News about Alumni

David C. Dietrick, a longtime member of the welding faculty at Penn College (and its immediate predecessor, Williamsport Area Community College), died Jan. 23 at age 75.

A WACC graduate, Dietrick retired as an associate professor in 2009 after nearly three decades of welding instruction at the institution.

He was instrumental, along with other faculty, in developing the college’s associate and bachelor’s degrees in welding.

Dietrick, his co-workers and students created a cauldron and torch for the opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics’ 2002 Summer Games at Penn State.

He proudly served his country in the Navy during the Vietnam War, from 1966-70.

A history buff, David was an expert in Civil War knowledge and honored the history of Gettysburg. He enjoyed woodworking, camping, hunting and fishing, and cherished fishing trips with his son and son-in-law and past work colleagues who became friends.

A full obituary is available at the Sanders Mortuary website.

Making another impressive appearance at a time-honored winter venue, Pennsylvania College of Technology delivered a Wildcat’s share of crowd-pleasing activities at the 2023 Pennsylvania Farm Show (Jan. 7-14) in Harrisburg. Visitors could pick the fact-filled brains of faculty, staff and students throughout the week at the Penn College booth in the expansive Farm Show Complex and Expo Center, and were invited to interactively explore academic offerings – only a small sampling of which are shown here – on a rotating daily schedule.

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Pennsylvania College of Technology has appointed Amber L. Morgan to director of nursing, associate degrees.

Morgan, a native of Montoursville, holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Master of Science in Nursing, with an emphasis in informatics, both from Grand Canyon University. She earned two nursing degrees from Penn College: a bachelor’s in 2017 and an associate degree in 2006.

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Helping to jump-start the Spring 2023 semester, Penn College’s Student Government Association partnered with Fox Den Cold Brew Coffee to provide students with a tasty nudge on the first day of classes. “Monday Morning Coffee with SGA,” a pop-up attraction in the Hager Lifelong Education Center lobby, served up free hot cocoa, cold-brewed coffee in a variety of flavors and a comforting dose of friendliness. The Williamsport-based business is owned by Todd and Erin Fox; he is a 1998 business management graduate and the 2008 recipient of the college’s Alumni Citizenship/Humanitarian Award.

Bryan M. Bilbao, who earned a combined bachelor’s/master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Pennsylvania College of Technology in August, recently received a Thomas J. Lemley Award for Health Disparities from the Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistants.

Award winners were announced Nov. 4 at the society’s annual conference in Pittsburgh.

Competitors were asked to address the topic “Trauma-informed care in health care.” In 2020, the Office of the Governor created an initiative to make Pennsylvania a “trauma-informed, healing-centered state.” According to the Center for Health Care Strategies, the goal of trauma-informed care is to help patients overcome the effects of trauma by considering not only “What’s wrong with you?” but “What happened to you?”

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The list of graduates for the Fall 2022 semester at Pennsylvania College of Technology has been issued.

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The Fall 2022 dean’s list has been released at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

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As the commonwealth celebrates anew the breadth of its agriculture heritage, representatives of Pennsylvania College of Technology will again be on hand to epitomize those who have helped the industry thrive for centuries.

Students and employees will represent the college at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg from Jan. 7-14, reflecting the 2023 theme of “Rooted in Progress.” The show – the largest indoor expo of its kind under one roof – provides a fascinating glimpse into a $185 billion segment of the state’s economy and the half-million people who fuel its success through innovation and inspiration.

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Caroline N. Green, who since graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s in nursing, was recently profiled in Geisinger Medical Center’s internal newsletter for her life-saving reaction to a child in distress. Green summoned medical attention after noticing the youngster’s near-unresponsive state during her clinical assignment at Muncy a year ago, prompting his transport to emergency surgery.

The article is reprinted here with permission.

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In a festive ceremony that warmly staved off the chill of encroaching winter, Pennsylvania College of Technology held its Fall Commencement at 11 a.m. Saturday. Student-athlete Maci N. Ilgen, of Spring Mills, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, was the class speaker. President Michael J. Reed presented an Alumni Volunteer of the Year Award to Anthony J. Peachey, a 2009 graduate in business administration: marketing concentration; and a number of award recipients were announced as the newest Wildcat alumni crossed the Community Arts Center stage.

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Pennsylvania College of Technology has presented student achievement awards to its Fall 2022 graduates.

A commencement ceremony was held Saturday, Dec. 17, at the Community Arts Center, Williamsport. Penn College is a special mission affiliate of Penn State.

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Pennsylvania College of Technology presented Anthony J. Peachey with the Alumni Volunteer of the Year Award at its Fall 2022 Commencement ceremonies, held Dec. 17 at the Community Arts Center.

Peachey earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration: marketing concentration from Penn College in 2009, graduating summa cum laude. He is the senior marketing manager at Construction Specialties Inc., based in Muncy, where he has worked for nearly 13 years.

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Six graduating students – the recipients of collegewide commencement awards – were celebrated Friday night during the Excellence in Student Leadership and Service Awards Ceremony, held in Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Le Jeune Chef Restaurant.

“Our primary goal is to place our graduates in the most competitive position for long-term success,” President Michael J. Reed said in welcoming the honorees and their well-wishers. “We worked you unapologetically hard to help you hit this milestone, and we hope you take the time to savor this moment.”

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As Penn College winds down for the year – before the crush of last-minute holiday errands (and despite wintry weather that may stymie even the most urgent to-do lists) – PCToday delivers a moment or two of serenity. No ice-scraping, no gift-wrapping, no crowd-jostling and no sidewalk-shoveling. Just some beautiful images, come day or come night, from one side of campus to the other.

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There’s no limit to what you can achieve when you step outside of your comfort zone. That’s the mindset that fuels Erin M. Beaver and Franchesca C. “Frannie” Ybarra  – two Penn College welding alumni – who are putting their hands-on education to work as manufacturing engineers at Harley-Davidson Inc. In this Penn College-produced video, you’ll get a glimpse of their careers with one of the nation’s most iconic brands. See how they support each other in an often male-dominated field. And discover how their talents and troubleshooting skills are taking them to the top.