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Admissions Alumni Events Faculty & Staff Students

Join ‘tomorrow makers’ at Penn College’s Oct. 27 Open House

The Madigan Library (left) and Bush Campus Center near the main entrance of Pennsylvania College of Technology will be open for campus visitors along with cutting-edge labs and classrooms for more than 100 academic program areas during an Open House on Sunday, Oct. 27.

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s rich history of turning today’s eager learners into the highly skilled workforce of tomorrow will be on ample display during an Oct. 27 Open House.

The college will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for prospective students and their families to delve into scores of bachelor’s, associate and certificate programs. Buses will conveniently traverse main campus throughout the day, and shuttles will regularly carry guests to and from the Schneebeli Earth Science and Lumley Aviation centers.

“Our students learn by doing, and our Open House is no different. Guests will get a taste of the student experience by exploring labs and participating in hands-on activities,” said Jen M. Cullin-Hetrick, coordinator of admissions events and communications. “Connecting with faculty, staff, students and alumni provides ample opportunity for prospective students to have their questions answered and to discover their path at Penn College.”

Alumni Corporate Relations Events Faculty & Staff Sports Students

Penn College dedicates UPMC Field, honors corporate partners

Penn College soccer players presented the college’s corporate partners with framed collages recognizing their support of UPMC Field and the enhanced athletic complex. Gathered at midfield for dedication ceremonies are (from left) Morgan Brooks, of Bellefonte; Ramel Newerls, key account manager for Pepsi; Amy Brooks, vice president of sales for Susquehanna Trailways; Tiffany Brown, of Mechanicsburg; Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour, Chris R. McFarland, of Coatesville; Tayla E. Derr, of Selinsgrove; UPMC President Steven Johnson; and Francesca M. Timpone, of Smithtown, N.Y.

As part of Homecoming and Parent & Family Weekend activities, Pennsylvania College of Technology celebrated its new synthetic turf field – “UPMC Field” – and a host of other recent enhancements to its athletic complex, including a new entrance gate, press box and scoreboard.

In ceremonies taking place before Wildcat men’s and women’s soccer matches, Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour expressed gratitude for the financial support from M&T Bank (M&T Bank Gate), Pepsi (the Pepsi Press Box), Susquehanna Trailways (the Susquehanna Trailways Scoreboard) and UPMC (the new artificial turf playing surface bearing the hospital system’s name).

“Many of you here today help and empower students through your personal and philanthropic support to earn an applied technology education and develop into successful alumni influencing the communities in which they choose to live and work,” the president said. “Collaborative partnerships transform tomorrow, and it is only fitting that we celebrate and recognize the loyal support of our Wildcat Club members today for the energy they inspire in our coaches and student-athletes.

Alumni Events Faculty & Staff President Sports Students

‘Wildcat Pride’ abundantly displayed at combined celebration

Brandon R. Weirman (center), a freshman in electrical technology from Audubon, enjoys a photo op with his parents, sister and grandmother.

The fourth annual Homecoming and Parent & Family Weekend (Oct. 4-6) provided another exhaustive opportunity for alumni, current students and families to (re)connect. The celebration opened with Friday’s 40th reunion of the dental hygiene program, a blazing bonfire, Hall of Fame banquet and convivial tent party; continued Saturday with a presidential breakfast, car show, scenic bus excursions, tours of academic labs, a golf tournament, on-campus sporting events, the dedication of UPMC Field and celebration of corporate benefactors, arts and crafts, a 40th anniversary paramedic commemoration and an alumni event at New Trail Brewing Co.; and concluded Sunday with an intrasquad baseball game. And the numbers were as impressive as the activities. More than 400 alumni and guests returned for Homecoming (double the alumni attendance from a year ago) and another 370 families – amounting to nearly 1,000 overall guests – participated in Parent & Family Weekend.

Alumni Automated Manufacturing & Machining Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies

Penn College grad preserves history at the Smithsonian

Pennsylvania College of Technology graduate Daniel J. Ravizza has combined his technical skills and lifelong love of history in serving as an objects conservator at the Smithsonian Institution’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, the annex of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Standing 6-foot-5 and dressed in a dark blue lab coat accessorized by purple latex gloves and safety glasses, the Pennsylvania College of Technology graduate resembles a bookish superhero rather than a federal contractor.

Daniel J. Ravizza’s appearance is appropriate for his domain. All sorts of aircraft representing various eras of aviation extend from the ceiling of the hangar-like facility. An old Eastern Airlines plane is stationed behind him. A short walk from his lab counter reveals the Space Shuttle Discovery in all its glory.

His duties reflect the unique environment. One day, Ravizza moves Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit. The next, he examines clothing belonging to famed aviator Charles Lindbergh. Later, he handles unopened cans of space food, once belonging to cosmonauts.

Alumni Building Construction Communication & Literature Construction & Design Technologies Faculty & Staff Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications

Penn College grants emeritus status to two retired faculty

Two recently retired faculty members at Pennsylvania College of Technology have been granted “faculty emeritus” status by the institution.

The emeritus recommendations for Sandra Lakey, associate professor of speech communication-composition, and Thomas J. Mulfinger, associate professor of building construction technology, both were approved by the Penn College Board of Directors on Oct. 3.

Alumni Construction & Design Technologies Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning

ACCA chapter spends cool day in Lions’ den

Opened six years ago this month, the ice arena plays host to an inquisitive Penn College contingent.

Evan Cleary (in plaid shirt), who arranged the campus visit as facilities manager in Penn State's Office of Physican Plant, joins his guests outside the famed Berkey Creamery. Cleary is a 2017 alumnus of Penn College's heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology major. — Evan Cleary (in plaid shirt), who arranged the campus visit as facilities manager in Penn State’s Office of Physical Plant, joins his guests outside the famed Berkey Creamery. Cleary is a 2017 alumnus of Penn College’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology major.

Penn College’s Air Conditioning Contractors of America student chapter recently traveled to Penn State’s University Park campus, visiting four areas that represent the sprawl of careers in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration. Accompanied by faculty colleagues Kenneth E. Welker Jr. and Bradley Q. Kishbaugh, the students toured the Pegula Ice Arena, learning what it takes to prep, paint and maintain the 1.5-inch playing surface for the Nittany Lions hockey team; the Berkey Creamery, where freezers are integral to the sale of 750,000 ice cream cones each year; and the North Campus Chilled Water Plant and East Campus Steam Plant, essential in operation of the university’s facilities. (The steam plant includes a boiler manufactured by the former E. Keeler Co. in Williamsport, it was noted.) Samuel J. Bertolino, manager of design services, shared his criteria for assessing potential employees: Show up on time, have a great attitude, do what’s asked in a timely manner and earn a degree. At least a half-dozen Penn College alumni are now on Penn State’s HVAC payroll, Welker said, a testament to graduates’ hands-on abilities and teamwork ethic.
Photos provided

Alumni Events Faculty & Staff Students

In Homecoming tradition, fountain follows course of a different color

General Services' Gary T. Pandolfi, refrigeration, heating and plumbing mechanic, helps Katherine A. Downes, a graphic design major from Hamburg, as students took turns pouring Wildcat Blue dye into the water outside the ATHS. — General Services’ Gary T. Pandolfi, refrigeration, heating and plumbing mechanic, helps Katherine A. Downes, a graphic design major from Hamburg, as students took turns pouring Wildcat Blue dye into the water outside the ATHS.

The deep-blue hue works its way through the fountain's pool, a change that will remain until after the college's Oct. 27 Open House. — The deep-blue hue works its way through the fountain’s pool, a change that will remain until after the college’s Oct. 27 Open House.

Celebrating their tag-team tinting of the Veterans' Fountain are (from left) SGA's Downes, Michael E. Highland II, Patrick C. Ferguson and Ryan P. Farabaugh; and WEB's Jerry J. Hudak, McKenna N. Myers, Shaqira S. Drummond, Serena V. Bergeron and Chad M. Karper. — Celebrating their tag-team tinting of the Veterans’ Fountain are (from left) SGA’s Downes, Michael E. Highland II, Patrick C. Ferguson and Ryan P. Farabaugh; and WEB’s Jerry J. Hudak, McKenna N. Myers, Shaqira S. Drummond, Serena V. Bergeron and Chad M. Karper.

Nine members of Penn College’s Student Government Association and Wildcat Events Board introduced dye into The Veterans’ Fountain at first light Monday morning, encouraged by the Office of Student Engagement and General Services in the traditional prelude to Homecoming and Parent & Family Weekend. The annual observance is a time to connect alumni, students, families and friends through many great events across a beautiful college campus. Among the activities showcasing Wildcat Pride are the ninth annual Alumni Golf Outing, the Alumni & Friends Tent Party, a bonfire outside Madigan Library, breakfast with President Davie Jane Gilmour, and open academic labs. Men’s and women’s soccer games on the new UPMC Field, featuring a number of local food trucks, and an Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner will also take place. (Watch PCToday next Monday morning for a photo gallery from the weekend’s festivities.)

Alumni Corporate Relations Events Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies PIRC Plastics & Polymer President STEM Workforce Development

Dedication held for Shell-funded plastics facility at Penn College

Pennsylvania College of Technology President Davie Jane Gilmour (right) presents a timeline of the college’s plastics program – capped with Shell Polymers’ funding of the Shell Polymers Rotational Molding Center of Excellence – to Hilary Mercer, vice president, Pennsylvania Chemicals, for Shell. The center was dedicated in ceremonies taking place Sept. 24.

The Shell Polymers Rotational Molding Center of Excellence was unveiled Sept. 24, and Shell was honored for its generous support for facilities that aid in the instruction of aspiring plastics professionals at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

In a dedication ceremony attended by representatives of the college and Shell and a host of industry partners and stakeholders, participants celebrated the enhanced and upgraded academic and research lab, located in the Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center at Penn College.

The Shell Polymers Rotational Molding Center of Excellence will boost the college’s efforts to produce highly skilled graduates for the plastics industry while helping to ease the skills gap in plastics manufacturing. It also enables the college – which operates the Plastics Innovation & Resource Center – to assist plastics companies with research and development and the training of incumbent workers.

Alumni Faculty & Staff Makerspace Students

Makerspace: Dream, create and innovate!

Makerspaces are collaborative learning centers with equipment and tools to dream, create and innovate in a community environment. The Dr. Welch Workshop: A Makerspace at Penn College (Room 104 of the Carl Building Technologies Center) represents one such “hotbed for learning” – a combination of design, engineering, fabrication and education, where students can produce multidisciplinary projects in a dynamic learning setting. Three of those students sing the facility’s praises in a video added to the college’s YouTube channel: Nathaniel H. Lyon, a welding and fabrication engineering technology major from Fredericksburg; Anthony F. O’Koren, an applied technology student from Williamsport; and Ryan C. Kuntz, of Slatington, enrolled in manufacturing engineering technology. “Makerspace to me is kinda like when you were in kindergarten and everything was new and exciting, and you were always learning and getting to learn how to share and play with others and make things and practice your skills,” O’Koren says. “I didn’t know I was a maker until I found a whole community. Once you’ve made a friendship with someone, they’ll come and ask for your advice on what you think the best idea with this would be. You get to articulate or work with others to create an idea.”

Alumni Baking, Pastry & Culinary Arts

Penn College culinary alum feeds ‘souls’

“What I enjoy most out of life is giving back.” Pennsylvania College of Technology alumnus Robert E. Wood lives that credo daily as the executive chef at JBJ Soul Kitchen in Toms River, New Jersey. As part of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, JBJ Soul Kitchen is a nonprofit community restaurant that serves paying and in-need customers. Wood, who earned a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and systems, employs his skills to create three-course meals that feed stomachs and souls. “I love cooking. I love all that stuff. But being able to feed someone that really needs it, someone that really wants it, it goes a long way. You can actually see the difference you’re making in people’s lives.” As is readily apparent in a new video on the college’s YouTube channel, the 2017 Penn College graduate truly is a tomorrow maker.

Alumni Art and Graphic Design Faculty & Staff Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications

Newscast spotlights students’ suicide awareness campaign

Eyewitness News reporter Morgan Parrish talked Tuesday with graphic design alumni and a faculty member involved in a suicide prevention campaign. Parrish interviewed Nicholas L. Stephenson, instructor of graphic design, as well as two of the recent graduates whose work was showcased as part of the awareness project: Emily R. Kahler, of Pittman, and Luke A. Bierly, of Centre Hall. The piece aired during WBRE/WYOU’s evening newscasts beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Alumni Events Faculty & Staff Students

A boring week at Penn College? There’s no such animal!

As if yoga isn't already challenging enough!

The semester-opening “PC3” continued its fall bounty of events in Week Two, tempting students with a cornucopia of options. In this pictorial roundup, PCToday invites you to experience Tuesday’s Fall Fusion/Part-Time Job Fair, the following evening’s Penn College Night at BB&T Ballpark with the Williamsport Crosscutters, and – a heartbleat away from the Labor Day Weekend – a Thursday mashup that speaks for itself: Goat Yoga.

Alumni Nursing & Health Sciences Surgical Technology

Surgical technology graduates achieve 100% board pass rate

The August 2019 graduates of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s surgical technology major all passed the Certified Surgical Technologist examination on their first attempt.

Every August 2019 graduate of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s surgical technology major has conquered yet another educational milestone: passing the Certified Surgical Technologist examination on the first attempt.

Surgical technologists are an integral part of the operating room team. They prepare operating rooms and equipment, ensure a sterile environment and patient safety, and assist doctors during surgeries. The work demands attention to detail and knowledge of surgical procedures.

Alumni Art and Graphic Design Faculty & Staff Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications Students

Suicide awareness campaign features students’ designs

Luke A. Bierly's design depicts a chair being assembled.

The design talents of three Pennsylvania College of Technology graphic design students are showing up on local billboards and in mental health awareness materials being distributed to local businesses.

As part of a suicide prevention campaign aimed at educating working-aged men, 25 to 60, the students’ skills were enlisted by the SPIRIT (Suicide Prevention through Information, Referral, Intervention and Training) Coalition, an alliance of campus and community behavioral health resources.

Alumni Baking, Pastry & Culinary Arts Business & Hospitality Business & Hospitality Management Faculty & Staff Students

Faculty member teaches guild workshop on campus

Chef Charles R. Niedermyer II (seventh from left), instructor of baking and pastry arts and culinary arts at Pennsylvania College of Technology, who taught one of this year’s two-day regional workshops for the Bread Bakers Guild of America, is shown with guild participants; student assistants Claudia M. Walling and Tyler C. Geer (far left), both of Williamsport; and some of the artisan baked goods created in the workshop.

An instructor of baking and pastry arts and culinary arts at Pennsylvania College of Technology was invited to teach one of this year’s two-day regional workshops for the Bread Bakers Guild of America.

Chef Charles R. Niedermyer II, a faculty member at the college since 2005, taught “A Modern Approach to Classic Viennoiserie” to 14 guild members Aug. 8-9 in the college’s baking and pastry arts laboratory.

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