PCToday continues its regular feature – welcoming new full-time and regular part-time Pennsylvania College of Technology employees, as reported by the Human Resources Office.
Pennsylvania College of Technology held its Fall Commencement at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Community Arts Center in downtown Williamsport. Stephanie A. Petrison, of Landenberg, who received a Bachelor of Science in business administration: sport and event management concentration, was the student speaker. Also addressing December’s class was Ryan P. Good, assistant professor of welding, who was presented with the Veronica M. Muzic Master Teacher Award in May. Degrees were conferred by President Davie Jane Gilmour and state Sen. Gene Yaw, chair of the Penn College Board of Directors, and a Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to 2004 business administration graduate Clint Cullison, a senior associate with Greenlee Partners.
A New Year’s tradition – Pennsylvania College of Technology’s eye-opening participation in the nation’s largest indoor agricultural attraction – is about to be renewed.
Knowledgeable students and employees will busily represent the college at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, 2300 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg, and personify the event’s 2019 theme of “Imagine the Opportunities.”
“We always look forward to showcasing the excitement of our academic programs. This is a great opportunity to introduce Farm Show visitors to the opportunities a Penn College degree provides,” said Carolyn R. Strickland, vice president for enrollment management/associate provost. “With so many visitors from across the commonwealth, we also enjoy connecting with our alumni attending the event.”
Faculty and staff in the Penn College nursing program adopted The Cupboard for the holidays. The Cupboard is an on-campus food pantry for students, operated by Dining Services. Organized by Pamela W. Baker, assistant professor of nursing, the two-week food drive yielded 181 food items and $150 in cash. During the Fall 2019 semester, almost 90 students visited The Cupboard to obtain food.
Pennsylvania College of Technology’s brewing and fermentation science instructor joined three other academic colleagues in delivering a talk at the three-day Master Brewers Conference, held recently in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Timothy L. Yarrington presented “Brewing Education and Industry: Evolving Together” along with Katie Fromuth, fermentation science and technology lab manager, Colorado State University; Kaylyn Kirkpatrick, brewing extension associate, Cornell University; and Peter Johnston-Berresford, brewing instructor, Olds College, Alberta.
Student Engagement delivers a sweet treat to Bush Campus Center visitors.The home of Wildcat Athletics is reimagined as an igloo in the year’s runner-up effort.Hung with care are stockings (and accoutrements) in the Residence Life Office.Putting the “elf” in “selfie” are (clockwise from top) Jennifer McLean, associate dean of student affairs; Elliott Strickland, vice president for student affairs; and Robin S. Enderle, student affairs specialist.Two mascots? It’s the holidays; the more, the merrier!
Ten campus offices donned their festive best for a decorating competition organized by the Student Affairs Social and Professional Development Committee, creating a colorful array to put everyone in the mood. The Office of Student Engagement took first prize with its candyland-themed entry, claiming the coveted Reindeer Trophy and a cookie platter. The second-prize Santa Trophy was won by Athletics, and the Elf Trophy for third place went to Residence Life. Others taking part were The College Store, Counseling Services, The Cupboard, Dining Services, Disability Services, Penn College Police and Student Affairs. Photos provided
A celebratory ceremony Monday honored the 18 students who completed the seven-week LEAD-PCT program this semester.
Led by Allison A. Grove, interim director of student engagement, the initiative provides participants the opportunity to learn a variety of leadership skills and apply them by proposing a social change project that directly benefits the Penn College community. At the close of the event, held in the Thompson Professional Development Center during Finals Week, Grove announced two winning projects that will each be funded with $100 awards.
Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Board of Directors has approved faculty emeritus status for Robert M. Vaughn, who taught welding at the institution for nearly four decades.
Vaughn retired in August after 39 years of service to Penn College and its immediate predecessor, Williamsport Area Community College.
Vaughn’s nominating documentation noted the many roles he played in addition to serving with distinction on faculty, including “advisor and mentor to the students, as well as other faculty members, in and out of the classroom.”
Santaella (left) and Kreitzer stand with the stunning tile wall.The final touches to the piece: triangle toppingsRelief sculptures in clayArtwork awaits stair strollers.Infinite tales in tiles
Over 500 students and more than 500 ceramic tiles in the making, another stunning example of Penn College art is complete and ready for rave reviews and views. Adorning a wall in the north stairwell of the Bush Campus Center, the ceramics sensation was started in Fall 2013 by David A. Stabley, instructor of ceramics and wood sculpture, after he received permission from administration. “It was my idea to have students make something to leave behind as part of a permanent art piece,” Stabley said. “It’s an interesting idea of working on a group project over such a long period of time. And it’s nice to decorate a plain stairwell area to give it some life!” With the help of two Ceramics III students – Amber Kreitzer, of Port Trevorton, and Natascha G. Santaella, of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico – Stabley recently placed the finishing touches on the CC stairwell project: ceramic triangles topping the tile wall. Kreitzer and Santaella earned associate degrees in baking and pastry arts in 2018 and will graduate this month with Bachelor of Science degrees in applied management. Stabley and smaller groups of students have installed the Centennial Mosaic on a wall of the Physician Assistant Center and mosaics in Capitol Eatery. The artist has also crafted solo mosaics in the atrium of the Breuder Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center and on an exterior wall of the Hager Lifelong Education Center. Stabley’s inspiring artwork can also be found in downtown Williamsport.
Placencia hangs this year’s addition to the tree.Silhouetted against a red, white and blue sky, Beaver and Peluzzo add another strand to the holiday spruce.Stars pay tribute to more than 300 veterans and active-duty servicemen and women at Penn College.Peluzzo, Jones and Beaver (from left) form a time-saving triangle.The veterans tree shines at dawn’s early light.
Bundled against a brisk and unforgiving wind, members of Penn College’s military family finished decorating the Veterans Holiday Tree outside Madigan Library. The evergreen was lighted earlier in the season and, Wednesday afternoon, was additionally adorned with stars and other ornaments. Making quick work of the year-end tradition were three Veterans Affairs work-study employees – Cutter M. Hall, a construction management major from Erie; Emily J. Jones, an accounting student from Avis; and Gina M. Peluzzo, a Philadelphian enrolled in civil engineering technology – as well as Chet Beaver, coordinator of veterans and military affairs, and veteran Andrew Placencia, an automotive technology management student from Reading. Alongside aptly patriotic lights, the tree contains 322 stars (courtesy of the School of Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies’ machining lab) representing the institution’s identified service personnel. It also holds five dated glass balls containing ribbons purchased during the annual Giving Tree fundraiser for the Fisher House Foundation, which tends to veterans’ families while their loved ones undergo medical treatment.
Samantha J. Morningstar, of Lewistown, trims a study model, which is an exact replica of the athlete’s mouth. The study model is then used as a form to make the custom mouthguard.A newly vacuum-formed thermoplastic mouthguard is ready for trimming.Lacrosse team members show off their custom mouthguards.
Second-year dental hygiene students and faculty developed a program to provide professional-grade athletic mouthguards for members of the Penn College lacrosse team as part of the students’ Dental Materials and Specialties course. The multiweek project began with taking impressions of the athletes’ teeth to create exact replicas of their mouths. This model was then used, along with specialized equipment, to fabricate the mouthguards. The students were directed by faculty members Barbara K. Emert-Strouse and Marie Y. Stewart, both assistant professors of dental hygiene. The athletic mouthguards play a critical role in contact sports in the prevention of concussions and injuries to teeth.
A pair of ol’ reliables – therapy dogs in Madigan Library and Midnight Breakfast in the Keystone Dining Room – reappeared on schedule this past week to help students navigate any end-of-semester turbulence.
PCToday continues its regular feature – welcoming new full-time and regular part-time Pennsylvania College of Technology employees, as reported by the Human Resources Office.
Snowman luminaria fashioned from glass jars add a festive touch.President Davie Jane Gilmour (who was joined at the brief ATHS proceedings by Patrick C. Ferguson, president of the Student Government Association) announces the fans’ favorite creations.With piping bags full of icing, Wildcat Events Board students eagerly staff the cookie-decorating table. From left are David Eaton, of Harrisburg; Shaqira S. Drummond, of Williamsport; Madison N. Bower, of Muncy; and McKenna N. Myers, of Northumberland.The campus family’s inventiveness shines through the brisk pre-winter night.With diets moot until the new year, cake pops and cookies tempt attendees.
The holiday cards displayed along the Penn College mall were lighted Wednesday evening in a seasonal ceremony that included the announcement of winning entries, as well as a cookies-and-crafts attraction inside the Breuder Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center. Women in Construction finished first among student organizations in the card competition, enriching its club account by $200. The Occupational Therapy Assistant Club was second ($150) and Cru, third ($100). Among campus offices and departments, first prize went to the Veterans and Military Resource Center, participants from which will be treated to lunch at Le Jeune Chef. Madigan Library claimed second place and Dining Services finished third; representatives from each of those winning groups will enjoy breakfast at the restaurant. Winners were chosen through online voting by 612 employees and students. Photos by Juvy A. Orillaza, student photographer
Stephanie A. Campbell, acquisitions and outreach specialist at Madigan Library, scrubs a staircase.General Services’ Josh J. Wrench (in green shirt), associate director of project management, and Jamie L. Plocinski (standing), facilities service assistant, make friends at mealtime.Benevolence times 12, on behalf of the greater college communityWearing her “Penn College Pride,” Brigette M. Cleary, secretary to the dean of business and hospitality, talks with a diner.Nourishing plates are brought to the table by Timothy O. Rissell, executive director of General Services – honoring the “service” portion of his job title.
As part of a Giving Tuesday collaboration with Lycoming County United Way, a dozen Penn College employees spent part of the afternoon cleaning Sojourner Truth Ministries and serving hot meals to those in need. LCUW organized several projects throughout the community in conjunction with the national observance, a time for charitable contributions on the heels of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Supplementing the volunteer outreach, the college’s Human Resources Office collected gloves, socks and personal care items for donation to the 501 High St. facility. Photos provided by Mattie L. Pulizzi, human resources specialist: development and compliance
Faculty and staff in the Penn College nursing program adopted The Cupboard for the holidays. The Cupboard is an on-campus food pantry for students, operated by Dining Services. Organized by Pamela W. Baker, assistant professor of nursing, the two-week food drive yielded 181 food items and $150 in cash. During the Fall 2019 semester, almost 90 students visited The Cupboard to obtain food.
