News about Business & Hospitality

‘Career Day’ Opens Doors of Exploration for Curious Teens

Automated manufacturing technology student Aren T. Way (right) of Jersey Shore, demonstrates an industrial-scale robot during a session on “Industrial Robotics, Hydraulics and Pneumatics, and CNC Machine Tools.”

More than 900 high schoolers, hailing from 28 school districts, spent Thursday on campus for the College Transitions Office’s Career Day. Faculty and students from all six of the college’s academic schools and all three campuses spent their Fall Break day off providing close to 50 career-exploration sessions for the visitors, exposing them to dozens of the college’s “degrees that work” offerings. A few of the districts traveled as much as two hours to attend. Among the highlights was a half-day session by the Penn College accounting, finance and business administration departments and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants that featured not only information about Penn College’s technology-laden degrees, but talks by guest speakers Michael Colgan, CEO of PICPA, and Joseph Siebert, president of PICPA, about future work in these fields as firms must protect clients’ financial information, and accountants can aid investigations via “forensic accounting.” Following the presentations and a Q&A with a panel of Penn College accounting and finance students, the 200 high school participants attended an etiquette lunch in the Field House.

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Last updated October 13, 2017 | Posted in Business & Hospitality, College Transitions, Construction & Design Technologies, Events, Faculty & Staff, Health Sciences, Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies, Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications, Students, Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies | This gallery contains 19 photos. | Tagged as | Leave a comment

Penn College Appoints Dean of Business & Hospitality

Lisa M. Andrus

Lisa M. Andrus, who has more than 20 years of professional experience in a variety of fields including hospitality, government, small business, health care and higher education, has been named dean of business and hospitality at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

A Williamsport native, Andrus returned to the area after earning a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, a master’s degree in industrial and labor relations, and a doctorate in administration and leadership studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

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Students Get Big-League Advice From Marketing Pros

In the Phillies Media Room at Citizens Bank Park, college students attend a panel Q&A with Phillies and Major League Baseball communications and marketing professionals.

An educational visit for Penn College marketing and sport and event management students ends with watching The Phillies beat the Nationals.

Penn College sport and event management student Devon M. Sanders, of Bloomsburg, networks – and has his photo taken – with 1983 NLCS MVP and former Phillies broadcaster Gary “Sarge” Matthews.

Students gather around a Phillies front-office staffer during a networking hour.

Two dozen Penn College marketing and sport and event management students traveled to Philadelphia on Sept. 26 to attend The Phillies College Digital & Mobile Marketing Night at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies opened its doors to college students and recent graduates, taking them behind-the-scenes with Phillies and Major League Baseball digital and mobile-marketing executives. While there, they received a ballpark tour and attended a panel talk in the Phillies Media Room, where EJ Aguado, new media specialist for Major League Baseball Advanced Media; Brittany Gentile, director of club initiatives for Major League Baseball Advanced Media; Michael Harris, vice president of marketing and new media for The Phillies; and Scott Palmer, director of public affairs for The Phillies, answered students’ questions about digital marketing and the business of baseball and shared their career experiences and advice. During a Phillies Networking Hour, the students met informally with front office personnel, including those who spearhead the Phillies intern and Phillies ballgirls programs. Among the guests was 1983 National League Championship Series MVP and former Phillies broadcaster Gary “Sarge” Matthews. To cap off their visit, the students attended the Phillies-Nationals game, a 7-5 victory for the home team. The group was accompanied by three faculty members: Chip D. Baumgardner, associate professor of business administration: management; Elizabeth A. Greenaway, part-time instructor of web and interactive media; and Steven J. Moff, professor of business administration: management and marketing.
Photos by Baumgardner and Greenaway

Visiting Chef Series Celebrates 25th Anniversary

During preparation for the college’s first Visiting Chef dinner in 1992, students Ric Newton and Vanessa Buck study the technique of Visiting Chef Richard L. Kimble Jr.

From the Fall 2017 Penn College Magazine: The Visiting Chef Series was established to inspire students by working alongside the nation’s best chefs. A quarter-century and more than 50 chefs later, renowned culinarians continue to bring the vision to life. Read student memories and view a visual history of the series.

Balloon Festival’s Website Highlights Student’s Work

Before completing her bachelor’s degree in web and interactive media from Pennsylvania College of Technology in May, Rebecca M. Gardner had already added a successful website rebuild to resume, and happy clients to boot.

In the months since, her work has been put to good use in promoting the annual hot air balloon festival organized by the Rotary Clubs of Lycoming County.

BalloonFest, Air Show & So Much More is scheduled for Sept. 16 at the Lycoming County Fairgrounds in Hughesville.

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Silver Anniversary, Golden Opportunity

Culinary giants joined forces to mark the 25th anniversary of the Visiting Chef Series at Penn College, an event celebrated in a new video on the college’s YouTube channel. “Louisiana’s culinary ambassador to the world” Chef John Folse, along with his renowned restaurant partner Chef Rick Tramonto, internationally heralded Pastry Chef Donald Wressell and Penn College alum Chef Elaine Gardner worked side-by-side in April with School of Business & Hospitality students to prepare an elegant, five-course fundraising dinner at the college’s Le Jeune Chef Restaurant. “Nothing speaks success more than growth,” Folse says. “So when you see the growth at a facility – the growth of the kitchens; the growth of the student body; the quality of the instructors; the support of the community; tonight, we have another sell-out crowd – what does that say? That says that there’s real wonderful happenings here. … There’s just no doubt about it: There’s something great happening in culinary here at Penn College. I want to be here just to continue to see what’s gonna happen next!”

Penn College’s Le Jeune Chef Honored by Wine Spectator

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Le Jeune Chef Restaurant is among Wine Spectator magazine’s 2017 “Award of Excellence” winners.

Wine Spectator reaches over 3 million readers with each issue and is the largest paid wine-focused/wine-lifestyle magazine.

Its annual Restaurant Awards, which are published in the August issue, acknowledge the best wine lists in the world. Winning restaurants offer interesting wine selections that are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.

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New Penn College Bachelor’s Degrees to Prepare Innovation Leaders

Innovation, identified as vital to the nation’s economic growth, is the focus of two new bachelor’s degrees at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

The new degrees are part of the college’s quest to prepare graduates for success and to provide the community with a highly qualified workforce.

Innovation – developing new products, services or processes or improving existing ones – is a skill that is in demand in all occupations. It is recognized by the U.S. Economic Development Administration as essential not only to the nation’s economy, but to improving quality of life.

Students may begin coursework toward a degree in applied innovation in Fall 2017, and applications are being accepted for the college’s entrepreneurial innovation major, which will start in Fall 2018.

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Restaurant Again Favored Among Area Newspaper’s Readers

Michael R. Triassi, Le Jeune Chef’s director of sales and restaurant operations, receives a silver Reader’s Choice Award from Becky Fitzwater, an advertising representative for the Milton Standard-Journal.

For the second year, Le Jeune Chef Restaurant has received silver honors in the Milton Standard-Journal’s annual Reader’s Choice Awards. The Standard-Journal ran a Reader’s Choice contest form in its daily newspapers and provided ballots to local businesses for submission by their patrons. Voters could also fill out ballots online and write in additional categories. Becky Fitzwater, an advertising representative for the newspaper, delivered a certificate to the restaurant on Friday, signifying that it was the second-highest vote-getter in the Best Restaurant category. Le Jeune Chef presents a fine-dining experience hosted by Penn College’s School of Business & Hospitality. The restaurant offers a gourmet menu, much of it prepared by students, and features the area’s most extensive wine list. The full list of award winners will be announced in the newspaper in July. To make a reservation, call 570-320-CHEF (570-320-2433). To view menus and special events, visit the restaurant’s website.
Photo by Anna C. Miller, marketing and communications specialist for the School of Business & Hospitality

Students Gain ‘Tons’ of Hospitality Experience at Iconic Event

Penn College culinary arts and systems students R. Colby Janowitz, of Westminster, Md.; Amaris T. Smith, of Williamsport; and Cy C. Heller, of Milton, work an à la carte lunch in the Turf Room on Oaks Day at Churchill Downs.

Pennsylvania College of Technology students returned from the 2017 Kentucky Derby with a wealth of experience in high-volume hospitality, courtesy of Churchill Downs food operator Levy Restaurants.

“Working at the Kentucky Derby was an insane, amazing, life-changing experience,” said R. Colby Janowitz, who received both a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and systems and an associate degree in hospitality management from Penn College in May. It was the second trip to the Kentucky Derby for the Westminster, Maryland, native.

Janowitz joined 24 other Penn College students – and faculty member Charles R. Niedermyer, instructor of baking and pastry arts/culinary arts – in the kitchens of Churchill Downs during Derby Week, a series of events that culminates in the storied Kentucky Derby, which this year drew a crowd of 158,000.

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Culinary Student Featured on ‘Home & Backyard’ Series

Peirce A. Connelly

Culinary arts and systems student Peirce A. Connelly was featured on Saturday’s episode of WNEP’s “Home & Backyard” television series, sharing well-learned kitchen tips. Host Jackie Lewandowski visited Front Street Station in Northumberland, where Connelly is completing an internship. During the seven-minute segment, the young chef, who’s been working at Front Street Station for more than seven years, discussed the restaurant’s offerings and showed his kitchen know-how while he taught viewers to prepare chicken cacciatore, a Front Street Station specialty. “I am studying under the kitchen manager as well as the owner, learning things ‘that they won’t teach you in culinary school,’ as (the) owner would say. But in all reality, the school most certainly set me up for success,” Connelly said. “I am learning how we do our ordering, purchasing and recovering, prepping for banquets, coming up with specials, as well general line-cook duties. I am very glad that Penn College allowed me to do my internship at the place I had been working.” Connelly’s “on-camera” work as a student has also included helping with demonstrations on the Culinary Connection stage at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Connelly, of Northumberland, plans to graduate in August.

Faculty Member Named One of Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America

Niedermyer accepts applause as he's announced among the Top 10 honorees.

A Pennsylvania College of Technology faculty member has received one of the highest honors bestowed on pastry chefs: a spot among Dessert Professional Magazine’s Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America.

Chef Charles R. Niedermyer, of State College, an instructor of baking and pastry arts and culinary arts, was named to the 2017 Top Ten list by Dessert Professional publisher Matthew Stevens and editor Tish Boyle, who selected honorees based on their talent, creativity, contributions to the industry and dedication to creating high-quality confections.

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Last updated June 6, 2017 | Posted in Alumni, Baking, Pastry & Culinary Arts, Business & Hospitality, Faculty & Staff, Students | This gallery contains 3 photos. | Tagged as | Leave a comment

Cross-Campus Collaboration Infuses Hundreds of Visiting Pupils

Horticulture instructor Carl J. Bower Jr. guides Warrior Run fourth-graders in a sensory exploration of the ESC’s plant life.

Roy A. Fletcher, assistant professor of business administration/banking and finance, talks with Stock Market Challenge participants from area high schools about the future of artificial intelligence in accounting. The School of Business & Hospitality hosted the grand finale celebration for the Stock Market Challenge, an annual competition for Lycoming County high schools and middle schools that is sponsored by the Williamsport Sun-Gazette.

Faculty members (and Penn College grads) Michael K. Patterson, welding lecturer, center, and Benjamin K. Myers, welding instructor, right, judge a competition among students enrolled in Penn College NOW welding courses. While their teachers attended professional development with Penn College faculty liaisons – a requirement to ensure that Penn College courses taught at high schools meet the same rigor as those taught on campus – the students showed their skill in shielded metal arc welding. Following the contest, they took part in a hands-on demonstration by Fronius USA, which has entrusted several pieces of equipment to the college.

In the closing weeks of the spring semester, the College Transitions Office and academic schools hosted more than half a dozen events for pupils in area elementary, middle and high schools. From a field trip for Warrior Run fourth-graders that spanned the main campus and Schneebeli Earth Science Center, to days set aside for students to visit the college labs that correspond with their Penn College NOW courses, hundreds of students received hands-on lessons in “degrees that work,” thanks to help from college faculty. Events for Penn College NOW students included a Horticulture Day, engineering design visit, Accounting Day, Web Page Design Day and Welding Day.

Niedermyer Among Nation’s Top Pastry Chefs

Chef Charles R. Niedermyer

Chef Charles R. Niedermyer II, instructor of baking and pastry arts/culinary arts, has been named among the 2017 Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America by Dessert Professional Magazine. The magazine’s publisher, Matthew Stevens, and editor, Tish Boyle, selected the honorees based on their talent, creativity, contributions to the industry and dedication to creating high-quality confections. Niedermyer earned a degree in baking and pastry arts from the college in 2000, later followed by a degree in technology management. Before returning to teach at the college, he spent several years practicing his craft in the hotel, restaurant and bakery industries, including work for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. In recent years, he was named a finalist for Team USA, which competed at the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie (World Cup of Bread) in Paris, and received awards from Penn College for Excellence in Teaching and Excellence in Academic Advising. Dessert Professional Magazine is the nation’s leading food service publication for the chocolate, pastry, cake, artisan bread and frozen desserts industries. Making its Top 10 list is a pinnacle achievement for pastry chefs. Niedermyer will be honored at a reception in New York City in June and featured in the August issue of Dessert Professional.

Students Gain Experience, Help Community Through VITA

Penn College’s Michael D. Shipman, left, instructor of business administration/accounting, reviews tax policy with student Joshua D. Lyman, of Williamsport. Lyman is one of 16 Penn College students certified by the IRS to offer free tax help to the community through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

Pennsylvania College of Technology students offered free assistance to about 160 taxpayers this spring, helping them to realize close to $170,000 in income-tax refunds.

Sixteen Penn College students took part in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, an initiative of the IRS that offers free tax help to people who generally make $54,000 or less, or those who may need assistance preparing their own returns because of a disability or language barrier.

All but two of the students are enrolled in the course Income Taxation of Individuals, taught by Michael D. Shipman, instructor of business administration/accounting. They are pursuing degrees in accounting, legal assistant paralegal, and business administration: banking and finance concentration.

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