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Alumni Events Students

Thousands of jobs, internships await at Career Fair

Plastics and polymer engineering technology students Cassie N. Shook, of Wesport, and Evan M. Prough, of Lock Haven, visit with a graduate of their major: B. Braun Medical Inc.'s Daniel M. Dietrich.

Penn College’s Spring Career Fair continues from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday with hundreds of 237 employers offering jobs and internships! Business and industry from across the country attend the on-campus Career Fair to offer thousands of opportunities to tomorrow makers. Students and alumni who attended Tuesday’s fair – chronicled in this PCToday photo gallery – should revisit the Field House and Bardo Gymnasium, as a new day brings new recruiters with whom to network and learn what internship and job opportunities are available. The opening of Penn College’s two-day Career Fair attracted broadcast interest from the area’s NBC and ABC affiliates. WBRE’s Morgan Parrish and WNEP’s Kristina Papa both visited campus Tuesday, talking with Career Services staff, students and employers involved in the premier networking event.

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Alumni Architectural Technology Civil Engineering & Surveying Construction & Design Technologies Penn College Magazine Penn College Magazine Feature

Symbiotic relationship: College, Larson Design Group drive each other forward

Ruth Frontz, ’90, advertising art, is a division business analyst for LDG.
Ruth Frontz, ’90, advertising art, is a division business analyst for LDG.
Ashley (Roush) Hetrick, ’17, civil engineering technology, is a site engineering designer for LDG.
Ashley (Roush) Hetrick, ’17, civil engineering technology, is a site engineering designer for LDG.
Nick Hannan, ’05, ’08, civil engineering technology, is a project manager – energy for LDG.
Nick Hannan, ’05, ’08, civil engineering technology, is a project manager – energy for LDG.
Brent Dressler, '11, building science and sustainable design, is a retail design project manager for Larson Design Group.
Brent Dressler, ’11, building science and sustainable design, is a retail design project manager for Larson Design Group.

From the Spring 2019 Penn College Magazine: There’s a continual flow of contact between Penn College and Larson Design Group – including a stream of graduates earning positions at the thriving architecture/engineering/surveying firm. Read about the work of four of those graduates in Symbiotic Relationship.

Admissions Alumni Business & Hospitality Construction & Design Technologies Events Faculty & Staff General Information Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies Nursing & Health Sciences Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications Sports Students Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies

Match your interests to your future at Spring Open House

The Madigan Library (left) and Bush Campus Center will be hubs of activity during Penn College’s Spring 2019 Open House, an April 6 event highlighting the college’s unique educational mission and hands-on approach to learning.

College-minded students, overwhelmed by piles of possibilities as they consider which career path to follow, can sort through the clutter of options during a revealing visit to Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Spring Open House.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 6, members of the Penn College community will welcome potential students and their families, sharing their unique experiences from an institution that has helped tomorrow makers find their niche for more than a century.

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Alumni Electrical Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies

College honors electrical alumnus during Chamber celebration

Michael Bower (right) accepts his father's award from Penn College's Kyle A. Smith.

Michael Bower, a graduate of Williamsport Area Community College and president of TurnKey Electric Inc., received an Alumni of the Year Award at the 18th annual Education Celebration hosted by the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce on Thursday evening.

The award – presented during a Williamsport Country Club event that highlights the crucial linkages among business and industry, local school districts and colleges – is given to a graduate who has made a significant contribution to the quality of life in Lycoming County, has excelled in his or her own profession, and is active in the community.

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Alumni Nursing Nursing & Health Sciences Students

Alum shares view from rewarding road to advanced degree

Jonathan Adzema, ’14, talks with current students about the roles of a CRNA and the steps to pursuing the advance-practice certification.
Jonathan Adzema, ’14, talks with current students about the roles of a CRNA and the steps to pursuing the advance-practice certification.
Adzema guides student Dustin E. Neumann, of State College, in intubating an airway mannequin.
Adzema guides student Dustin E. Neumann, of State College, in intubating an airway mannequin.

Jonathan Adzema, a 2014 Penn College nursing graduate who is pursuing a master’s degree to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist, returned to campus Monday to talk with current students who may be interested in entering the advanced practice. He offered students real-world perspective on the field and provided the candid advice that only a fellow alumnus can, fielding questions about how to study and what to look for in a graduate school. Adzema explained that, among an anesthetist’s duties in an operating room, a CRNA serves as an all-seeing eye who keeps a patient safe while he or she is unable to speak – or even breathe – for himself or herself. Anesthetists, he said, must know how anesthesia drugs can affect a patient’s pre-existing conditions or interact with prescriptions, vigilantly monitor vital signs, and understand the surgical procedure at hand and the stresses it will put on the patient’s body. CRNAs can work not only in hospitals but also in the military, ambulatory surgery centers, gastrointestinal labs, dental surgeons’ offices and many other settings.

Alumni Human Services Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications

Alumna builds rewarding career on human services foundation

Winder (left) and Wolfhope-Briggs talk with students in a Klump Academic Center classroom.
Winder (left) and Wolfhope-Briggs talk with students in a Klump Academic Center classroom.
The 1998 alumna, building an impressive career on the bedrock of her Penn College degree, addresses the class ...
The 1998 alumna, building an impressive career on the bedrock of her Penn College degree, addresses the class …
... and satisfies student questions about her chosen field.
… and satisfies student questions about her chosen field.

An alumna of Penn College’s human services major returned to her alma mater this week to share professional insights with students in the Management and Administration in Human Services class. Amy (Gordon) Wolfhope-Briggs, a 1998 graduate of the college’s first class of bachelor’s degree recipients in the major, is director of student services at BLaST Intermediate Unit #17. Wolfhope-Briggs discussed the IU’s role in the community and the special education programs and services it provides to constituent school districts and eligible children within Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan and Tioga counties. She also answered students’ questions regarding administration and management. Wolfhope-Briggs went on to earn a Master of Science degree in speech-language pathology and a special education administration certificate ​from Bloomsburg University. She has a superintendent letter of eligibility and is working on her doctoral degree in educational leadership from Wilkes University. Her career has featured a wide range of professional experiences that enhanced her human services and education-related skills. The HSR 240 class is taught by Elizabeth E. Winder, assistant professor of human services, who advised students that Wolfhope-Briggs is an excellent example of the diversity available with a foundation in human services. “The education I received at the college certainly served me well,” Wolfhope-Briggs said. “I’ve been blessed to have so many varied professional experiences. They’ve all been incredibly valuable. And I was blessed to have the range of exposures students receive in the human services major.”

Alumni Baking, Pastry & Culinary Arts Business & Hospitality

Penn College grad named Food Network ‘Chopped’ Champion

Kristina Wisneski

A Pennsylvania College of Technology culinary arts and systems graduate was named a “Chopped” Champion after the popular television show’s judges deemed her dishes the most creative, tasty and well-prepared.

Kristina Wisneski, executive chef of Amis Trattoria in Devon, a Philadelphia Main Line suburb, watched the show for years with her family before making her appearance in an episode titled “Wonton Wonder” that premiered on the Food Network on Feb. 12.

“My dad and I always try to figure out what we would make if we were in the same situation,” said the Whitehall native, who earned a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and systems from Penn College in 2013.

On the show, chefs compete to prepare a three-course meal using all of the mystery ingredients the show provides them. After each course, one chef’s dish is “chopped” by the judges, eliminating the competitor from the remainder of the contest.

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Alumni Baking, Pastry & Culinary Arts Business & Hospitality

Culinary grad to appear on new episode of Food Network’s ‘Chopped’

Wisneski (with Zachary Derck, another culinary grad) in a 2012 file photo
Wisneski (with Zachary Derck, another culinary grad) in a 2012 file photo

Chef Kristina Wisneski, a 2013 Penn College culinary arts and systems graduate who has been making a name in the Philadelphia culinary scene, is set to appear on the “Wonton Wonder” episode of the Food Network show “Chopped” airing at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12. (Rebroadcasts include 9 p.m. and midnight Thursday, Feb. 21.)

Wisneski is executive chef of Amis Trattoria in Chester County. She began her culinary career under the wing of fellow Penn College graduate and highly regarded Philadelphia-area Chef Andrew Masciangelo, ’97, at Savona in Gulph Mills. (Masciangelo has twice returned to Penn College as part of its Visiting Chef Series.) While at Savona, the Zagat restaurant guide included Wisneski in a roundup of “20 Sous-Chefs to Watch in Philly.”

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Alumni Sports Students

A hardwood homecoming

Alumni hoopsters join current Wildcat athletes and coaches in a midcourt mingle.

The third annual Alumni Basketball Reunion Weekend brought members of past Wildcat teams back to Penn College for several campus events organized by Alumni Relations and Athletics. In addition to a Friday evening alumni reception, the guests took part in a coed game on their former Bardo Gymnasium home court and enjoyed lunch prior to watching a Saturday doubleheader against SUNY-Cobleskill.

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Alumni Corporate Relations Events Faculty & Staff Scholarships Students

Donors honored for steadfast confidence in college mission

Megan M. Mecouch paints a compelling picture of her life-changing international experience.

The generous support of Pennsylvania College of Technology students by two donor groups – The 1914 Society and The Pillar Society – was readily affirmed in the Community Arts Center’s Capitol Lounge on Saturday evening.

The 1914 Society recognizes individuals and families who make an annual commitment of $1,000 or more to the college; The Pillar Society’s members have named the college or the Penn College Foundation as beneficiaries of planned gifts.

President Davie Jane Gilmour greeted donors and thanked them for their enduring support of Penn College, while Loni N. Kline, vice president for institutional advancement, provided an overview of how their far-reaching thoughtfulness impacts students.

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Alumni Electrical Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies Students

Powering tomorrow: Penn College electrical degrees

Rewarding career opportunities await for graduates of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s electrical programs: associate degrees in electrical technology and mechatronics and a bachelor’s degree in building automation technology. All three majors blend theory with considerable hands-on lab experience to produce graduates who are real-world ready. In fact, as noted in a new video on the college’s YouTube channel, many students secure jobs prior to graduation. “I think Penn College is doing a great job of introducing … students to the high level of technology within our industry,” says Matt Holbert, director of engineering for NRG Controls North. “Students coming out of there are sharp.”

Alumni Corporate Relations Events Faculty & Staff Sports Students

Alexander dealerships recognized for all-star support of students

Aubrey Alexander accepts a framed #9 Wildcat jersey, representing his Penn College graduation year.

The Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships, with 18 locations that employ a number of Penn College alumni, was honored Wednesday for its inspiring generosity and ongoing dedication to Wildcat Athletics. Through scholarship support, mentorship and other substantial contributions – including new scoreboards in Bardo Gymnasium – the Alexander family’s financial commitment was noted by the Wildcat Club as “creating lasting impact for our student-athletes and the athletic facilities they call home.” Among those on hand for Corporate Partner Day during a basketball doubleheader against the College of Saint Elizabeth was Aubrey Alexander, a 2009 business administration graduate and member of the Penn College Foundation Board of Directors.

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Alumni Electrical Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies Welding

Penn College, leading company form perfect ‘package’

Packaging Progressions Inc. in Souderton – the world’s leading supplier of high-speed interleaving and stacking machines – boasts a multi-generational connection to Penn College. Company founder and chairman Larry Ward (center) graduated from Penn College’s predecessor institution, Williamsport Area Community College, in 1966. Welder/fabricator Brett E. Stanley (left), of Lancaster, graduated from Penn College in 2012, and automation engineer Johnathan T. Capps, of North Wales, earned his degree from the college last May.

On the surface, the three men have little in common. One looks like a vibrant, distinguished grandfather with his neatly trimmed white goatee and confident gait. The second could pass for a lead singer in a rock band with his lip and nose rings, faded T-shirt and long hair. The third appears to be a budding executive with his coiffed hair and button-down shirt complemented by a perfect smile.

They are separated by appearance, age, background and job title. But the three share educational roots at Pennsylvania College of Technology and mission at Packaging Progressions Inc. in Souderton.

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