News about Welding

Penn College Women Welders Aim for National Recognition

An all-female team from Penn College will compete for gold in welding fabrication at the SkillsUSA National Championships in late June. From left are Natalie J. Rhoades, Weedville; Joelle E. Perelli, Bath; and Erin M. Beaver, Winfield. The three students are seeking bachelor’s degrees in welding and fabrication engineering technology.

Pennsylvania College of Technology students vying for gold at the SkillsUSA National Championships is common. An all-female welding team representing the school at the prestigious competition is not.

Thanks to three talented female welding and fabrication engineering technology students, it may be in the future. The trio aim to be trendsetters at the college and nationally.

“I told them that they shocked Pennsylvania when they went to Hershey and won gold. I truly believe that if they stay focused and put in the time and effort, they could very well shock the nation,” said Jacob B. Holland, the welding instructor instrumental in forming the all-female team for SkillsUSA’s welding fabrication competition.

Erin M. Beaver, of Winfield; Joelle E. Perelli, of Bath; and Natalie J. Rhoades, of Weedville, defeated all-male counterparts at the district and state levels to advance to the SkillsUSA National Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, June 25-29. The annual event showcases the best career and technical education students, who compete in about 100 categories from computer programming to culinary arts.

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Two Alumni Honored at Penn College Commencements

Pennsylvania College of Technology presented honors to two alumni during Spring 2018 commencement ceremonies, held May 11-12 at the Community Arts Center, Williamsport.

Andrew S. Wisner, of Cumming, Georgia, formerly of York, received the Alumni Achievement Award on May 11, and Bradley G. Willis, of Harrisburg, formerly of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, was presented with the Volunteer of the Year Award during morning exercises on May 12.

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Penn College Baja Team Pumped for Kansas Competition

Members of the Penn College Baja SAE team take a well-earned break during their April competition in Maryland. Standing from left are: Myron D. Milliken, Lewistown; Matthew J. Nyman, Lock Haven; Todd R. Mercer, Williamsport; Dylan A. Bianco, State College; Christopher M. Schweikert, Jamison; Mathias Decker, Farmington; Shujaa AlQahtani, Saudi Arabia; Trevor M. Clouser, Millmont; Daniel M. Gerard, Doylestown; Joshua J. Cover, Selinsgrove; adviser John G. Upcraft; and Jonathan R. Sutcliffe, Orangeville. Sitting on the car from left are: Logan B. Goodhart, Chambersburg; Johnathan T. Capps, North Wales; and Mark A. Turek, Red Lion. Sitting on the ground is alumnus Zach Mazur, who started the college’s Baja SAE team in 2005.

During the past few years, the Pennsylvania College of Technology Baja SAE team has been among the world’s best. Now, the dedicated students want to be the best.

Penn College can obtain that lofty ranking when it competes against 99 other schools in the next Society of Automotive Engineers event, scheduled for May 17-20 in Pittsburg, Kansas.

“Our goal is to win the endurance race,” said Logan B. Goodhart, a manufacturing engineering technology major from Chambersburg, who serves as team captain. “Our car has a lot of potential. We just have to play things smart and have a little luck.”

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Shower of Sparks Brings May Flowers

In the welding lab (from left), Sparkman, Nolan and Carlson display their towering, flowering creation ...

... before it was transported "over the mountain" and installed at its permanent location outside the ESC.

An instructor and two students in his Gas Metal Arc welding class created an appropriate greenhouse sign for the Schneebeli Earth Science Center, home to Penn College’s horticulture/landscape technology major. The project began when Facebook-posted photos of metal roses crafted in Matt W. Nolan’s welding lab on main campus caught the eye of a faculty colleague at the ESC. “I asked him if he would be interested in creating a new sign for our Greenhouse #3,” said Carl J. Bower Jr., assistant professor of horticulture, noting that the existing sign – a small piece of wood into which the facility’s name was carved – was rather dated. “He and his students came through and created a fitting sign for us.” Nolan was joined on the job by welding and fabrication engineering technology majors Daniel C. Carlson, of Linesville, and Tyler J. Sparkman, of Aliquippa. “Carl said he planted sunflowers in this greenhouse, among other plants, so I thought some steel sunflowers would be perfect. I also wanted to create a piece of art that would stand the test of time much like that old wooden sign was struggling to do!” Nolan said. “The students did such a great job and also created a piece of artwork that showcases the skills they have learned. I’m very proud of Ty and Dan’s hard work on this project, as well as all the welding students in our program.”
Photos by Bower

SkillsUSA Competitors Strike Gold; 21 Students Headed to Nationals

SkillsUSA Pennsylvania

Nearly all 27 members of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s SkillsUSA team – 21 of them advancing to the 54th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky – earned medals during recent state competition.

The competitors represent majors across four of Penn College’s academic schools, and the theme for the April 18-20 Pennsylvania Leadership and Skills Conference in Hershey couldn’t have been more fitting for students gaining career-making skills in hands-on fashion: “Champions at Work: Job-Ready, Day One.”

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Last updated April 24, 2018 | Posted in Architectural Technology, Automated Manufacturing & Machining, Aviation, Baking, Pastry & Culinary Arts, Building Construction, Business & Hospitality, Construction & Design Technologies, Electrical, Engineering Design Technology, Faculty & Staff, Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning, Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies, Information Technology, Plastics & Polymer, Students, Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies, Welding | Leave a comment

Welding Students Earn Top Honors in Proficiency Tests

From left are Michael E. Allen, welding instructor and department head; students Bachman, Brown, Cline and Passarelli; Flood, AWS president; and students Carroll and Rosler.

... and joins top prize-winner Bachman (with his plaque and Rebel Welding Machine).

Six Penn College students were among those recognized at a recent American Welding Society banquet as the top winners in a peer-to-peer skills competition held this semester in the Avco-Lycoming Metal Trades Center. The annual event was the culmination of precision tasks performed by advanced welding students and judged by retired faculty and industry experts. Aided by X-ray inspection of the contestants’ test-weld coupons, the judging team assessed the students’ aptitude, selected the highest performers, and showered the winners with plaques and prizes. Awarded first through sixth places, respectively, were Gavin P. Bachman, of Slatington; Leif E. Brown, of Huntingdon; Skyler M. Cline, of Erin, New York; Timothy O. Passarelli, of Purcellville, Virginia; Douglas V. Carroll, of Gouldsboro; and Ethan D. Rosler, of Bloomsburg. Cline and Rosler are enrolled in welding and fabrication engineering technology; the others are all welding technology majors. The featured speaker for the evening, which also celebrated the winners of a related high school competition, was 2018 AWS President Dale Flood, of Tri Tool Inc. in Rancho Cordova, California.
Photos by Rachel A. Eirmann, student photographer

Thirteen Students Selected for Penn College NOW Scholarships

Penn College presented scholarships to 13 first-year students who took Penn College NOW courses. From left are Tavor T. Wadsworth, of Williamsport; Vincent R. Keene, of Downingtown; Kayley E. Johnson, of Bloomsburg; Monica A. McCarty, Penn College’s dual enrollment specialist; Michael L. Gardner, of Williamsport; Warren E. Knipe, of Liberty; and Tanya Berfield, the college’s manager of college transitions. Additional recipients not in the photo are: Cheyenne N. Greene, of Jersey Shore; Deontae Z. Johnson, of Selinsgrove; Kylee E. Kelley, of Lock Haven; Tyler W. Miller, of Montgomery; Luke B. Walter, of Millmont; Brittany M. Weiskopff, of Blossburg; Clayton T. Welch, of Benton; and Jeremy M. Wolfgang, of Allenwood.

Pennsylvania College of Technology recently recognized 13 first-year students who received Penn College NOW scholarships.

The recipients completed Penn College courses during high school as part of the college’s Penn College NOW dual-enrollment program. The group was honored during an Oct. 27 reception.

To be eligible, students must have successfully completed at least one Penn College NOW course, have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in Penn College NOW classes, enroll in Penn College as a full-time freshman student for the fall semester after high school graduation, and maintain a 2.5 GPA at Penn College as an enrolled student.

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Last updated December 5, 2017 | Posted in Accounting & Finance, Art and Graphic Design, Automotive, Baking, Pastry & Culinary Arts, Building Construction, Business & Hospitality, College Transitions, Construction & Design Technologies, Dental Hygiene, Electrical, Electronics & Computer Engineering Technology, Emergency Management, Engineering Design Technology, Health Sciences, Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies, Nursing, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications, Students, Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies, Welding |

Fall Commencement to Be Held Dec. 16 at Community Arts Center

Penn College will hold its Fall 2017 commencement ceremony Dec. 16 at the Community Arts Center.

A commencement ceremony will be held Saturday, Dec. 16, for the nearly 300 Pennsylvania College of Technology students who have petitioned to graduate following the Fall 2017 semester.

The ceremony will start at 11 a.m. in the Community Arts Center, 220 W. Fourth St., Williamsport. More than 225 students are expected to march in the proceedings.

The student speaker will be Garrett Davis Corneliussen, of Hickory, North Carolina, who will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in welding and fabrication engineering technology.

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Welding Projects Well Worth Their Weight

Instructor Colton (left) rises to better assess welding and fabrication engineering technology students Sean A. Moore (center), of York, and Michael J. Dippold II, of St. Marys, as they add more and more weight to their bridge. The pair's creation carried the Thursday afternoon leg of the annual competition, withstanding 494 pounds of pull.

Adding style to strength, the Moore/Dippold team topped its bridge with Old Glory.

Circling the makeshift arena, welding students gather for the competition and cheer on their classmates.

Combining the thrill of competition with a display of what they’ve learned in class, Penn College welding students recently constructed metal bridges that were strength-tested in front of their peers. This year’s competition involved 55 students from three sections, allowed to work individually or in groups of two. James N. Colton II, an assistant professor of welding, said bridge materials are limited to two pieces of 1/8-inch, two pieces of 3/32-inch and four pieces of 1/16-inch welding wiring. The bridge also has to be within a weight range of 270 to 310 grams and meet all dimensional criteria. This year’s overall winner was built by welding and fabrication engineering technology majors Andrew P. Hatch, of Williamsport, and Michael A. Cramer, of Punxsutawney, and held 565 pounds. (The record – 640 pounds – was set in 2015 by now-alumni Devin A. Whiteman and Colby D. Macomber.)

Welding Lab Horrifyingly Reborn in ‘Arc’ of Triumph

Wail to the chief! A perennial good sport for student-focused activities, college President Davie Jane Gilmour elicits kindly shudders during a midterm "makeup" exam.

Arms linked in solidarity, an entourage recoils at a jump scare.

Benevolent bloodletting is the order of the night, as an all-in-fun trail of terrors snakes through the welding lab.

Brewing up their special brand of sorcery, witches add to the seasonal chill.

Two of the attraction's frightful sights help attendees face their fears.

“Arc Asylum 3.0,” the American Welding Society student chapter’s third annual house of horrors, filled everyday instructional space with extraordinary shrieks and nervous laughter. Amid the dark hideaways and creepy corners of the lab (Room A136 of the Avco-Lycoming Metal Trades Center) – and including some top-tier talent in their gallery of ghouls – the Penn College students again took full advantage of the layout’s macabre potential. “Everyone involved did a fantastic job in pulling the event off without a hitch. Dr. Gilmour volunteered to help work the haunted house, dressed in a great costume including all the touches like fake blood and a face-peeling zipper effect,” welding instructor Jacob B. Holland said. “Our AWS chapter raised a significant amount of money, since we increased our attendance by 50 percent over last year. There were a lot of happy customers that loved the scares we were able to provide them. We look forward to attempting to be even bigger and better next year!” A portion of the proceeds were donated to the Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide prevention, and contributions were accepted for The Cupboard campus food pantry.
Photos by Tia G. La, student photographer

Enlightening Alumni Among Homecoming VIPs

Alumni often attend Homecoming to reunite with classmates, revisit faculty who steered them toward vocational success and unwind among friends before the alarm clock resounds. Graduates of Penn College and its predecessors frequently return for another reason, as was seen this past week: to share life lessons from the working world.

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New Metal Fabrication Degree Doubles Down on Student Skills

Penn College is promoting versatile manufacturing skills with a new associate degree in metal fabrication technology. The unique, two-year program provides students with foundational skills in machining and welding, which prepares them for a variety of rewarding manufacturing careers. “One reoccuring theme that I heard from students when I was in welding was they wanted to learn how to machine. And then when I taught classes in machining, I heard them saying they wanted to learn how to weld,” says Howard W. Troup, maintenance mechanic/millwright specialist in the School of Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies. “I would ask employers that were looking for either a welder or a machining person, ‘What if you had a person that had both those skill sets?’ And their eyes would just light up and they would say, ‘That would be fantastic!'”

Board Re-Elects Officers, Views Design for Welding Expansion

In the lone action item on Thursday’s agenda, the Pennsylvania College of Technology Board of Directors retained its slate of officers for 2017-18. The board also was presented with design plans for the grant-funded expansion of the college’s popular welding program.

Sen. Gene Yaw was re-elected chair of the board. Robert N. Pangborn, vice chair, and Joseph J. Doncsecz, treasurer, retain their roles, as well. Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour will continue to function as secretary to the board. Suzanne T. Stopper remains assistant treasurer, and Valerie A. Baier continues as assistant secretary.

The board heard a presentation from Dave Cotner, dean of industrial, computing and engineering technologies, and Benedict H. Dubbs, owner of Murray Associates Architects, Harrisburg, on the design for the expansion of the college’s welding facility, made possible in part by a $2 million grant provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The expansion increases the size of welding-related instructional space in the Avco-Lycoming Metal Trades Center to approximately 40,000 square feet.

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Penn College Welding Student Saves Tractor Pull

The welding skills of Robert S. Barnes, a Penn College student from Montoursville, saved the day for participants and spectators at a recent tractor pull event in the area. (Photo by James "J.J." Boettcher, student photographer)

Robert S. Barnes is a self-described perfectionist. The welding student at Pennsylvania College of Technology says he strives to make the next bead better than the last until it’s perfect.

The result of one of his recent welds was perfect. So was his timing. Barnes employed his skills to ensure the continuation of a tractor and truck pull competition during Heritage Days at Antes Fort. Thanks to his effort, participants and a couple thousand spectators were treated to a complete event with little delay.

“He saved us probably an hour before we could get a trailer in and weld the broken piece ourselves,” said Dan Wenner, president of Antes Fort Tractor and Truck Pullers Inc. “We still had a couple hours to go in the event.”

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Foundation Honors Two Penn College Students

Penn College welding and fabrication engineering technology majors Alexander M. Barlow (left), of Hanover, and Nathaniel H. Lyon, of Fredericksburg, were awarded $1,500 scholarships each from Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, the foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association.

A foundation dedicated to manufacturing careers has honored two Pennsylvania College of Technology welding students with scholarships.

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, the foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, awarded $1,500 scholarships to Alexander M. Barlow, of Hanover, and Nathaniel H. Lyon, of Fredericksburg. Both students are seeking bachelor’s degrees in welding and fabrication engineering technology.

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Pennsylvania College of Technology is a special mission affiliate of The Pennsylvania State University