Welding

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Faculty training heralds electron beam welder’s delivery

Assembling for a group photo during training in Agawam, Mass., are (from left) welding instructors Aaron E. Biddle and Ty E. Rhinehart; James N. Colton, assistant professor of welding; welding instructors Ryan P. Good and Jacob B. Holland; Tony Slater, technical sales manager, Cambridge Vacuum Engineering; CVE field engineers Jorge Alvarez and Daniel Rosania; and Michael R. Allen, welding instructor.

Faculty were trained on a 60-kilovolt electron beam welder, akin to one that is bound for Penn College this fall.

Welding faculty intently listen to Alvarez ... — Welding faculty intently listen to Alvarez …

... during instruction on the machine's operation and components. — … during instruction on the machine’s operation and components.

Penn College welding faculty recently undertook three days of training at Cambridge Vacuum Engineering Inc. on an electron beam welder that is very similar to the one that will be delivered to campus this fall. Electron beam welding – vital technology in the aerospace, automotive, energy, medical, semiconductor and military industries – is commonly used in the manufacturing of small components. Once installed in the greatly expanded Lycoming Engines Metal Trades Center, it will be the only electron beam welder placed by CVE in any college or university within the United States.

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Penn College bestows Distinguished Teaching Awards

Three Pennsylvania College of Technology faculty members were honored at Spring 2019 Commencement ceremonies for their prowess as teachers.

Ryan P. Good, assistant professor of welding, was presented with the highest honor accorded to Penn College faculty: the Veronica M. Muzic Master Teacher Award.

Two faculty members received recognition for their outstanding teaching skills by earning Excellence in Teaching Awards: Drew R. Potts, assistant professor and department head of civil engineering technology, and David S. Richards, professor of physics.

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Wide-ranging tour enlightens state Senate committee chairs

Haywood marvels at the breathing chest of a "patient" in the School of Nursing & Health Sciences, where Dean Sandra L. Richmond (left) explained the simulation aids available to nursing students.

A bipartisan group of state legislators, all present for President Davie Jane Gilmour’s budget request to the Senate Appropriations Committee in February, got a follow-up look at Penn College during a trip to main campus on Tuesday. Touring a number of instructional labs with Sen. Gene Yaw (chairman of the college’s board of directors), administrators, faculty and staff were Sen. Art Haywood (D-Cheltenham), minority chair of the Health and Human Services Committee; Sen. Thomas H. Killion (R-Middletown), who chairs the Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee; Sen. Daniel Laughlin (R-Erie), chair of the Game and Fisheries Committee; and Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia), minority chairman of the Banking and Insurance Committee. Along for the visit were H. Fred Walker, director of Erie County Technical School; Kendall Alexander, Haywood’s communications director; and three members of Street’s staff: policy assistant Micah Mahjoubian, legislative aide Angel Betancourt and special assistant Kenneth Carter. Some members of the Senate contingent, who collectively represent highly populated areas from Erie in the northwest to Philadelphia in the southeast corner of the commonwealth, also enjoyed lunch in Le Jeune Chef Restaurant.

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Miller partners with Penn College for welding expansion project

Commemorating the Miller-Pennsylvania College of Technology partnership are (from left) Loni N. Kline, vice president for institutional advancement, Penn College; Jim Wynegar, corporate account manager, ITW Welding North America; Elizabeth A. Biddle, director of corporate relations, Penn College; Michael R. Allen, instructor and department head, welding, Penn College; Justin Heistand, district manager, ITW Welding North America; and Rick Conrad, field application engineer, ITW Welding North America, and a 2002 Penn College alumnus.

This fall, when Pennsylvania College of Technology opens its expanded welding lab facility – one that will enable enrollment of up to 60 more future welders annually – students in the popular program will hone their skills on industry-standard equipment they are sure to encounter on the job.

A partnership between Penn College and Miller, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of original equipment used in the welding industry, will ensure that students in the college’s welding majors gain familiarity with equipment that is used throughout the welding industry.

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Penn College welding student ‘sparks’ inspiration

Destiny R. Barto, of Liberty, who calls Wyalusing her hometown, overcame multiple obstacles to pursue her bachelor’s degree in welding and fabrication engineering technology at Penn College. She is set to graduate May 17.

A cacophony of sounds reverberates throughout the expansive lab. Sparks emanating from rows of booths color the facility. Motion is constant as students and teachers navigate to the next project while a parade of visitors watches the action unfold.

Bustling activity, bright lights and loud noises usually are disconcerting for Destiny R. Barto. But on this morning, like many of her days at Pennsylvania College of Technology, she has shelter from all distractions. The pink hood enveloping her head provides a sanctuary, as she grasps a welding rod and strikes an arc on a long piece of metal.

The resulting path of weld beads is much smoother than the one she followed to arrive at this moment. Obstacles littered that path from the day she was born in Elmira, New York.

“I really have to stop and think about what I have done in order to feel accomplished,” she said. “Most of the time, I’m focused on the things I have to do. There’s a lot to do.”

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AACA’s Hershey Chapter revisits college’s hands-on world

As is generally the case, students are the best college ambassadors when company comes to call.

Members of the Hershey Region of the Antique Automobile Association of America, among the generous champions of Penn College’s automotive restoration technology major, recently returned to main campus as the first stop on this season’s “Point Run” schedule. The group enjoyed a buffet lunch, toured several instructional areas, and met with student members of the Penn College Motorsports Association and the Classic Cruisers Club.

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Scholarship luncheon provides firsthand look at donors’ impact

Ferki tells guests, “Scholarships act as a gateway to inspire growth in a student’s academics and passion for his or her industry.” She is the recipient of the SEKISUI SPI Workforce Development Scholarship and the Penn College Foundation Scholarship.

The empowering combination of applied technology education and financial support was celebrated Sunday afternoon, as Pennsylvania College of Technology hosted its second annual Scholarship Luncheon in the campus Field House.

“I am overwhelmed by the collective energies in this room to transform tomorrow,” President Davie Jane Gilmour said, addressing students, families and donors alike. Announcing that the coming academic year will include the largest total amount of scholarships awarded in any one year during the college’s history, she thanked attendees for their significant role in helping students succeed.

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Pre-College Programs to enrich participants’ summer experience

Young women enrolled in SMART Girls, among the wide-ranging roster of pre-college programs at Pennsylvania College of Technology, assemble a robot during last summer’s camp.

Building construction has been added to the abounding schedule of pre-college initiatives offered at Pennsylvania College of Technology, hands-on summer activities that mirror the nationally renowned opportunities afforded postsecondary students.

“Our Pre-College Programs offer living and learning experiences in which students have opportunities to explore unique academic interests in a state-of-the-art environment,” said Deborah B. Wescott, manager of conference and guest relations. “It’s a chance to work and make connections with industry leaders, meet and mingle with your peers, and establish a path that could lead to all sorts of future possibilities.”

The signup deadline is May 31 for the institution’s 12 residential programs and its one day camp.

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Penn College welding students cap unique remodeling project

A group of Penn College welding students and their faculty adviser crafted the focal point for a remodeling project undertaken by a McEwensville homeowner residing in a former church.

A dedicated group of Pennsylvania College of Technology welding students added the “crown” to a stunning remodeling job for a McEwensville homeowner.

Seven members of the college’s American Welding Society student chapter and faculty adviser Steve J. Kopera volunteered their time and expertise to craft and install a 6-by-9-foot “tree of life” metallic sculpture at a former church.

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Student’s Native American-themed sculpture headed for competition

The local journalist focuses on her subject ... — The local journalist focuses on her subject …

... who combines art and aspiration in her welding work. — … who combines art and aspiration in her welding work.

Anne Reiner, founder of the On the Pulse local news site, recently interviewed Penn College welding major Erin M. Beaver, of Winfield, for a piece about the sculpture she is crafting for next month’s state SkillsUSA competition. Part of an all-female team that competed at SkillsUSA nationals last year, the senior draws upon a reverence for Native American culture (and an equally strong vocational passion) in crafting her latest creation.

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All-female welding team featured in SkillsUSA publication

Three female welding and fabrication engineering technology majors, who competed at SkillsUSA Nationals last summer, are included in the winter issue of SkillsUSA Champions. Erin M. Beaver, of Winfield; Joelle E. Perelli, of Bath; and Natalie J. Rhoades, of Weedville, were among the nearly two dozen Penn College students who traveled to SkillsUSA National Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, by virtue of their earlier gold medals in Pennsylvania competition. The magazine has a print circulation of about 25,000 educators and stakeholders, with a substantial digital circulation to student members.

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Project roundtable opens window on work in progress

Carol A. Lugg, dean of construction and design technologies, applauds the organizers of the roundtable. Among her observations? Where many work sites might display signs that say, "Construction zone; keep out," Penn College's message is one of, "Construction zone; come in." — Carol A. Lugg, dean of construction and design technologies, applauds the organizers of the roundtable. Among her observations? Where many work sites might display signs that say, “Construction zone; keep out,” Penn College’s message is one of, “Construction zone; come in.”

Among the panelists giving their audience a front-row seat on the painstaking process from blueprints to execution are (from left) Zerby, Heimbach, Maholtz and Rissel.

Drew R. Potts, assistant professor of civil engineering technology, keeps the dialogue flowing and functional.

David R. Cotner, dean of industrial, computing and engineering technologies, gestures to the expansion underway just beyond the CAL classroom's windows. The project will increase instructional space by approximately 35,000 square feet and allow for enrollment gains in the traditionally popular welding program. — David R. Cotner, dean of industrial, computing and engineering technologies, gestures to the expansion underway just beyond the CAL classroom’s windows. The project will increase instructional space by approximately 35,000 square feet and allow for enrollment gains in the traditionally popular welding program.

Potts moderates the give-and-take that featured engaging commentary by (from left) Dubbs, Rodino, Vassallo, Murphy and Colocino.

Varied construction professionals working on expansion of the Lycoming Engines Metal Trades Center, some with decades of experience on Penn College projects, recently shared their considerable insights during a National Engineers Week panel discussion. Organized by the School of Construction & Design Technologies and its Civil Engineering and Surveying Department, the event connected a standing-room-only crowd of students, faculty and administrators to those working on the project – and navigating such diverse challenges as relocation of parking, management of storm water, the need for consistent communication and knowledge of the electrical service required to power the nation’s only electron-beam welding equipment on a college campus. The panel comprised civil and electrical engineers, surveyors, architects, construction managers, and contractors: Todd Colocino, CMT Laboratories Inc.; Benedict Dubbs, Murray Associates Architects; Jeremy Heimbach, Myco Mechanical; Chad Maholtz, Leonard S. Fiore Inc.; John Murphy, Greenman-Pedersen Inc.; Timothy O. Rissell, executive director of Penn College General Services; Thomas A. Rodino, Marx Sheet Metal & Mechanical Inc.; Dan A. Vassallo, Vassallo Engineering and Surveying Inc.; and Rich Zerby, TurnKey Electric Inc.

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MTC expansion topic for Engineers Week roundtable

Panelists to discuss MTC expansion during Engineers Week roundtable.

Team members involved in expansion of the Lycoming Engines Metal Trades Center at Penn College will discuss their roles and responsibilities during a roundtable session from 3:30-5 p.m. Tuesday in Room 104 of College Avenue Labs.

Hosted by the college’s Civil Engineering and Surveying Department and the School of Construction & Design Technologies, the event will connect the campus community to the civil engineers, surveyors, architects, construction managers, contractors and others whose expertise is vital to the ongoing project.

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Penn College first in U.S. higher education to get innovative welder

Through a partnership with Cambridge Vacuum Engineering Inc., Pennsylvania College of Technology will soon have an electron beam welder, similar to the unit shown here, for use in its welding and metal fabrication program.

Pennsylvania College of Technology is partnering with Cambridge Vacuum Engineering Inc. to bring electron beam welding to the curriculum of its welding and metal fabrication program.

A 60kV electron beam welder from CVE, a Cambridge, England-based, company with a U.S. sales and support office, will be used by the college in its soon-to-be expanded welding instructional facility in the Lycoming Engines Metal Trade Center. This is the first electron beam welder placed by the company in any college or university within the United States, and one of only a few in higher-education institutions worldwide.

The welder will be installed in the fall of 2019, immediately enabling the college to enhance the majors offered within the welding and metal fabrication program, providing exceptional opportunities for Penn College students.

The need for electron beam welder technicians is increasing in industry; the partnership with CVE will help Penn College satisfy that demand. Electron beam welding has become a vital technology in the aerospace, automotive, energy, medical, semiconductor and military industries.

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Penn College, leading company form perfect ‘package’

Packaging Progressions Inc. in Souderton – the world’s leading supplier of high-speed interleaving and stacking machines – boasts a multi-generational connection to Penn College. Company founder and chairman Larry Ward (center) graduated from Penn College’s predecessor institution, Williamsport Area Community College, in 1966. Welder/fabricator Brett E. Stanley (left), of Lancaster, graduated from Penn College in 2012, and automation engineer Johnathan T. Capps, of North Wales, earned his degree from the college last May.

On the surface, the three men have little in common. One looks like a vibrant, distinguished grandfather with his neatly trimmed white goatee and confident gait. The second could pass for a lead singer in a rock band with his lip and nose rings, faded T-shirt and long hair. The third appears to be a budding executive with his coiffed hair and button-down shirt complemented by a perfect smile.

They are separated by appearance, age, background and job title. But the three share educational roots at Pennsylvania College of Technology and mission at Packaging Progressions Inc. in Souderton.

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