that! He actually retired for a year, during which he read 300 books! He said it was a nice change to read for enjoyment and read books not about engineering, but that didn’t last long because he missed teaching others about the intricacies of big projects. So, the next year, he decided to return to MCC to help on another big project – the FWD Center, for which Bob wrote the concept.
This brings us to Bob’s current role – advising and teaching people involved in building the Sydor Optics Advanced Technology Center. From deciding on the right broom handles to making sure SUNY and other standards are met, Bob is the guy leading the way, surrounded by a great MCC team!
Bob’s contribution to MCC is legendary and can be summed up with this encounter: Bob said last year he was in line at a store getting coffee. The person behind him said, “I will pick up Bob’s coffee.” Bob said he turned around, and the person said to him, “I do not know how to thank you for teaching me years ago. I now make $130,000 as a service tech.”
From the classroom to the construction site, Bob is really Bob the Builder. He helped build MCC’s structures, and his legacy will live on forever in the halls of those buildings and in the hearts and minds of many. Thank you, Bob, for adding another masterpiece to your legacy!
Outside of his life at MCC, Bob is a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He also enjoys going to concerts with his wife and, at one point, was even a roadie for the Skycoasters!
Veronica Chiesi Brown
Community Relations
08/17/2026