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Alumni Events

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Alumni Engineering Design Technology Faculty & Staff Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies Students

Alumni authenticity reinforces lab instruction

Attentive students absorb field expertise ... — Attentive students absorb field expertise …

... during a visit to PennDOT's local district office this month. — … during a visit to PennDOT’s local district office this month.

About 40 students in Technical Drawing-Related Disciplines classes (CCD237) recently took a field trip to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s District 3 office in Montoursville, where alumni employees showed them real-world examples of road and bridge design, along with firsthand applications of cutting-edge technology. Presentations were offered by William C. Harrison III, a 1999 graduate in electronics technology: computer automation maintenance emphasis, assigned to PennDOT’s Computer Aided Design and Drafting Support Unit; and Jonathan R. Richardson, a 2007 surveying technology alumnus, employed as a survey technician. Their insight supplemented material in the course, which is required in Penn College’s two-year engineering CAD technology and four-year engineering design technology degrees. Katherine A. Walker, assistant professor of engineering design technology; and Shane A. Schreck and Kendra N. Tomassacci, instructors of engineering design technology, accompanied the students. “We are very fortunate that our local employers provide opportunities to visit their facilities, as it is very beneficial students connect their classroom experience to real-world applications,” Walker said.
Photos provided

Alumni Baking, Pastry & Culinary Arts Business & Hospitality

Culinary grad enlightens beverage management class

“It took me 10 years to find a restaurant like Le Jeune Chef,” Faherty, ’08, said while explaining the career path that led her to fine-dining restaurant 2941. “I fell in love with Le Jeune Chef while I was here.”

Faherty provides ideas to Hospitality Beverage Management Service and Controls students about their own beverage menu ideas.

Christine L. Faherty, who received Penn College degrees in culinary arts technology (2005), dietary manager technology (2005) and culinary arts and systems (2008) returned to campus on Nov. 6 to talk with students in Chef Mary Trometter’s Hospitality Beverage Management Service and Controls class about her work as a professional craft bartender and about the role of a beverage program in a restaurant’s operations and revenue.

Faherty is the assistant to the beverage manager at 2941, a fine-dining restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia.

“I use all of the tools that I learned in school,” she said. “We all build menus; I do that, but for a liquid menu.”

Alumni Faculty & Staff Students

Employee’s ‘value of service’ reflected in YWCA recognition

Katie L. Mackey, academic skills specialist at Pennsylvania College of Technology, is one of 15 new inductees into the YWCA Northcentral Pennsylvania’s Women of Excellence program.

“While Katie’s commitment to improving the lives of others is evident through her work at Penn College since 2005, Katie’s value of service to others has been a theme throughout her entire life. Katie is selfless in all of her interactions,” her college nominator wrote. “She role-models the values of Woman of Excellence in her professional and personal roles. Katie’s resume illustrates the broad impact she has through our community, from working to create a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for students at Penn College, to the United Way, Family Promise, their children’s activities, and more.

“We are so grateful that she chooses to spend the majority of her day at Penn College, where she is respected and highly valued.”

Alumni Events Students

Fall Fest splendidly greets November

A Fall Fest, held Saturday under blue skies over Rose Street Commons, helped usher in the brand-new month with ample opportunity for seasonal celebration.

Alumni Automotive Diesel & Power Generation Faculty & Staff Students Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies

‘Retired’ UPS vehicle finds renewed purpose with students

Students, faculty and UPS Freight representatives – including two Pennsylvania College of Technology alumni – gather with a retired vehicle donated to the college. Joining students outside the Schneebeli Earth Science Center are (at left) Mark E. Sones, instructor of diesel equipment technology, and James R. Poehailos, UPS Freight fleet manager; and (at right) 1983 automotive technology alumnus Gregory A. Tama, retired senior director of maintenance, engineering systems and technology, and 1992 diesel technician graduate Scott C. Moore, district fleet manager. (Photo by Marci M. Hessert, secretary to the School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies)

Students in Pennsylvania College of Technology’s diesel equipment technology program have invaluable laboratory access to a time-tested road warrior: a 2006 Volvo VNL single-axle tractor, donated after its retirement from UPS Freight fleet service.

“UPS is a valued partner of Penn College and our students. This gift will provide our diesel students an opportunity for experience on the real-life wear and tear they will find in industry,” said Elizabeth A. Biddle, the college’s director of corporate relations. “This is a mutually beneficial opportunity because the signature brown on the truck resonates with our students, reminding them that UPS is a partner in their education and a potential employer for their career.”

Alumni Faculty & Staff Landscape/Horticulture Students Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies

Students get alumni lesson in networking, confidence

Pictured in front of pink chrysanthemums at Longwood Gardens are (from left) students Courtney M. Wilcox, of Troy; Jessica M. Duke, of Allentown; Robert J. Williamson, of Fort Washington; and Alexis B. Hassinger, of Bellefonte.

Garris visits her alma mater's Schneebeli Earth Science Center. — Garris visits her alma mater’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center.

Against a backdrop of yellow mums are (from left) students Joseph N. Moore, of South Williamsport; Alexis M. Witherite, of Spring Mills; Taylor L. Keiper, of Archbald; and Austin R. Weaver, of New Holland.

McGinty explains North Creek's automated potting process. — McGinty explains North Creek’s automated potting process.

Twenty members of the Horticulture Club and faculty members Justin Shelinski and Carl J. Bower Jr. enjoyed a pair of Tuesday field trips: Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square and North Creek Nurseries in Landenburg. The group savored a beautiful fall day, saw the Chrysanthemum Festival display at Longwood, and toured North Creek facilities with general manager Tim McGinty and section grower Kassie L. Garris, a 2018 alumna in Penn College’s landscape/horticulture technology: plant production emphasis. (Garris visited campus last week to talk about the postgraduate path she took, from employment at Longwood Gardens to working at North Creek.) McGinty shared that he first met Garris during a Penn College field trip to North Creek two years ago, when the then-student introduced herself to him. “It just goes to show: You never know what your experiences might bring,” Bower said. “The networking you do, whether it is while you are a student or in your professional career, can lead to some great opportunities. I always tell my students to never be afraid to shake someone’s hand, introduce themselves and say they are a Penn College horticulture student … because that can take you far.” North Creek is known for its sustainable horticultural practices and native perennials, added Bower, who said its greenhouses employ some impressive technology and innovations.
Photos by Bower, assistant professor of horticulture

Alumni Business & Hospitality Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies

Faculty research measures scholars’ contributions

A Pennsylvania College of Technology faculty member recently presented research at the 23rd International Conference on Theory and Practice of Digital Libraries.

Spyke M. Krepshaw, assistant professor of web and interactive media, presented “Gatekeeper: Quantifying the Impacts of Service to the Scientific Community,” at Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway on Sept. 10.

Admissions Alumni Events Faculty & Staff Students

Think Penn College is for you? You’re right as rain!

The weather was as mercurial as you’d expect from autumn in Pennsylvania – persistent precipitation giving way to scrumptious sunshine – but Fall Open House at Penn College was much more predictable: a daylong forecast of helpful employees, students and alumni, all eager to guide the stream of visitors that wound its way from building to building, hoping to join an imminent cohort of “tomorrow makers.”

Alumni Human Services & Restorative Justice Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications Students

Human services grad recounts roundabout road to job satisfaction

Kate Stepnick, a 2007 graduate in applied human services, talks to a Klump Academic Center audience Wednesday. Photo by Elizabeth E. Winder, assistant professor, human services)

Alumna Kate Stepnick returned to campus Wednesday, sharing her circuitous journey from graduate to a rewarding position as camp director at an area facility for children with special needs.

“I absolutely loved being at Penn College and believe that my education prepared me for every single job that I have had over the last 12 years,” she told faculty prior to her visit. “It took me some time to find my passion, but I know that going into human services was the right career path for me.”

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

National honors bestowed on graphic design alumni

Brandon M. Wolff poses with his award-winning “Trailblaze Chocolate Co. Packaging” designs. Wolff, a 2019 graphic design graduate from Pennsylvania College of Technology, won a National Gold Award from the American Advertising Federation.

National gold and silver awards have been bestowed on two graphic design alumni for work they created as students at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

The American Advertising Federation awarded a National Student Gold Award to Brandon M. Wolff for his “Trailblaze Chocolate Co. Packaging” and a National Student Silver Award to Jared D. Kosko for his “Rue Morgue Brewing Co. Packaging.” In the design industry, the awards are referred to as ADDYs.

Alumni Architectural Technology Automated Manufacturing & Machining Building Construction Civil Engineering & Surveying Construction & Design Technologies Construction Management Events Faculty & Staff Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies Landscape/Horticulture STEM Students Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies Welding

‘PA Build My Future’ extends its reach in Year Two

About 75 current Penn College students, eager cheerleaders all, sacrificed part of Fall Break to advocate for their chosen career paths.

Penn College’s second annual PA Build My Future event, an interactive academic and industry showcase on Thursday, provided more than 900 high-school students with an opportunity to experience the full range of possibilities in the construction and design field. Scores of current students in the School of Construction & Design Technologies joined faculty and administrators, along with many of the college’s commercial benefactors, in guiding visitors toward their potential careers.

Alumni Automotive Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies

Automotive grad finalist for national teaching honor

Penn College alumnus Harrison G. Young, an automotive technology instructor in Jersey Shore Area High School’s career and technical education program, is one of three national finalists for the 2019 CareerSafe Safety Educator of the Year Award. Online voting is open through 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25; the winner will receive $5,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to December’s Association for Career and Technical Education “Vision 2019” event in Anaheim, California, for the award presentation. Young holds an associate degree in automotive technology (2010) and a bachelor’s in automotive technology management (2012).

Alumni Students

Four employers schedule information sessions

C’mon, people; did you really think Career Fair was your last chance to catch a future boss’s eye?

Scheduled for visits and/or interviews during the coming week are:

First Quality – 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22; ATHS, Room E140
AAA Refrigeration Service Inc. – 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24; BTC, Room 120 (Interviews Friday in CC, Room 202)
DCNR Bureau of Forestry – 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24; ESC, Room 120
Jasper Engines & Transmissions – 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24; CC, Room 201

For more, including available positions and sought-after majors, check out the Career Services flyer: Information sessions

Alumni Career Services Events Faculty & Staff Parents Students

Penn College students in demand at Career Fair

Bryan T. Robinson (center), a 2015 Pennsylvania College of Technology plastics and polymer engineering technology graduate employed by Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials, returned to campus with co-worker Ryan A. Flexman to meet with students during the college's Fall Career Fair on Oct. 15-16. Robinson was among the many alumni recruiters at the event, which brought more than 450 employers to the Field House and Bardo Gymnasium.

The “tomorrow makers” of Pennsylvania College of Technology attracted 458 companies and organizations to campus for a recent two-day Fall Career Fair.

The employers – including 27 Fortune 500 companies – offered nearly 4,900 job and internship opportunities to the 1,942 students who attended the event at the college’s Field House and Bardo Gymnasium. Student participation was the highest in the college’s history.

The number of employers and students exceeded national benchmarks for college career fairs. A recent survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that schools averaged 208 employers and 1,441 students at career fairs.

Alumni Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies Information Technology Students

Globe-trotting grad returns as IBM advocate, alumni ambassador

The 2015 grad urges students to consider participation in "Call for Code," which carries a lucrative prize purse (and the invaluable satisfaction of making the planet a better place). — The 2015 grad urges students to consider participation in “Call for Code,” which carries a lucrative prize purse (and the invaluable satisfaction of making the planet a better place).

On the eve of Career Fair, as futures weigh heavily on the minds of imminent graduates, a 2015 alumnus returned to show students just how far a Penn College degree can take them. Information technology majors heard Monday afternoon from Derek E. Teay, who earned a bachelor’s degree in software development and information management and is traveling the world as a developer advocate for IBM. Teay – whose campus resume included Resident Assistant for the IT Living-Learning Community, Connections Link, Student Activities Event Assistant and graduate of Leadership Boot Camp – has continued that high-intensity involvement with IBM’s “Call for Code” initiative. The project challenges developers to create solutions (using such tools as cloud, data and artificial intelligence) to significantly improve preparedness for natural disasters and accelerate relief when they hit. This year’s grand prize winner from among 5,000 applicants, employs multiple sensors to gather data on temperature, humidity and smoke concentration in order to protect firefighters from the cumulative effect of toxic inhalation while battling blazes in the wild. Teay has traveled extensively in his work at IBM, and soon will go to Barcelona to help developers implement their solution and field-test it under real-life conditions. In addition to encouraging students to participate in future “Call for Code” competitions, Teay sprinkled some “cool techy stuff” into his talk such as hooking up his Tesla to IBM Cloud through the Node-RED programming tool … all within hours of buying the car. Joining students in listening to Teay’s presentation were two faculty members from his alma mater: Jacob R. Miller and Sandra Gorka, associate professors of computer science.

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