Career Possibilities to Abound at Penn College's Farm Show Booth

Pennsylvania College of Technology will host a variety of activities at the 2010 Pennsylvania Farm Show, to be held Jan. 9-16 in Harrisburg.

Representatives of the Admissions and Alumni Relations offices will be available throughout the week at the Penn College display booth in the Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, 2300 N. Cameron St., and visitors will have an opportunity to explore each of the college's eight academic schools there on a rotating daily schedule.

"The Pennsylvania Farm Show has a rich tradition in the commonwealth and Penn College is honored to be a part of this annual event," said Dennis L. Correll, associate dean for admissions and financial aid. "We have some great hands-on activities planned, and we welcome all visitors including Penn College alumni to stop by the booth to visit and discover our "˜degrees that work.'"

Throughout Saturday, Jan. 9, the college's School of Transportation Technology will offer demonstrations and hands-on activities for those interested in automotive, aviation and collision repair. Visitors can construct model cars propelled by fuel cells; learn how weight and balance are distributed in an experimental Velocity aircraft; and see how vehicles are masked for painting, how pinstriping is accomplished and how body damage is analyzed.

At 5 p.m. Saturday, culinary students and Chef Paul Mach, assistant professor of hospitality management/culinary arts, will be among those who will demonstrate their techniques on the Culinary Connection stage.

Students and faculty from the School of Hospitality will return to the stage Sunday, Jan. 10: Chef Charles R. Niedermyer, instructor of baking and pastry arts/culinary arts, and students will provide a cooking demonstration at noon, and culinary students will participate in the School Cooking Challenge at 4 p.m. The School of Hospitality also will be represented at the college's display booth that day.

On Monday, Jan. 11, visitors can learn about exciting career opportunities in the heavy equipment, diesel technology and horticulture fields from School of Natural Resources Management representatives.

At 3 p.m., Chef Michael J. Ditchfield, instructor of hospitality management/culinary arts, and students will conduct a cooking demonstration on the Culinary Connection stage.

On Tuesday, Jan. 12, Farm Show visitors can learn how to build a toolbox and a promising future in the construction industry from School of Construction and Design Technologies representatives.

The School of Integrated Studies moves into the Penn College booth on Wednesday, Jan. 13, highlighting an industry in which Pennsylvania ranks among the top five states in terms of employment, value of goods produced and number of businesses: printing (graphic communications). The public can join faculty and students in permanently heat-transferring sublimation dyes to T-shirts, hats, mugs, metals, puzzles and other surfaces.

Mass media communication faculty also will be on hand, showing videos of the program's studios and student DVD projects.

On Thursday, Jan. 14, School of Health Sciences faculty will offer a variety of activities to spotlight the high demand in surgical technology, the challenges and rewards of the nursing profession, and the dynamic EMT-paramedic program.

Visitors can experience the skills needed to perform an appendectomy or laparotomy, exploring surgery through actual operating-room instruments and models. Those interested in nursing can use a real stethoscope to experience authentic heart and lung sounds via the Vital Annie simulator, which will allow them to hear what professionals assess when they evaluate those key signs of life and death. With the guidance of emergency medical services personnel, Farm Show guests can evaluate their lifesaving skills by learning to insert a breathing tube or to pace and defibrillate a heart using a human simulator.

On Friday, Jan. 15, faculty from the School of Industrial and Engineering Technologies' Automated Manufacturing Department will talk about career possibilities in manufacturing and will show visitors how to create pet-ID tags. Farm Show attendees with an interest in electronics and/or computers can experience activities spotlighting fiber optics, networking and robotics, and find out about exciting careers in those cutting-edge fields.

On Saturday, Jan. 16, faculty from the School of Business and Computer Technologies will demonstrate consumer applications of information technology and explain why IT serves such a central role in society. Participants can discover how Penn College's "degrees that work" can prepare them for recession-proof careers in accounting, business health information technology, information technology and paralegal studies.

For more detailed information about Penn College's 2010 Pennsylvania Farm Show activities, visit online .

For more information about the college's academic majors, representing more than 100 different career fields, visit on the Web , e-mail or call toll-free 800-367-9222.