Automotive

Automated Manufacturing & Machining Automotive Collision Repair & Restoration Diesel & Power Generation Engineering Technologies Events Students

Like a well-oiled machine

A lineup of shiny trophies, made in The Dr. Welch Workshop: A Makerspace at Penn College, awaits the winners.

Sporting a stylish (and required) accessory, a PCMA-masked Hayden A. Straub, of Lewisburg, an information technology: network specialist concentration student, poses next to his 2014 Ford Fiesta ST. Straub is PCMA treasurer this year and will become the organization’s vice president in the fall.

A 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air is ready for the open road, with a dangling pair of dice that echoes, "Let's roll!" — A 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air is ready for the open road, with a dangling pair of dice that echoes, “Let’s roll!”

Beyond a bird's-eye view, this vantage from a nearby third-floor window shows the day's pleasant weather and heartening turnout. — Beyond a bird’s-eye view, this vantage from a nearby third-floor window shows the day’s pleasant weather and heartening turnout.

Vehicles came in a variety of colors – including Wildcat blue!

Automotive aficionados reveled among kindred spirits Saturday at Penn College, where a variety of four-wheeled student organizations hosted an expansive Spring Car Show on the Carl Building Technologies Center parking lot. An estimated 130 entrants were on display during the 10-a.m.-to-4-p.m. event, the cooperative brainchild of the Penn College Motorsports Association, PCT 4×4, Penn College Classic Cruisers, Penn College Diesel Performance Club and the Baja SAE team. The show was open to any make and model of car, truck or motorcycle, with campus-made trophies awarded to the judges’ favorites.

Admissions Automotive Baking, Pastry & Culinary Arts Business, Arts & Sciences Engineering Technologies Events Faculty & Staff Nursing & Health Sciences Radiography Students

College rolls out green carpet for Spring Visit Day

Presidential Student Ambassador Rudy C. Shadle, a construction management student from Mechanicsburg, stands ready to answer questions on the campus mall.

Robert K. Vlacich (in khaki pants), assistant professor of automotive service, offers insights inside the Parkes Automotive Technology Center.

Outside the entrance to Le Jeune Chef Restaurant, Todd M. Keeley, assistant professor of baking and pastry arts/culinary, presents a “picture” of what visitors will see inside the labs.

Stopping to smell the tulips in between her busy day of welcoming guests is Presidential Student Ambassador Danielle R. Wesneski, a 2019 baking and pastry arts graduate who will earn her bachelor’s degree in applied management next month.

Although students couldn’t be on hand due to attendance limitations, video interviews with radiography alumni gave voice to their campus experience.

The first of this month’s three Spring Visit Days was held Saturday, giving prospective students a comprehensive peek at Penn College while adhering to pandemic-imposed limitations on attendance. (The Admissions Office will host additional visitation events on Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25.) Attendees began their day with check-in and a presentation in the Klump Academic Center, followed by lab tours in selected academic areas. Optional activities added to participants’ feel for the breadth of life on the vibrant and verdant campus: housing, financial aid, tutoring and other academic support, athletics, placement testing, advisement and scheduling, student organizations, disability services, veterans benefits and dining options. More information about visiting campus is available by contacting Admissions.

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Graduating automotive major commissioned as Army officer

Ana Coste pins gold bars onto the uniform of her son, Andrew Placencia, of Reading, during his commissioning as an Army second lieutenant in a Dec. 12 ceremony at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

A Pennsylvania College of Technology senior was commissioned as an Army second lieutenant in an outdoor ceremony held Saturday morning at the college.

Joined in person on the Bush Campus Center patio by family members and online by livestreaming well-wishers, Andrew Placencia, of Reading – a Bald Eagle Battalion ROTC cadet earning a degree in automotive technology management – will be branched into the Army Ordnance Corps.

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PCMA wins five ‘Grand Prix’ honors

Van Stavoren (left) and Guyer, with several of the awards won last month in New York state.

The president of the Penn College Motorsports Association and the student organization’s adviser participated in the Toyota Green Grand Prix, held Oct. 22 on and around the famed Watkins Glen International Speedway.

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Alumnus to lead community college in North Carolina

A Pennsylvania College of Technology alumnus will serve as the 10th president of Southeastern Community College in Whiteville, North Carolina. The appointment of Christopher L. English, who graduated in May 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in automotive technology management, was approved late last week by the State Board of Community Colleges.

English – vice president of economic and workforce development continuing education at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, North Carolina – has 20 years of experience in community colleges and has held leadership roles at Blue Ridge Community College and in the North Carolina Community College System.

English earned a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina; a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico; and an Associate of Applied Science in Industrial Technology from Greenville Technical College in Greenville, South Carolina.

Selected after a nationwide search, he will take office no later than Aug. 3.

Automotive Collision Repair & Restoration Students Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies

Collision repair with Shane V. McDonnell

As a child, Shane V. McDonnell became fascinated with cars. Now he’s following his longtime love by training for a career in collision repair technology. Working in hands-on labs with tools and equipment just like the pros use, McDonnell is building real-world experience. And when he’s done, he’ll walk away with structural, suspension, body, electrical and paint skills along with certifications from two industry leaders. “The big thing that drove me to Penn College in this major was the amount of time we spend working in the lab compared to the time we spend in the classroom,” the Dresher resident says in a video added to the college’s YouTube channel. “We take in either students’ or teachers’ cars. We write estimates. We order parts. We map out a repair plan. We do all the paint work, detail work, and it runs like an actual collision repair shop.”

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‘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 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).

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Mustang speaker looks to past to inspire tomorrow makers

Brett A. Reasner (left), dean of transportation and natural resources technologies, accepts a Ford Performance banner for campus display after introducing Clor.

"Everyone has a Mustang story," the speaker said, sharing a number of tales from the car's illustrious lineage. — “Everyone has a Mustang story,” the speaker said, sharing a number of tales from the car’s illustrious lineage.

In one of many cultural touchpoints featuring the Mustang, Farrah Fawcett sits atop a 1976 Cobra II during her "Charlie's Angels" years. (Others cited in the presentation include Steve McQueen's famed San Francisco car chase in 1968's "Bullitt.") — In one of many cultural touchpoints featuring the Mustang, Farrah Fawcett sits atop a 1976 Cobra II during her “Charlie’s Angels” years. (Others cited in the presentation include Steve McQueen’s famed San Francisco car chase in 1968’s “Bullitt.”)

Clor enthusiastically recounts the automobile's life-altering place in American society, enabling the "free and unencumbered mobility to go where you want to go." — Clor enthusiastically recounts the automobile’s life-altering place in American society, enabling the “free and unencumbered mobility to go where you want to go.”

Students and faculty alike supplement the day's curriculum with an expert's perspective. — Students and faculty alike supplement the day’s curriculum with an expert’s perspective.

Students in Penn College’s automotive, collision repair and restoration majors were treated to a colorful recap of recent automotive history – and their role in the industry’s next chapter – during a Monday campus visit by an award-winning journalist and lifelong car enthusiast. John M. Clor, who manages a club outreach program for Ford Performance, recounted “55 Years of the Ford Mustang” during a presentation in the Klump Academic Center Auditorium. Clor’s lively lecture took the audience through decades of “the most recognized car in the world,” contrasting its iconic beauty with that of less-popular competitors. “Anyone can build something for a minute,” he said, before sharing a slideshow of ill-advised vehicle designs that failed to similarly grab the public’s extended attention. “When you don’t have a heritage, you need a gimmick.” In addition to celebrating the enduring coolness of the Mustang, as distinguishable in its outline as a Coke bottle, Clor applauded the students for choosing their career paths. “Learning to do something with your hands makes all the difference in the world,” he said. “You’re the key to the future. Dream big and heritage is yours.”

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Longtime automotive journalist to address ACC audience

Veteran journalist, author and marketer John M. Clor will share his comprehensive insight into the auto industry with the Penn College community during a presentation at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 30, in the Klump Academic Center Auditorium. A regular columnist for a number of publications, Clor will discuss the Ford Mustang’s role in the automaker’s production history and how design drives the public’s interest in cars. More on the speaker’s extensive background is available in his official bio: John M. Clor

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Penn College among automotive exhibitors at UPMC’s ‘Autumn Fest’

In search of a traditional fall event to usher in the season? Join Penn College automotive restoration technology students for the Autumn Fest & Car Show at UPMC Susquehanna’s Divine Providence Campus from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29. Students are displaying a Ford Mustang body befitting this year’s celebration of the Mustang Club of North Central Pennsylvania’s 30th anniversary. Admission is $10, with proceeds benefiting UPMC’s Addiction Medicine Services. Among activities at the 1100 Grampian Boulevard event are food, raffles, craft vendors and a kids’ pumpkin patch.

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Corvette Club awards scholarships to two Penn College students

Gathered near the restoration-themed water feature at Pennsylvania College of Technology are (from left) Susquehanna Valley Corvette Club members Keith and Jan Hoffman, who brought their 2011 Corvette Grand Sport 3LT to campus; scholarship recipients Chase T. Fritz, of Athens, and Jacob A. Dock, of Middleburg; and Al Clapps, chairman of the SVCC Car Show Committee.

The Susquehanna Valley Corvette Club, which supports Pennsylvania College of Technology students through a pair of scholarship funds, recently honored two more beneficiaries of its generosity.

Students Jacob A. Dock, of Middleburg, enrolled in automotive restoration technology, and Chase T. Fritz, an automotive technology major from Athens, each will receive $2,500 during the 2019-20 school year as the latest recipients of club scholarships.

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Corvette club continues to benefit scholarship funds at Penn College

The Susquehanna Valley Corvette Club is steadfast in its support of Pennsylvania College of Technology.

The club, formed in 2003, has established two funds at the college over the years: a Susquehanna Valley Corvette Club Scholarship begun in 2014 and the Susquehanna Valley Corvette Club Foundation Endowed Scholarship initiated in 2018.

To continue its efforts in support of the scholarships at Penn College, the club is conducting a summerlong raffle to benefit those funds. Net proceeds from the raffle – for which the grand prize is the winner’s choice of a 2019 Chevy Silverado, a 2019 Corvette or $35,000 in cash – will go toward those scholarships.

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Hands on, cab off

Students finish their work on a Ford F-550 before reconnecting the vehicle's halves. — Students finish their work on a Ford F-550 before reconnecting the vehicle’s halves.

Robert B. Black, of Whitefish, Mont., talks with classmates before lowering the cab on a Ford F-250 ... — Robert B. Black, of Whitefish, Mont., talks with classmates before lowering the cab on a Ford F-250 …

... and takes a look beneath to make sure everything is lining up perfectly. — … and takes a look beneath to make sure everything is lining up perfectly.

When major engine work is required on a Ford F-Series Super Duty truck, it’s all but necessary to separate the cab from the frame – and that’s just what students in the college’s automotive technology: Ford ASSET emphasis major completed this week. A vehicle owner entering a repair garage might well be shocked to see such a seemingly drastic dissection, but technicians know it’s the key to clearer access and maximum efficiency. Assistant professor Jeffrey M. Januchowski (handling the class while John R. Cuprisin, associate professor, is at a training conference) supervised the intricate work as students made all the requisite disconnections and reconnections involved in properly raising and lowering the cabs on an F-250 and an F-550. Penn College’s two-year Ford ASSET major is a cooperative education program, with eight weeks of laboratory work followed by an internship at a dealership.

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Career Day sets middle schoolers’ sights on tomorrow

Led by Franklin H. Reber, instructor of building construction technology, and students, Career Day visitors create concrete stepping stones.

College employees rallied to provide nearly 40 educational sessions for middle schoolers from across the region who visited campus on Monday for the college’s twice-a-year Career Day. Facilitated by the college’s College Transitions Office, the event provided 1,267 students with opportunities to explore a wide variety of careers in each of the college’s six academic schools. Visitors included 13 schools and home-schooled students.

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