The mikeroweWORKS Foundation recognized the potential of nine Pennsylvania College of Technology students to shrink the skills gap by awarding them Work Ethic Scholarships for the 2020-21 academic year.
The foundation, created by skilled-labor advocate Mike Rowe, distributes the scholarships annually to students who “embrace personal responsibility, delayed gratification, a positive attitude and a strong work ethic” in preparing for a career in the skilled trades. Over $1 million was distributed to 223 recipients nationwide. Nearly 1,000 students applied for the scholarships.
Jonathan G. Vasconcelos sits in a Volvo EC220 excavator recently loaned to the college by Volvo Construction Equipment, facilitated by Highway Equipment & Supply Co.
From the Spring 2020 Penn College Magazine: “Volvo is king in Portugal,” said heavy construction equipment technology student Jonathan G. Vasconcelos as he sat in a Volvo EC220 excavator recently loaned to the college by Volvo Construction Equipment and facilitated by Highway Equipment & Supply Co. Vasconcelos was born in Massachusetts, but his family hails from the Azores, a nine-island archipelago off the coast of Portugal. Read more about his experiences as a member of the Penn College Family in “Scooping up skills.”
A member of the diesel equipment technology faculty has been honored by Pennsylvania College of Technology and Caterpillar Inc. with the annual “Pathfinder to Excellence” award.
John D. Motto, an instructor at the college’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center near Allenwood, is the latest recipient of an award presented since 2003 to someone who “develops effective teaching techniques, enhances learning materials, demonstrates a keen sensitivity to student needs and maintains high academic standards.”
Three pieces of Komatsu construction machinery are on loan to Pennsylvania College of Technology for use at the institution’s heavy equipment operations site in Brady Township.
Operations students at the 125-acre outdoor lab south of main campus are afforded regular access to the wheel loader, bulldozer and excavator through the end of the semester, the latest in Komatsu’s philanthropy on behalf of its future workforce.
“The equipment that Komatsu has provided to us has been a valuable asset to student learning in our operations lab,” said Ryan W. Peck, instructor of diesel equipment technology. “The exposure the students have gotten from this equipment is indescribable in how it has helped prepare them to go into the earth-moving industry.”
Two associate-degree majors within the heavy construction equipment technology program at Pennsylvania College of Technology have been reaccredited by The AED Foundation.
Accredited for five more years are heavy construction equipment technology: Caterpillar equipment emphasis and heavy construction equipment technology: technician emphasis, two-year majors offered at Penn College’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center south of main campus.
“We are pleased that you have chosen to demonstrate your commitment to academic excellence and continuous improvement through the process of accreditation,” AED Foundation Chairman Whit Perryman said.
The corporate generosity that provides Pennsylvania College of Technology students with up-to-date tools befitting a campuswide pool of “tomorrow makers” lives on in an equipment loan from Volvo Construction Equipment, facilitated by Highway Equipment & Supply Co.
A Volvo EC220 excavator has been made available through the end of the Fall 2019 semester, and already has seen considerable use by students in the summer operations classes.
Hosted by Highway Equipment & Supply Co., the Volvo Construction Equipment/Discovery Gold Rush Excavator tour will stop at Pennsylvania College of Technology from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5.
The Gold Rush Excavator celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Discovery show, “Gold Rush,” and is on tour in the United States and Canada, featuring the new Volvo CE EC200E 20-ton model with an Akzo Nobel paint job valued at $5,000 to $7,000; one-of-a-kind, custom premium leather KAB seating with the embroidered signatures of co-stars Tony Beets, Parker Schnabel and Rick Ness; and gold custom track pads.
The Gold Rush Excavator will be stationed on the parking lot between UPMC Field and the Parkes Automotive Technology Center. The college community is invited to attend this unique “selfie opportunity,” then post photos with #GoldRushExcavator and #HwyEquip.
A total of 275 students have petitioned to graduate following Pennsylvania College of Technology’s summer sessions. A commencement ceremony is set for Saturday, Aug. 10, at the Community Arts Center.
The student speaker for the 11 a.m. event will be Dylan Gary Otis, of Wyalusing, who will be presented with Associate of Applied Science degrees in heavy construction equipment technology: technician emphasis and heavy construction equipment technology: operator emphasis.
Allan Myers Inc., a heavy civil construction and construction materials company operating throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, will contribute an additional $50,000 annually to a scholarship it established previously at Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Preference for the Allan Myers Scholarship is given to full-time Penn College students who are employees/family members of Allan Myers Inc.
Seniors and their faculty mentors (from left) are Langer, Anstadt, Bean, Peck, Blose, Carr, Klodnicki and Whitmyer.
Five Penn College students were recognized this month by the West Branch Susquehanna Builders Association for classroom success, dedication to the construction industry and the high standards with which they conduct themselves. Honored during a meeting at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore were Hunter M. Bean, of McElhattan, heavy construction equipment technology: operator emphasis; Matthew E. Blose, of Williamsport, residential construction technology and management: building construction technology concentration; Corey J. Carr, of Pulaski, Virginia, heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology; Kurtis J. Klodnicki, of Danville, building construction technology and building construction technology: masonry emphasis; and Eric J. Langer, of New City, New York, electrical technology. Graduating seniors are traditionally nominated for the awards by faculty from their respective academic areas, then recognized by the association for their hard work and commitment to entering the industry. Levon A. Whitmyer, instructor of building construction technology, introduced the students to WBSBA members and handed out the awards. He also spoke on behalf of Blose, Carr and Klodnicki. Ryan W. Peck, diesel equipment technology instructor, represented Bean; Eric L. Anstadt, a faculty member in electrical technology occupations, offered an endorsement of Langer. Each of the student winners received a cash prize and was awarded a 4-foot level engraved with his name. “The students also got an opportunity to mingle with the members, increasing their professional network as they get ready to enter the construction industry,” Whitmyer said. “A big ‘thank you’ to West Branch for providing the support to help these students be recognized for their dedication to their craft.” Photo provided
Furthering a partnership that has thrived for nearly a quarter century, the Caterpillar Foundation and a consortium of regional dealers recently delivered $82,000 in support of students and curriculum at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center.
“We are pleased that Caterpillar Inc. and its dealers have continued to support our students and the college,” said Brett A. Reasner, dean of transportation and natural resources technologies at Penn College. “Their contributions support student scholarships and provide a positive impact on our ability to keep current technology in the classrooms and labs.”
The dean of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies has been appointed to the board of directors of the Associated Equipment Distributors Foundation.
Brett A. Reasner, dean since the Spring 2015 semester, is serving a three-year term with the foundation board, which addresses professional education and workforce development in the industry – including accreditation of postsecondary construction equipment technology programs.
Andrew J. Bucher, scheduled to graduate in May with an associate degree in heavy construction equipment technology: technician emphasis, has been selected as the March “Student of the Month” at Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Considered by his nominator as a high-quality candidate for the honor due to his dedication, involvement and impact on the Penn College campus and community, the Manheim resident “has always been passionate about getting involved on campus and being a role model for his peers.”
As an addition to Penn College’s YouTube channel attests, students in the heavy construction equipment technology: operator emphasis major move more than dirt. They move confidently and capably toward a certain future, thanks to the institution’s comprehensive blend of lecture and practice. After obtaining a solid theoretical base, the students – personified in the video by Richard J. Ward, of Clearfield, and Makenzie E. Witmer, of Bellefonte – develop their skills at a 125-acre work site featuring more than 45 machines. “We’ve had the theories, we’ve had the site courses, we’ve had all the knowledge of industry and operations up ’til that point,” says Ryan W. Peck, instructor of diesel equipment technology. “Now, they’re getting that opportunity to apply it.” The hands-on nature of the associate degree makes graduates prime candidates for enriching workforce opportunities, as evidenced by the scores of employers at the college’s twice-yearly career fairs.
Returning from an Oct. 7 woodsmen’s competition in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest, the Pennsylvania College of Technology Forestry Club – conveniently toting the tools that had earlier brought many of the students individual honors – put their skills to work in a much-appreciated display of public assistance.
Eight members of the club’s Woodsman Team had journeyed to The Cradle of Forestry to compete in the 22nd annual John Palmer Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet, the third consecutive year that Penn College students made the trip. While the students comported themselves admirably in their respective events, the collective Good Samaritan act that followed left no axes to grind.
“Interestingly, the chopping didn’t stop with the conclusion of the meet,” said coach and club adviser G. Andrew Bartholomay, an assistant professor of forest technology. “After breaking camp Saturday night and heading home, the team happened upon a large, dead hemlock tree that had fallen and was blocking the Pisgah Highway. Under the headlights of two college vans and several other trapped cars, the Woodsman Team went to work chopping and clearing the obstruction.”
