News about Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications

Morgan Foundation grant pushes scholarship fund past $1 million

A second gift of $500,000 from the Tamaqua-based John E. Morgan Foundation has boosted an endowed scholarship fund at Pennsylvania College of Technology to more than $1 million.

The John E. Morgan Scholarship gives first preference to graduates of Tamaqua Area High School who are pursuing “a degree that is not readily available from other institutions, at a comparable price, within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

Examples of such programs offered at Penn College include, but are not limited to, culinary arts and systems, web and interactive media, building science and sustainable design, health information management, industrial design, plastics and polymer engineering technology, emergency management technology, and aviation maintenance technology.

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Start building a Penn College future at Oct. 28 Open House

The Madigan Library (left) and Bush Campus Center are two of the facilities that visitors to Pennsylvania College of Technology may tour during Fall Open House on Sunday, Oct. 28.

Students looking for a bold next step in their educational journey are encouraged to attend an Oct. 28 Open House at Pennsylvania College of Technology, where “future made by hand” is a template for success.

“Visiting a college campus should be an experience. At Open House, students are able to touch, see and explore their future,” said Claire Z. Biggs, assistant director of admissions. “From the state-of-the-art labs to the knowledgeable faculty and staff, Penn College is the place to be if you want to be a tomorrow maker.”

The college will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for prospective students and their families to explore more than 100 bachelor’s, associate and certificate programs. Free bus service will be available on the main campus in Williamsport, and shuttles will transport guests to and from the nearby Lumley Aviation and Schneebeli Earth Science centers throughout the day.

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Weeklong celebration puts focus on CLC’s daily importance

Everyone's favorite mascot pays a visit to the Children's Learning Center.

Through a variety of activities this past week, Penn College’s nationally accredited Dunham Children’s Learning Center celebrated the services and support it offers to youngsters, families and the campus community. The center, which also serves as a learning laboratory for early childhood education students, joined its counterparts across the country in observing National Campus Children’s Centers Week (Oct. 8-12).

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Manhattan exhibition to feature Penn College professor’s art

David M. Moyer

Three works of art created by a graphic design faculty member at Pennsylvania College of Technology will be exhibited in Manhattan during November.

Wood engravings crafted by David M. Moyer, assistant professor of graphic design, have been selected for inclusion in “The Print Effect: Small Works/Big Impact” at Manhattan Graphics Center, 250 W. 40th St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues in New York’s artistic garment district.

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Economics professor presents at state conference

Abdul B. Pathan

Abdul B. Pathan, professor of economics at Pennsylvania College of Technology, presented a paper at the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Economics Association, held recently at Penn State Altoona.

Pathan’s paper, “Make Principles of Economics Class Interesting to Your Students,” explored live demonstrations involving various economics topics and explained the need for utilizing diverse techniques in lecture delivery.

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CLC celebration includes fall story time at college library

Smith takes her young audience on the windblown journey of "Leaf Man," sharing the colorful collages that adorn each page.

T-shirts, brightly bragging of the center's four-star accreditation, are sported by the enthralled library visitors.

The children delivered a handmade "thank you" and commemorative greeting cards that they're handing out to students and employees in their campus travels this week.

"The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything" gets the full read-aloud treatment from Line – complete with every "clomp," "wiggle," "shake," "nod," "clap" and "boo" that lead to the surprise ending.

Hugs were plentiful as youngsters lined up to show their gratitude.

Preschoolers from the Dunham Children’s Learning Center visited Penn College’s Madigan Library on Tuesday morning for story time. Tommie L. Smith, library operations/public services assistant, and April N. Line, library support services assistant, each read an autumn-themed book to the boys and girls gathered on the first floor. The visit is among the activities scheduled during National Campus Children’s Centers Week (Oct. 8-12).

The third time’s a charmer!

Enjoying the autumnal alumni evening (from left): Timothy D. Haldeman, ’11, manufacturing engineering technology; Michael D. Ferraiolo, ’10, aviation technology, and ‘11, aviation maintenance technology, and guest, Melyssa McHale; and Whitnie-rae (Mays) Haldeman, ’12, advertising art, and ’14, applied technology studies.

The disparate threads of Homecoming and Parent & Family Weekend were woven together again this fall, producing another seamless tapestry of fun and reconnection for graduates, current students and families. The third annual combined celebration kicked off with a Friday bonfire, tent party and Hall of Fame Banquet; continued Saturday with a presidential breakfast, Williamsport bus and trolley excursions, lab tours, a golf outing and on-campus sporting events, arts and crafts, and an alumni reunion at downtown nightspots; and concluded Sunday with more athletics and a fond farewell (until next year)!

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College’s brewing major blends pleasure, discipline

Penn College’s unique associate degree in brewing and fermentation science, one of the few programs recognized by the Master Brewers Association of America, prepares students for a variety of rewarding careers in the growing brewing industry. The hands-on program is led by master brewer Timothy L. Yarrington, who has more than 25 years of industry experience. “I want to have some influence on the next generation of brewers and make sure that we never lose that pleasure and that joy of the hard work of learning and the discipline of brewing,” Yarrington affirms in a video added to the college’s YouTube channel. “It’s special, for sure.” One member of that new generation is Eric J. Tuller, a brewing and fermentation student from Montoursville, who has high praise for his academic mentor: He’s “not a guy who’s just sat and learned everything from books without ever pursuing it,” Tuller says of Yarrington. “He’s actually out there in the field doing it. His knowledge has a lot more weight than someone who’s just reading up on it.”

Brewing major capital-izes on state’s blossoming beer industry

Cooley, Ingram and Richards (from left) stand outside Gov. Tom Wolf's residence ...

... and mingle with proponents of the prosperous brewing industry in The Keystone State.

The numbers speak for themselves: "From grain to glass," the economic impact is enormous.

Penn College and its brewing and fermentation science major were well-represented Tuesday in Harrisburg, where faculty and an administrator attended a “Tapping Into Pennsylvania’s Beer Industry” event at the Governor’s Mansion. Among those on hand were several employees instrumental in development of the two-year degree, including D. Robert Cooley, associate professor of anthropology/environmental science; Justin M. Ingram, assistant professor of biology; and David R. Richards, professor of physics. “The experience provided us the opportunity to collaborate with industry leaders, share insight about our program and discuss internship opportunities,” said Michael J. Reed, dean of sciences, humanities and visual communications, who accompanied faculty members and provided the photos. The group watched the “Poured in PA” documentary, which outlines the opportunities and challenges associated with the multibillion-dollar craft beer industry. The film includes a pre-Penn College segment about Timothy L. Yarrington, a professional brewmaster, highlighting the importance of education and high standards within the field. (Yarrington, an instructor of brewing and fermentation science at the college, was unable to attend the event.)

Emergency management grad urges career preparedness, too

David E. Bjorkman, instructor of emergency management/social science, introduces his guest speaker to emergency management students.

Hess details various types of disaster recovery planning strategies.

The emergency management lab, on the fourth floor of Klump Academic Center, offers a collaborative work space.

Emergency management technology graduate Elizabeth (Landis) Hess, ’17, returned to the classroom recently to share her advice and expertise with students in the major. Hess is working as a disaster preparedness associate at Delta Development Group, Mechanicsburg. Among her projects, the Penn College alumna is working with public health, state and local stakeholders, and health care coalitions on a variety of emergency management initiatives. During her time in the major, Hess interned over two summers at the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center under the guidance of its emergency preparedness coordinator. As part of her visit to her alma mater, Hess discussed courses within the emergency management curricula that she has found particularly relevant in the world of work, and encouraged students to take full advantage of internships and other learning opportunities that will enhance their resumes and skill sets. Once on the job, she told her audience to “humble yourself and be willing to learn” as they begin to navigate their careers and to keep an open mind to different paths since emergency management “is a broad field” filled with many possibilities and specialties.

Reception extols exquisite addition to ATHS

Highly regarded – literally! – for his eye-grabbing work on campus, Stabley plays to the admiring crowd below.

The artist (center) describes his process.

A guest snaps a cellphone photo of the work-in-progress, shown on one of the atrium’s monitors.

Stabley points out the intricacy of his creation's colored glass tiles.

A reception celebrating the magnificence of the mosaic gracing the Breuder Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center was hosted Friday evening by the mosaic’s creator, David A. Stabley, instructor of ceramics and wood sculpture. Art supporters, friends and family from Williamsport, as well as the Bloomsburg, Danville and Lancaster areas, gathered in the building’s atrium. For some, it was their first visit to Penn College and “they were very impressed with the campus,” Stabley reports. The abstract mosaic, designed to complement the atrium’s angles as well as the sunlight that streams into the space, was installed during the summers of 2017 and 2018. Stabley estimates installation took about 350 hours. The ATHS mosaic is the artist’s third large-scale mosaic created on Penn College’s main campus. He will begin one in downtown Williamsport in the spring.

Be Smart, Rule the World

A group from New Covenant Academy in Mansfield makes final adjustments to its wearable back massager during a STEM Design Challenge hosted by BLaST Intermediate Unit 17 in the college’s Field House.

From the Fall 2018 Penn College Magazine: To prepare the next generation for the jobs of the future, make them curious about how things work, faculty experts say. Read “Be Smart, Rule the World.”

‘Working Class’ Documentary Series Earns Third Telly Award

From left, Jacob R. Miller, Elaine J. Lambert, Edwin G. Owens, Lauren A. Rhodes, Christopher J. Leigh, Edward J. Almasy and Spyke M. Krepshaw were integral in the production of “Working Class: Game On! Why Math Matters,” a Telly Award-winning episode of the documentary series produced by Penn College and WVIA Public Media.

“Working Class: Game On! Why Math Matters,” produced by Pennsylvania College of Technology and WVIA Public Media, has earned a 2018 Bronze Telly Award.

Selected from more than 12,000 national and international entries, the Telly Awards represent work from some of the most respected advertising agencies, television stations, production companies and publishers from around the world. In 2018, PBS productions earned 33 Telly Awards, including several for “The Vietnam War: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.”

“Working Class: Game On! Why Math Matters” is the third episode in the “Working Class” public television series to win a Telly Award. The series’ premiere episode, “Working Class: Dream & Do,” earned the award in 2016; “Working Class: Build & Grow Green” received the honor in 2017.

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Where It Reigns, They Pour

Uniformly expressing an oft-heard Saturday sentiment is an entourage that includes Ashley R. Hilfiger (second from right), a 2010 technology management alum.

Penn College’s brewing and fermentation science major was again featured at Saturday’s Billtown Brewfest in Pine Square, organized by the Lycoming County Visitors Bureau and the Brickyard Restaurant & Ale House in celebration of craft beers. The second annual event offered two three-hour tastings from among an impressive range of regional brewers, and included musical entertainment on the stage outside Trade & Transit Centre II.

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Children’s Learning Center Grant Lowers Costs for Eligible Parents

Pennsylvania College of Technology student Shaunice M. Douglas, of Williamsport, completes a craft with her son during a family event at the Children’s Learning Center, which provides on-campus child care for the children of Penn College students and employees while their parents attend class or work. Douglas is a pre-nursing student.

The Dunham Children’s Learning Center at Pennsylvania College of Technology received a $92,118 grant to help reduce child care fees for eligible students who enroll their children at the facility.

The CCAMPIS grant was issued by the U.S. Department of Education. The abbreviation stands for Child Care Access Means Parents in School. It helps the Children’s Learning Center to provide discounts to Penn College students whose income makes them eligible for federal Pell Grants. Reductions range from 25 to 75 percent off Children’s Learning Center fees based on a student’s income as reported to the college’s Financial Aid Office.

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Penn College is a special mission affiliate of Penn State