News about Students

The month’s whirlwind lineup of 13 On-Campus Recruitment opportunities continues in earnest, with employers visiting Penn College on four of five days during the coming week! Students from a variety of majors can talk potential careers with an equally diverse group of business and industry representatives from 11 a.m. -2 p.m. Monday (Sept. 20) on the Schneebeli Earth Science Center front lawn, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday (Sept. 20) in the Breuder Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center atrium, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday (Sept. 21) on the main campus mall, from 9 a.m.-noon Wednesday (Sept. 22) at the Lumley Aviation Center, and from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 23) back on the main campus mall. For more in-depth information, including the roster of companies and the academic areas from which they’re recruiting, consult the Career Services flyer: Employer Recruitment (6-10)

A September series of Employer Recruitment Days continued this week, including the month’s first at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center – an outdoor venue that offered a picturesque setting in which to chart one’s vocational path. “It is so exciting to see employers and students interacting and networking on campus again!” enthused Danielle M. Liddic, Career Services’ employer and industry relations manager, on Tuesday. “These first Employer Recruitment Days have been tremendously successful with positive feedback from employers and students, as well as faculty.” Watch PCToday for more networking opportunities as the schedule encompasses additional events on main campus and at the ESC and Lumley Aviation Center. And check out “all things career-related” through Penn College’s newly established Center for Career Design on the third floor of Madigan Library.

Despite a year of continuing challenges, donors to Pennsylvania College of Technology were honored Monday evening for unwavering support that ignited a record-setting year for institutional fundraising.

The combined contributions of steadfast alumni, corporate partners, friends, retirees and colleagues – a milestone $8.3 million during fiscal 2021 – were recognized during an annual ceremony alongside the Penn College Donor Wall, which pays permanent tribute to those whose contributions of gifts, pledges, donations and entrustments of equipment and technology, and estate commitments significantly empower students.

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Juneteenth, declared an annual national holiday this year in commemoration of slavery’s end in America, will be observed Sept. 17-18 at Pennsylvania College of Technology with a series of events highlighting Black history and culture.

Juneteenth honors the June 19, 1865, reading of General Order No. 3, through which the Union army emancipated enslaved African Americans in Texas – the last state of the Confederacy with institutional slavery.

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WELLSBORO – Twenty-four students recently graduated from Penn College at Wellsboro’s practical nursing program.

The ceremony was held in the Deane Center for the Performing Arts; graduates processed in the Coolidge Theatre, then received family and friends outside of the facility. The evening marked commencement for two full-time cohorts: Wellsboro and Coudersport.

Both cohorts began their instruction at the Penn College at Wellsboro facility, then the Coudersport group had the majority of its instruction at the Potter County Education Council, using Penn College at Wellsboro’s UPMC Susquehanna Nursing Lab to refine skills before being released to practice them during clinical rotations.

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Seven student volunteers, along with Shannon L. Skaluba from the Office of Student Engagement, assisted with last weekend’s “Balloonfest, Air Show & So Much More!” event at the Lycoming County Fairgrounds in nearby Hughesville. “This festival, hosted by Lycoming County Rotary Clubs, relies on volunteers to plan and run the event,” Skaluba noted. “The group was put to work collecting and selling tickets, handing out programs, and giving directions – all with a smile!” Penn College students are provided with varied opportunities to volunteer within the Greater Williamsport area through “(community) Service Saturday” events, held the second Saturday of the month while classes are in session. Contact the Office of Student Engagement to be added to the “(community) Service Saturday” interest list.
Photos by Skaluba, student organization specialist

Pennsylvania College of Technology is a top 10 performer in the “Regional Colleges North” category in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best Colleges rankings, announced Sept. 13.

Penn College is tied for ninth best overall in the “Regional Colleges North” category of the annual rankings, which take into account more than 15 separate measures of academic quality.

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Penn College unveiled its “reimagined” Open House format on Friday, kicking off a series of fall visitation opportunities designed to guide potential enrollees as they explore their college options. The day featured an introductory admissions presentation, followed by academic tours and a wide-ranging menu of elective activities. “Our new Open Houses are the perfect way to visit campus year-round,” said Jen M. Cullin-Hetrick, coordinator of admissions events and communications. “Prospective students can tour up to two academic areas before exploring the rest of what we have to offer. Whether they are just starting the college search process or they’re enrolling this spring, they can truly make the day theirs.” Additional Fall Open Houses – following a model built on feedback from campus partners and prospective students – will be hosted Sunday, Sept. 26; Friday, Oct. 8; Saturday, Oct. 23; Saturday, Nov. 6; and Friday, Nov. 19.

The owners of Mapes Farm Fresh LLC, Mifflinburg, brought two calves to campus this past week for the Wildcat Events Board’s “Cow-a-Bunga” activity on the Thompson Professional Development Center lawn. Organized by Lauryn A. Stauffer, team leader for WEB’s monthly Wildcat Wednesday series, the event gave students an opportunity to practice the bovine equivalent of “puppy love,” and to learn about dairy products straight from the source.

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The newly launched LEAP Center at Pennsylvania College of Technology, which helps first-year and transfer students “learn, evolve, adapt and prepare” for rewarding futures, is already fulfilling its promise.

Headquartered on the first floor of the Student & Administrative Services Center, a convenient gateway to a number of enrollment-related offices at Penn College, the department embodies Penn College’s philosophy that a strong beginning leads to students’ long-term success.

“Today’s students are looking for a sense of belonging and expect a connected experience at college. The LEAP Center’s mission is to be a cohesive and collaborative partner with students in their first year,” director Christie Bing Kracker said. “The LEAP advisers will strive to connect students to expert resources such as their academic advisers, counseling services and student engagement to increase their ability to successfully navigate any obstacles to achieving their academic goals.”

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Three more Employer Recruitment Days will be held in the coming week, one at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center and two on the main campus mall. Helpfully organized by Career Services, the events will be held from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13, on the ESC front lawn; and from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, Sept. 14 and 16, outside the Breuder Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center. For more information, including lists of scheduled employers, consult the Career Services flyer: Employer Recruitment Days (3-5)

Twenty-nine construction students at Pennsylvania College of Technology have earned Certified Installer status from the Vinyl Siding Institute, the first to receive the value-added credential under the institution’s fledgling partnership with the trade association.

“This will be another tool in your toolbox,” Rob Balfanz, VSI’s director of workforce development, told the inaugural class at a Sept. 2 ceremony in the Student & Administrative Services Center. “You’re not only building your portfolio, you’re also building your future.”

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The Society of Plastics Engineers Foundation has honored three Pennsylvania College of Technology students and one recent graduate with scholarships.

Morgan T. Bartholomew, of Etters, and Andrew B. Folk, of Bernville, each received $1,500 general scholarships, and Trent D. Longenberger, of Bloomsburg, was awarded the $3,000 Blow Molding Carrie Fox Solin Scholarship. The three students are seeking bachelor’s degrees in plastics and polymer engineering technology.

Olivia C. Ferki, of Richboro, earned that degree in May and is pursuing a master’s in plastics engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She received $3,000 in scholarships for her graduate studies.

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The first of September’s 13 Employer Recruitment Days organized by Career Services was held on the campus mall Tuesday, featuring phenomenal weather and 10 businesses drawn by varied majors within the School of Engineering Technologies. A similar event scheduled for Thursday will also focus on automated manufacturing and machining, plastics and polymer engineering technology, and welding and metal fabrication; 11 more will complete the month’s calendar. (Watch PCToday for more dates in the series – some at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center and Lumley Aviation Center, and several indoors involving a smaller number of employers.)

The Witmer Group, a masonry contractor based in Mount Joy, is continuing remediation of the 22-year-old entrance fountains and repairs to the brick pillars surrounding Pennsylvania College of Technology’s main campus entrance – presenting an opportunity for well-wishers to honor the legacy of retiring President Davie Jane Gilmour.

The entrance and the capstoned pillars, linked by black fencing along Maynard Street and beyond, were dedicated in September 1999. That ceremony – a little more than a year after Gilmour assumed the college presidency – was the culmination of Penn College’s Diamond 10 anniversary, marking 85 years of education and a decade as a Penn State affiliate.

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