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Visitors Soak in Campus, Spring Sunshine at Open House

The sun warms up a campus tour.

The Penn College community welcomed prospective students, their families and their friends to Spring Open House on Saturday. The entire campus was open for exploration, with knowledgeable and friendly students, employees and alumni around every corner to help potential enrollees and other guests make the most of their stay.

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Students, Alumni Earn Honors in Design Competitions

Pennsylvania College of Technology graphic design students and alumni received honors at the American Advertising Federation of Northeast Pennsylvania’s Student American Advertising Awards competition. From left: Jared D. Kosko, Luke A. Bierly, Morgan N. Keyser, Jonathan D. Straub, Emily R. Kahler, Austin L. Fulton and MinhThu H. Nguyen. (Not in attendance were award winners Nicholas J. Vetock and Alexis M. Botek.)

The graphic design talents of 10 students and two alumni from Pennsylvania College of Technology have been honored in two prestigious design competitions.

The American Advertising Federation of Northeast Pennsylvania’s Student American Advertising Awards presented Best in Show honors to Morgan N. Keyser, of Dillsburg, a 2017 graduate of Penn College’s graphic design major. Keyser was honored for her “Fade to Black” beer packaging.

Keyser also received a gold award for “Fade to Black,” as did graphic design senior Austin L. Fulton, of Montoursville, for his “Ocean Alliance” annual report, and juniors Luke A. Bierly, of Centre Hall, for his “Austin City Limits” poster, and Jared D. Kosko, of DuBois, for his “Great American Smokeout” microsite.

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Penn College Students in Demand at Career Fair

Plastics and polymer engineering technology student Olivia C. Ferki (second from left), of Richboro, Bucks County, discusses her potential future during a visit to the Lane Enterprises Inc. booth at Penn College’s Spring 2018 Career Fair, which attracted nearly 240 employers offering more than 2,700 jobs and internships.

According to a National Association of Colleges and Employers survey, employers anticipate hiring 4 percent more graduates from the Class of 2018 than last year. If the recent Career Fair at Pennsylvania College of Technology is an accurate gauge, that estimate is conservative.

Nearly 240 employers – including 15 Fortune 500 companies – filled two campus locations to capacity, offering more than 2,730 jobs and internships. Booth space sold out in two weeks, leaving 70-plus employers on a wait list.

“In my 18 years at Penn College, there has always been tremendous demand for our technically skilled students. Our 96 percent graduate placement rate clearly indicates that Penn College students possess the skills that employers want,” said Erin S. Shultz, coordinator of career development. “But that demand has never been higher. We don’t have enough students to meet the growing needs of employers.”

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Penn College Honored for Billboard, TV Commercial

A Penn College billboard (above) and TV commercial captured Honorable Mention recognition in the 11th Annual CUPPIE Awards, sponsored by CUPRAP (College and University Public Relations and Associated Professionals).

Public Relations and Marketing at Pennsylvania College of Technology was honored recently for two of its marketing efforts.

The college received Honorable Mention in two categories in the 11th Annual CUPPIE Awards for Creative Excellence in Marketing and Communications in Education. The competition is sponsored by CUPRAP (College and University Public Relations and Associated Professionals).

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Architecture Grads Discuss Emerging Technology’s Impact, Potential

Balzer engages BE scholars and architectural technology students in the Hager Lifelong Education Center ...

... and joins colleague Richline (left) in effecting a students' virtual-reality experience.

Two alumni employees of Larson Design Group – David I. Balzer (’01, architectural technology), director of retail design, and Ty C. Richline (’13, architectural technology, and ’15, building science and sustainable design: architectural technology concentration), who leads virtual-reality initiatives for the firm – visited Penn College last week in the second industry presentation for Built Environment Scholars. A roomful of BE Scholars and architecture majors from various academic years attended the presentation on the role of technology in the built environment. The alumni guests showed examples of how technology could be incorporated into client presentations, utilizing augmented realty, virtual reality and 3-D animations. They also provided a demonstration of VR and Oculus goggle sets, immersing students in an interactive virtual environment. Funded through a National Science Foundation grant, the BE Scholars program is designed to increase retention, degree completion and career readiness for students enrolled in the School of Construction & Design Technologies’ two-year majors.
Photos provided

Horticulture Student Earns Scholarship; Faculty Member Recognized

Scholarship recipient Aaron A. Sledge Jr., a Penn College landscape/horticulture technology major from Pittsburgh, is joined by Daniel Eichenlaub, chair of the Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association Foundation and president of Eichenlaub Inc., a Pittsburgh-based landscape construction and maintenance firm.

A Pennsylvania College of Technology student was recently awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association Foundation at an event that also shone a spotlight on a faculty member’s longtime commitment to the industry.

Aaron A. Sledge Jr., of Pittsburgh, a second-year student in landscape/horticulture technology: plant production emphasis, was among the honorees at the organization’s Pennsylvania Green Industry Forum and Member Recognition Event at the Hershey Country Club.

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Penn College Alums Engineer Inspiration at Sight & Sound Theatre

Penn College alums Jeffrey T. Feeman and Franklin N. Carr enhance the experience of thousands of spectators every year at Sight & Sound Theatre in Lancaster, which offers the largest faith-based live productions in the United States and is one of the nation’s top three theatrical destinations. Feeman, a 2013 industrial design graduate, serves the theater as a scenic drafter, while Carr, who earned three building construction-related certificates in 2007 and 2008, is a scenic architect. Both are very thankful that their education led to such fulfilling careers. “You know at the end of the day that the show you made, whatever part you had in that show, is eventually changing lives,” Feeman says in a video added to the college’s YouTube channel. “You know at the end of the day that what you are doing does matter.” Co-worker Carr is equally enthusiastic about his Penn College-born career: “Here at the theater, designing it on the computer and seeing it put together in reality up on the shop floor is really cool.”(Watch for more in the Fall 2018 issue of Penn College Magazine.)

Limitless Opportunity Awaits at College’s March 24 Open House

The Madigan Library (left) and Bush Campus Center are hubs of activity at Penn College, where an Open House event is scheduled for Saturday, March 24.

Students looking for a meaningful next step in their education should plan a spring road trip to Pennsylvania College of Technology, where leading-edge technology complements a hands-on philosophy that has been a hallmark for more than a century.

The college will hold an Open House from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 24 – with an emphasis on “open” – where departments and services across its campuses provide a truly accessible first exposure to “degrees that work.”

Visiting campus is crucial when choosing where to enroll, and prospective students are encouraged to “see it all” during the 9-a.m.-to-3-p.m. event.

“Open House is an opportunity for students at every stage of the college exploration process to experience all that Penn College has to offer,” said Audriana L. Empet, associate director of admissions. “The entire campus community looks forward to welcoming our guests to campus on March 24.”

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Alumni Sweethearts Celebrate Inspiring Mentors, Enduring Love

Alumni Sweethearts Chris Y. and Beth L. (Rozman) Cummings enjoy a Victorian House stay during their return to campus.

A couple who met at freshmen orientation – during the summer of 1998 – returned to campus this past weekend as the 2018 Alumni Sweethearts.

Chris Y. and Beth L. (Rozman) Cummings, of Elizabethtown, enjoyed an overnight stay in the Victorian House and dinner at Le Jeune Chef Restaurant as winners of Alumni Relations’ seventh annual Alumni Sweethearts contest. Due to the start of Spring Break, the alumni enjoyed a particularly quiet weekend at their alma mater.

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Landscape Grad Recognized at Chamber’s Education Celebration

Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour presented Alumnus of the Year honors to Christopher E. Keiser, a project manager in Larson Design Group's Civil/Site Department.

A landscape architect whose impressive career began a quarter-century ago at Pennsylvania College of Technology received an Alumnus of the Year Award at Thursday’s 17th annual Education Celebration hosted by the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce at the Williamsport Country Club.

Christopher E. Keiser, a project engineer at Larson Design Group and a 1995 graduate of Penn College’s landscape/nursery technology major, was among those lauded at a well-attended event that pays tribute to alumni, educators and students nominated by their respective educational entities, and recognizes the linkages among Lycoming County school districts, colleges, and business and industry.

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President Presents to Senate Appropriations Committee

President Gilmour testifies before the Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee in this screen capture from Tuesday's live video feed on PCN.

Pennsylvania College of Technology President Davie Jane Gilmour testified before the Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday in support of the college’s state appropriation request.

For the first time since its affiliation with Penn State in 1989, Penn College was afforded the opportunity to present directly to the Senate. Previously, the college’s budget request was included as part of the university’s testimony before the Appropriations Committee.

Gov. Tom Wolf’s 2018-19 budget proposal calls for no increase in Penn College’s state appropriation, which at $22.1 million, represents 19.4 percent of the college’s operating budget. Gilmour told committee members the college is requesting an increase of $2 million, which she said would be targeted for additional facilities and equipment support for plastics, nursing and other academic programs.

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Construction Scholars Learning From the Pros

Anthony H. Visco Jr. – an alumnus, adviser and longtime friend of the college – gives students a front-row peek at their imminent careers. (Photo provided)

The semester’s first official industry presentation for Built Environment Scholars, featuring local architect Anthony H. Visco Jr. (a 1967 graduate of Williamsport Area Community College and a member of Penn College’s Architectural Technology Advisory Board), was held recently in the School of Construction & Design Technologies.

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Three Employers to Be Represented at Sessions

Three employers will visit campus during the coming week, hoping to recruit Penn College students and alumni for a number of positions. Representatives of Henkels & McCoy will be on hand at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in Room B2044 of the Hager Lifelong Education Center; MJD Systems will simultaneously welcome interested prospects in Room 141 of the Carl Building Technologies Center; and Wastequip will talk with potential interns at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in Room E140 of the Breuder Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center. H&M and Wastequip will also conduct interviews in Room 201 of the Bush Campus Center on the days following their respective information sessions. For more, including applicable majors and vacant positions, consult the flyer: Visiting Employers

CAC Reception Honors Key Donors’ Pledge to Student Success

Under a Wildcat Blue glow in the Community Arts Center’s Capitol Lounge, donors gather prior to the Hollywood special effects show, Hollywood SFX.

Ryan Monteleone, an information assurance and cyber security student who thanked the crowd for their support of students, receives congratulations from William G. Knecht for a job well done – and a new job awaiting him at Pfizer Inc., near King of Prussia. Knecht backs the William G. and Marie E. Knecht Scholarship.

Two luminaries in the college’s graphic arts curricula reunite at the gathering: Dale A. Metzker (left), retired graphic communications faculty and 2002 Master Teacher, and Brian A. Flynn, assistant professor of graphic design.

Loni N. Kline, vice president for institutional advancement, chats with Walter and Brenda Klocko, members of The Pillar Society. Walter is a 1957 graduate of Williamsport Technical Institute.

Donald J. Luke (left), director of facilities operations and a loyal supporter of the Penn College Fund, enjoys conversation with Kyle A. Smith, executive director of the Penn College Foundation.

The financial commitment to Pennsylvania College of Technology students by two donor groups – The 1914 Society and The Pillar Society – was recognized at a preshow reception in the Community Arts Center’s Capitol Lounge on Thursday evening.

The 1914 Society recognizes individuals and families who annually make gifts of $1,000 or more to the college; The Pillar Society comprises individuals who have named the college or the Penn College Foundation as a beneficiary of a planned gift.

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Super Bowl Commercial Sports Penn College Connection

Former Penn College students Steven D. Belin (left) and Wayne B. Mitz are the founders/owners of BelMit Development in York Springs, a company that machined the billet aluminum gas tank shells on the motorcycle driven by Keanu Reeves in a Super Bowl commercial for Squarespace.

Two former students at Pennsylvania College of Technology manufactured a key element of a memorable prop featured in a prominent Super Bowl commercial.

Steven D. Belin and Wayne B. Mitz, founders and owners of BelMit Development in York Springs, machined the billet aluminum gas tank shells on the motorcycle driven by Hollywood superstar Keanu Reeves in a commercial for Squarespace, a website developer. During the spot, Reeves stands on the motorcycle while traveling through a desert to visually reinforce the Squarespace theme, “Make it happen.”

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Pennsylvania College of Technology is a special mission affiliate of The Pennsylvania State University