News about Business, Arts & Sciences

How better for students studying global cuisines to learn about cooking with truffles, the “black pearl” of the food world, than from an Italian chef who serves as an ambassador for the product?

Italy is one of the world’s top exporters of truffles. It is also the destination for a new global experience course at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

On Sept. 16, with the help of Audio/Visual Services, students in the Global Cuisine and Connections course connected with Chef Fabrizio Facchini, a brand ambassador for Urbani Truffles. Facchini, executive chef of several properties in New York City, has earned acclaim in both the U.S. and Italy, where his Antico Borgo was recognized in the Michelin Italy Guide.

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Whether you’re interested in an associate or bachelor’s degree, or planning to study on main campus or online, a new video provides an overview of the popular programs and options that will prepare you for a rewarding future in accounting. You can even pursue a dual degree, adding a business and finance concentration for even more opportunities. “At Penn College, you’ll hone the communication, teamwork and critical-thinking skills that employers want most,” says lead faculty member Roy A. Fletcher, assistant professor of business administration/banking and finance, your guide through the three-minute rundown. Virtually tour the labs, meet lead faculty, and explore the pathways and possibilities at Penn College – which include assisting taxpayers in preparing and filing their returns, as well as helping to manage an actual investment fund!

When Pennsylvania College of Technology students began classes Aug. 16, those in baking, pastry and culinary arts majors already had their hands full as they work to fill the stomachs of the teams participating in the Little League Baseball ^® World Series, held just a few miles from the Penn College campus.

The college’s Le Jeune Chef Restaurant is the new provider of dining services inside the secure team housing area at the Little League^® International complex, known as the Dr. Creighton J. Hale International Grove. Because the casual fine-dining restaurant is a live-learning lab for the college’s baking, pastry and culinary arts majors, students are heavily involved in the experience.

From Aug. 13-30, the college expects to prepare more than 12,000 meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner – for players and coaches each day during their stay in Williamsport.

Both Little League® and Penn College are following all appropriate COVID-19 safety recommendations to support the dining accommodations of the Little League World Series participants.

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Pennsylvania College of Technology baking and pastry arts faculty member Chef Charles R. Niedermyer II recently presented an education session for Retail Confectioners International’s 2021 Annual Convention & Industry Expo.

RCI bills the sessions as “thought-provoking education led by experts in their fields and crafted to meet the unique needs of the retail confectioner.”

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The final destination was always clear for Christian Peters, but the journey to get there was paved in Williamsport.

Peters is the team administrator for Real Monarchs of the United Soccer League, the minor league for Major League Soccer, and he credits his experience as a student-athlete and the hands-on learning he practiced at Pennsylvania College of Technology as the reasons he was able to secure his dream job of working in professional soccer.

“If I didn’t play college soccer, I wouldn’t have been as prepared to handle the hectic schedule that we have in pro soccer,” said Peters, who graduated from Penn College in December 2020. “And having the hands-on assignments in classes really prepared me for the logistical part of my internship, which led to this job.”

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A faculty member and an administrator at Pennsylvania College of Technology have created a scholarship for students majoring in graphic design.

Brian A. and Joanna K. Flynn have established the Brian and Joanna Flynn Scholarship, which gives preference to students who are enrolled full time in the graphic design bachelor’s degree major, have successfully completed two semesters of study and have a 3.0 or higher GPA. The scholarship is renewable for the third and fourth academic years if a 3.0 GPA is maintained.

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Campuswide ingenuity and the generosity of a longtime supporter have produced the Fish Real Estate Leadership Challenge Course at Penn College. Architecture and concrete science students; General Services personnel; and Rob Cooley, associate professor of anthropology/environmental science, played vital roles in developing and building the course. Brent and Daria Fish funded the project in honor of Brent’s father, William H. Fish, a respected businessman, community leader and friend of the college. A wide variety of student and industry groups will use the course to enhance problem-solving, leadership, teamwork and communication skills. “The purpose of a challenge course is to create structured, physical outdoor activities that draw people together,” Cooley explains in a video on the college’s YouTube channel. “It’s not me up at the whiteboard or me at the computer telling them what to do. It’s me presenting a challenge and stepping back. The collective effort is what solves the problem and creates the learning experience.”

Among the latest additions to the Pennsylvania College of Technology community are four full-time faculty members for the Fall 2021 semester, as provided by the Human Resources Office (all effective Aug. 12).

“The new faculty joining us this fall come to us with much enthusiasm and relevant experiences,” said Joanna K. Flynn, dean of curriculum and instruction. “We welcome them to campus and can’t wait to see what they do.”

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The Fish Real Estate Leadership Challenge Course, the creation of which involved the same collaborative spirit that it will nurture in those who use it, was dedicated Aug. 11 on the wooded southcentral side of Pennsylvania College of Technology.

The Challenge Course – a remarkable project funded by Brent and Daria Fish in memory of Brent’s father, William H. Fish – “will foster leadership and team-building skills for generations of students, faculty, alumni and industry partners,” said Loni N. Kline, vice president for college relations. Brent is president of Fish Real Estate, and Daria is head of corporate communications for OxiWear.

An interdisciplinary focus was reflected throughout the development and construction process, which involved the college’s General Services Department, architectural technology and concrete science classes, a helping of off-campus inspiration, and a picnic table donated by the Sigma Pi philanthropic fraternity.

The intricate design includes a bridge that honors the Fish family’s appreciation for the outdoors: stainless steel railings resembling fly-fishing rods, with hooks dangling from lines that drop to a dry creek bed below.

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This summer, Pennsylvania College of Technology culinary arts students are pleasing palates with fine food during internships near and far from home.

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LaQuinn N. Thompson, a 2016 alumnus of Pennsylvania College of Technology, was honored with an Alumni Achievement Award at the college’s Summer 2021 Commencement ceremony at the Community Arts Center.

The Alumni Achievement Award is presented to a graduate of the past 10 years in recognition of noteworthy career accomplishments that demonstrate the importance of a Penn College education. Thompson, who was born and raised in York, earned a bachelor’s degree in applied human services from Penn College.

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The Gallery at Penn College has announced its 16th season of engaging art exhibits for the 2021-22 Academic Year at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Two displays of contemporary art begin the season: Michael Reedy’s “Into the Void,” exploring the timeless topic of the human body through mixed-media works, opens Aug. 13, and Jeanette May’s “Tech Vanitas,” featuring still life photographs highlighting the obsolescence of technology, begins Oct. 21.

Special exhibitions marking two 75th anniversaries are included in the lineup with “Golden Legacy: Original Art From 75 Years of Golden Books” and “A Diamond Anniversary: A Celebration of 75 Years of the Little League Baseball World Series.” Both will be displayed in the new year.

Exhibits showcasing the talents of faculty and students will also be featured in Spring 2022 with “Journey and Transformation: The Careers of David Stabley & Keith Vanderlin,” “Architecture & Sustainable Design: Senior Capstone Projects,” and “Graphic Design 2022: Senior Portfolio Exhibition.”

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Jerry C. Hammaker, part-time instructor of beverage and restaurant management at Penn College, authored an article for the June issue of PR%F (Proof) the Magazine, published by the brand that produces the PR%F Awards in partnership with Food & Beverage Magazine. The PR%F Awards is an international competition for spirits, wines and beverages. Hammaker, a certified specialist of wine, owns Certain Aged Ventures, which provides wine consulting and sommelier services.

Presidential Student Ambassador Lauryn A. Stauffer is your effusive and illuminating guide to Pennsylvania College of Technology in a newly launched video produced by Public Relations & Marketing. Loaded with fresh footage of renovated labs and popular campus hang spots, the comprehensive tour takes you through main campus, down the road to the Lumley Aviation Center and over the mountain to the Schneebeli Earth Science Center.

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A celebration of life will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, for Chef Judith P. Shimp, a former associate professor of hospitality management and culinary arts, who died July 27 in Philadelphia’s Albert Einstein Medical Center at the age of 67. Shimp was a member of the college faculty from September 1984 until her retirement in June 2011. The service, preceded by an hourlong visitation, will be at Montoursville Presbyterian Church, 900 Elm St., Montoursville. A full obituary can be found on the website of the Spitler Funeral Home, which is handling arrangements.