In its fifth season as a member of the North Eastern Athletic Conference, and second as a full-fledged member of NCAA Division III, Pennsylvania College of Technology continued to show it belongs.
Pennsylvania College of Technology held the Triple Crown of commencement ceremonies May 17-18 for more than 900 students who petitioned to graduate following the Spring 2019 semester. The Friday afternoon proceedings at the Community Arts Center honored students from the School of Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies and the School of Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications. Saturday morning featured The School of Construction & Design Technologies and the School of Health Sciences, while students from the School of Business & Hospitality and the School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies graduated during the afternoon session. Student speakers were Hannah G. Maize, of Riverside, who received a bachelor’s degree in plastics and polymer engineering technology (summa cum laude) on Friday; Lauren S. Herr, of Lititz, awarded a bachelor’s in construction management (summa cum laude) at Saturday morning’s session; and David A. Gadalla, of Mechanicsburg, who received a bachelor’s degree in aviation maintenance technology in the weekend’s final ceremony. The college also bestowed three teaching honors – the Veronica M. Muzic Master Teacher Award and two Excellence in Teaching Awards – as well as three alumni awards.
A graduation ceremony was held Wednesday morning for Rylee A. Butler, a member of the Penn College archery team who is unable to attend commencement exercises due to this weekend’s U.S. National Outdoor Collegiate Championships in Ohio. President Davie Jane Gilmour presented the diploma to Butler, who earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering design technology, during a brief gathering in the Student & Administrative Services Center. The building’s lobby was filled with family and other well-wishers, including faculty from the School of Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies; as well as representatives of the Athletics Department, Academic Affairs, and the Admissions, Registrar and Financial Aid offices. In addition to her degree, Butler is receiving the Academic Vice President and Provost’s Award and the Engineering Design Technology Faculty Award; she also was recently inducted into the college’s new Chi Alpha Sigma honor society for student-athletes. Spring graduation often coincides with postseason play and, in recent years, the president has taken road trips to present diplomas so Wildcats didn’t have to choose between commencement and competition.
Not only will Pennsylvania College of Technology archers be shooting for national titles later this week in Dublin, Ohio, but a trip to the World University Games is also on the line.
Competition in the U.S. National Outdoor Collegiate Championships will be held at Darree Fields Park. Official practice and opening ceremonies will be held Thursday with a 72-arrow qualifying round Friday morning followed by mixed team rounds. Another 72-arrow qualifying round will be held Saturday prior to the official team rounds later that day. Action wraps up on Sunday with the Olympic individual head-to-head knockout rounds.
In addition to national qualifying on Friday and Saturday, those rounds also will be used for World University Games qualifying as the top three in each division will have an opportunity to compete July 3-14 in Naples, Italy.
While the Pennsylvania College of Technology softball team celebrates its record-setting season and second-place finish in the North Eastern Athletic Conference, the college’s baseball team is set to make a championship run starting at 3 p.m. Tuesday when it hosts Wells College at Bowman Field.
Pennsylvania College of Technology’s new synthetic-turf athletic field will bear the name “UPMC Field,” courtesy of a commitment from UPMC Susquehanna that enhances the partnership between the college and the health system.
Penn College and UPMC Susquehanna have long enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship. UPMC Susquehanna Soldiers + Sailors in Wellsboro recently gifted a facility to the college that, following renovations and retrofitting, has become the new permanent home for Penn College at Wellsboro and its Practical Nursing Program, which addresses critical LPN shortages in the Northern Tier region. The new facility allows for a 33% expansion of enrollment in the Wellsboro program.
Penn College alumni continue to help UPMC Susquehanna meet vital staffing needs in nursing; administration; hospice care; imaging; information technology; HVAC, engineering and electrical; and marketing and recruitment.
Win the inning. That approach, and a focus on playing better defense, has lifted the Pennsylvania College of Technology softball team into this week’s North Eastern Athletic Conference postseason tournament.
As the second seed in the South Division, the Wildcats will host third-seeded Penn State Abington at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Elm Park.
In other action for Penn College teams over the weekend, both the men’s tennis and golf squads had several all-conference honorees as a result of their season-ending tournaments.
The Pennsylvania College of Technology Athletics Department welcomed its inaugural class of the Chi Alpha Sigma honor society in a ceremony at Le Jeune Chef Restaurant on Wednesday morning.
Inducted were 21 student-athletes (11 seniors and 10 juniors) – representing a variety of athletic teams, all six of Penn College’s academic schools and a grade point average of 3.769.
“This is a great honor for our student-athletes, and we are very proud of all of their accomplishments in the classroom,” said John D. Vandevere, director of athletics. “This was an initiative spearheaded by (chapter adviser) Tom Zimmerman, and we cannot thank him enough for making this a reality for our department.”
End-of-the-season North Eastern Athletic Conference championships will be on the line later this week for Pennsylvania College of Technology golfers and tennis players. Tennis action is scheduled Thursday through Saturday at the Birchwood Tennis Center in Clarks Summit and golf action is set for Saturday and Sunday at Foxchase Golf Club in Stevens.
Pennsylvania College of Technology golfers continued to hone their skills as they gear up for the end-of-the-month North Eastern Athletic Conference championships while the college’s archery team had its final tuneup before nationals in May.
Teamwork in actionShimmering with athleticism and energy …… and earning the spotlight …… the Wildcat Dance Team delivers a winning performance.
Penn College’s Wildcat Dance Team held a spring “Take the Stage” benefit Saturday afternoon in the Klump Academic Center Auditorium, the first of two performances within the week. Team members showcased numerous genres of dance throughout the production, accompanied by choreography of equally diverse style. The production will be reprised for students, staff and faculty only in a free performance at 8 p.m. Thursday. Photos by Rachel A. Eirmann, student photographer
Pennsylvania College of Technology spring sports teams, led by the men’s tennis team that went 2-0 and the women’s softball squad that won five of eight games, had a combined 8-7 record last week while the college’s golf team saw its season begin.
Wildcat softball player Morgan B. Heritage, of New Castle, Del., delivers to John D. Vandevere, director of athletics.Outfielder Shayla M. Bickel, of Shinglehouse, a Student Athlete Advisory Council representative, was a favorite target …… although her colleagues – Matt Blymier, the college’s assistant director of athletics/sports information director, and Jackie Klahold, women’s head softball coach/senior woman administrator – didn’t escape unscathed.Madeline P. “Maddie” Wenk, also on coach Klahold’s roster, aids the cause.
The Penn College Athletics Department held its fourth annual pie-in-the-face fundraiser Wednesday to mark NCAA Division III Week, which highlights and celebrates the accomplishments of student-athletes on and off the field. Participants paid for the right to lob a plate of foamy fun at their favorite Wildcats, lined up in the Keystone Dining Room, resulting in the collection of $200 to benefit Autism Speaks. Photos by J.J. Boettcher, student photographer
Members of the Penn College community – 124 strong, featuring a heavy turnout by Wildcat student-athletes – combined for 609,700 “Yards for Yeardley” in a national effort to spotlight healthy relationships. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, the college family walked, jogged, sprinted, rollerbladed and skateboarded the campus mall in memory of Yeardley Love, a University of Virginia lacrosse player beaten to death in 2010 by her ex-boyfriend. Student Affairs and Wildcat Athletics organized the event, which included wristbands, T-shirts and a successful “Stick It to Love” note-posting campaign. The group’s total yardage, accrued through laps that began and ended at the Breuder Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center fountain, translates to nearly 350 miles.
Pennsylvania College of Technology baseball, softball, and men’s and women’s tennis teams got their North Eastern Athletic Conference seasons underway over the weekend. On Monday, the college’s golf team is scheduled to begin its season in the Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen Spring Invitational at Lebanon Country Club.
A graduation ceremony was held Wednesday morning for Rylee A. Butler, a member of the Penn College archery team who is unable to attend commencement exercises due to this weekend’s U.S. National Outdoor Collegiate Championships in Ohio. President Davie Jane Gilmour presented the diploma to Butler, who earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering design technology, during a brief gathering in the Student & Administrative Services Center. The building’s lobby was filled with family and other well-wishers, including faculty from the School of Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies; as well as representatives of the Athletics Department, Academic Affairs, and the Admissions, Registrar and Financial Aid offices. In addition to her degree, Butler is receiving the Academic Vice President and Provost’s Award and the Engineering Design Technology Faculty Award; she also was recently inducted into the college’s new Chi Alpha Sigma honor society for student-athletes. Spring graduation often coincides with postseason play and, in recent years, the president has taken road trips to present diplomas so Wildcats didn’t have to choose between commencement and competition.
