News about Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies

Students ‘soldier’ on to complete project by ceremonial deadline

The toy soldier takes shape in College Avenue Labs ...

... where a focused group of students worked against the clock to fabricate and assemble a splendid keepsake.

Students and Klinger (standing at front left) proudly display their handiwork.

Standing at attention outside the Breuder Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center, the majestic creation would be equally at home in the finest Manhattan storefront.

Penn College’s decades-old tradition of large-scale holiday cards on the campus mall got an impressive add-on for the 2018 season: a massive toy soldier jointly fashioned by automotive restoration majors and manufacturing students in instructor Roy Klinger’s metal-shaping classes. “We were trying to think of something we could build to go with the holiday cards, and we came across an image of a 12-foot-tall toy soldier,” said Arthur M. Wright IV, an automotive restoration technology major from Woodbridge, New Jersey. “We figured we would give it a try because it could end up looking really cool!” A group of students from the manufacturing program assisted restoration majors with drawing and designing the toy soldier. The inner structure is mostly plywood arranged to help support the weight of the towering statue, Wright said, while the outer shell is completely made of aluminum. “The restoration students made paper patterns of the shapes provided by the drawing that the manufacturing students prepared for us,” he explained. “We then shaped all the pieces using the skills and techniques that we were learning in our metal-shaping class. The project really helped us display the skills that we had been working so hard to develop.” It was a total team effort to complete the project, he said, estimating that it took all of four three-hour classes to fully realize their shared vision. “When we came in the Wednesday morning of the card-lighting ceremony (Nov. 28), we didn’t think we were going to be able to get it done,” said Wright, who also shared some of the students’ photos. “Most of the soldier was still in pieces, with no paint. But thanks to the guidance and leadership of our teacher, we were able to get everything finished before the ceremony started!”

Dent Fix donates aluminum repair station to Penn College

Penn College students and collision repair instructor Shaun D. Hack (in black shirt) listen as Daniel L. Maloney Jr., national sales director for Dent Fix Equipment and a member of the college’s Collision Repair Advisory Committee, demonstrates a donated aluminum dent-repair station.

Reflecting the increasing use of aluminum by automakers and affirming the value of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s industry partners, Dent Fix Equipment has donated a self-contained aluminum dent-repair station for use by the institution’s collision repair and automotive restoration students.

“This equipment package provides all the necessary tools to complete aluminum repairs to an industry standard,” said Shaun D. Hack, instructor of collision repair. “This adds value to the collision repair technology, collision repair technician and automotive restoration technology majors by adding skill sets that will be desired by potential employers.”

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Heavy-equipment operators sought in year’s last recruiting visit

Hillsdale Construction & ExcavatingHillsdale Construction & Excavating Company Inc., based in Marion Center, will visit campus next week to recruit bulldozer and excavator operators. Heavy construction equipment technology students and alumni are invited to attend an information session at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in Room 207 of the Bush Campus Center. For more on the final employer visit of 2018, check out Career Services’ flyer: Hillsdale Construction & Excavating

Popular poinsettia sale begins at ESC greenhouse

Poinsettias add splash of seasonal color at ESC.

Variegated plants are among the limited inventory.

The annual Poinsettia Sale at Penn College’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center greenhouse is underway, and runs until all plants are sold. The hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays (closed Saturday and Sunday), and all sales are on a first-come, first-served basis. Inventory is limited this year and is expected to sell out fast! There will be no early sales or holds, and everything is “cash and carry.”

Ford Thunderbird donated to college’s restoration major

Students and instructor Roy H. Klinger (second from left at rear) surround the Thunderbird in Penn College’s automotive restoration lab.

A 1956 Ford Thunderbird convertible has been given to Pennsylvania College of Technology by a Monroe County man who owned it for nearly 50 years.

Paul Hoffman, of Saylorsburg, donated the vintage vehicle – in its original Peacock Blue – for use by automotive restoration technology students.

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Landscape students attend national networking events

Students in the Penn College horticulture/landscape technology group traveling to Louisville, Kentucky, for the Green Industry & Equipment Expo and LANDSCAPES 2018, a premier networking and educational conference, undergo a flurry of interviews during fast-paced roundtable meetings with employers.

Six landscape/horticulture technology students and a Pennsylvania College of Technology faculty member recently traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, for a pair of prominent industry events.

The Penn College group attended the Green Industry & Equipment Expo (GIE+EXPO), the nation’s largest trade show in that field, and LANDSCAPES 2018, a premier networking and educational conference.

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Lab lessons magnified at area nature preserve

Students stop for a sunny-day photo outside Montour Preserve, facilitated by Erich R. Doebler (visible in shadow).

Students in Erich R. Doebler’s Wildlife Management class (FOR245) recently visited Montour Preserve, which is managed by the Montour Area Recreation Commission, to learn more about wildlife, nature preserves and the regulations associated with operating such facilities. “This was an excellent opportunity for the students to see in person various birds, ducks and mammals that we have discussed and learned about in the classroom and lab settings,” said Doebler, a member of Penn College’s forestry faculty. Additionally, the class went to Lake Chillisquaque to understand the importance of that human-created lake and its history, and learned about the various fish species found within. Commission director Bob Stoudt kept the Visitor Center open for the students past 4 p.m. so that they could spend as much time as possible at the Danville site. “This is an excellent opportunity for any generation to learn more about wildlife and to simply relax and spend time in nature.”

 

State Senate Appropriations Committee chair tours campus

Always engaged and advocating for the college, Yaw (right) converses with Browne in the atrium of the Breuder Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center.

State Sen. Patrick M. Browne, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, visited Pennsylvania College of Technology on Thursday.

Browne, who represents the 16th District – which includes Allentown and other municipalities within Lehigh County – came to campus after presenting an election and legislative update at a breakfast sponsored by the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce.

He was invited by fellow Appropriations Committee member Sen. Gene Yaw, who also serves as chairman of the Penn College Board of Directors. Yaw also hosted the Chamber legislative update event, held at the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport.

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Forestry students extensively tour local veneer operation

South talks with forestry students during Monday's visit.

Students in Erich R. Doebler’s Forest Products class this week visited the Danzer plant on Reach Road, one of the few veneer mills in Pennsylvania. The group met with Paul R. South, a 2016 forest technology graduate of Penn College. He discussed the process of buying logs, specifications, in-demand species and how the log purchasing process is conducted. The students were also given a tour of the facility, where they were able to see the sawmill, as well as the log banding, log cooking, surfacing, slicing, drying and packaging processes. About a half-dozen Penn College alumni are employed by Danzer, formerly known as Keystone Veneers Inc. “This is an exceptionally personal tour,” said the instructor (who also provided the photo), “and something right in our backyard that many do not get the opportunity to experience.”

Horticulture students enjoy bountiful PSU field trip

Students tour the arboretum's Children's Garden.

Back row (from left): Burk; Smithmyer; students Benjamin A. Mowrer, Manheim; Jack R. Mannke, Glen Mills; Kendall A. Wanner, Denver, Pa.; Rachel A. Walton, Orwigsburg; Jeremy M. Smith, (in green hat, partially hidden), Erie; Anthony M. Schauble, (visible above the rest, with blonde hair), Nazareth; Joseph A. Kern, Mechanicsburg; James S. Essig, Bernville; Alex D. Reichner, Sunbury; Jaclyn N. Wolf, Gettysburg; and Aaron A. Sledge (Spring 2018 alumnus, now studying plant science at Penn State). Front row (from left): Diana M. Willman, Dillsburg; Amanda N. Suda, Harrisburg; Oceana R. Copley, Williamsport; Laura L. La Grave, Lewisburg; Drew J. Marsh, Marble; Kendra M. Snyder, Montoursville; Rachel L. Hill, Centre Hall; and Adriana S. Lee, Williamsport.

Burk explains the arboretum's infiltration basin.

A visit to Scott's Landscaping

Carl J. Bower Jr. recently took 18 of his landscape/horticulture technology students on a field trip to several sites in and around State College, including the one-acre Penn State Student Farm/Campus Supported Agriculture, the university’s greenhouse production facility, the Penn State Arboretum and one of the Forestry Building’s green roofs. After a visit to the Berkey Creamery, the group met up with Scott A. Burk, president of Scott’s Landscaping and Wheatfield Nursery (and a member of the college’s Landscape/Horticulture Technology Advisory Committee), and 2002 graduate Frederick B. Smithmyer, operations manager at Scott’s. They talked about various landscape projects on the University Park campus, including several green roofs and the arboretum, and finished the day with a tour of Wheatfield Nursery and Scott’s Landscaping, where the group encountered even more Penn College alumni.
Photos by Bower, assistant professor of horticulture

Future-seekers meet their match at Fall Open House

Savoring an autumn outing and academic exploration

Fall Open House visitors had unfettered access to Penn College’s vibrant campuses Sunday, as today’s faculty/staff, alumni and students provided them with a tantalizing view of a very real and credible tomorrow. All six academic schools put out the welcome mat through information sessions, tours and laboratory demonstrations, and guests were encouraged to explore the institution’s myriad complementary services and activities.

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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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Horticulture students ‘scare up’ clever projects for civic display

'SpongeBob Strawpants," spatula at the ready to flip a Krabby Patty, draws immediate attention from neighborhood children.

More than a dozen scarecrows created by Penn College horticulture/landscape technology students were installed Thursday in Way’s Garden, a well-tended oasis of greenery at West Fourth and Maynard streets, where they will remain from First Friday through Halloween. The Way’s Garden Commission worked with Carl J. Bower Jr., an assistant professor in the college’s School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies, who has been developing the idea in his mind since seeing a similar project at Hershey Gardens in 2011. Bower’s students eagerly accepted the challenge, working for the past few weeks to prepare their seasonal creations for what is planned as an annual attraction. An additional scarecrow was prepared for the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce headquarters in downtown Williamsport.

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Last updated October 5, 2018 | Posted in Faculty & Staff, Landscape/Horticulture, Students, Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies | This gallery contains 17 photos. | Tagged as | One Comment

Lycoming Engines’ instructional support lauded at sign dedication

From left, Michael Kraft, senior vice president and general manager for Lycoming Engines; Pennsylvania College of Technology President Davie Jane Gilmour; and aviation technology student Warren K. Bitterman, of Zieglerville, Montgomery County, all spoke at a dedication ceremony honoring Lycoming Engines’ ongoing support for the college.

Lycoming Engines’ longtime support of Pennsylvania College of Technology and its academic programs was celebrated on campus recently with the unveiling of new signage at the college’s Metal Trades Center.

Members of the Penn College community and representatives of Lycoming Engines – including alumni of the college employed by the company – gathered on Oct. 2 to dedicate the Lycoming Engines Metal Trades Center sign on the front lawn of the facility.

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Penn College is a special mission affiliate of Penn State