Poinsettias add splash of seasonal color at ESC.Variegated plants are among the greenhouse inventory.
The annual poinsettia sale at Penn College’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center greenhouse begins Wednesday and runs until inventory is 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. There will be no early sales or holds, and everything is “cash (or check) and carry.” (The ESC is at 203 Allenwood Camp Lane, Montgomery – about 10 miles south of main campus, just off Route 15.) Photos by Marci M. Hessert, secretary to the School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies
Industrial design students get hands-on access to college’s aircraft fleet.
On Tuesday evening, in a cooperative effort between the School of Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies and the School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies, students enrolled in Ergonomics and Kinesiology (BIX220) explored several aircraft at the Lumley Aviation Center. Jason P. Zielewicz teaches the course, which is a study of human factors as they relate to design. The industrial design students sat on the flight deck of Penn College’s Boeing 727 to delve into the complexity of its controls and how they correspond to the pilot’s seating position. The students also got a look at the flight deck of the school’s Dassault Falcon 20 business jet, and viewed several smaller airplanes and helicopters. They will use the knowledge gained at the aviation center to refine their design-concept assignments. At the end of the course, the students will build a full-scale design of an automobile, aircraft or spacecraft, and test it using anthropometric people. Information and photo by Thomas D. Inman, associate professor of aviation
Students in Pennsylvania College of Technology’s diesel equipment technology program have invaluable laboratory access to a time-tested road warrior: a 2006 Volvo VNL single-axle tractor, donated after its retirement from UPS Freight fleet service.
“UPS is a valued partner of Penn College and our students. This gift will provide our diesel students an opportunity for experience on the real-life wear and tear they will find in industry,” said Elizabeth A. Biddle, the college’s director of corporate relations. “This is a mutually beneficial opportunity because the signature brown on the truck resonates with our students, reminding them that UPS is a partner in their education and a potential employer for their career.”
Pictured in front of pink chrysanthemums at Longwood Gardens are (from left) students Courtney M. Wilcox, of Troy; Jessica M. Duke, of Allentown; Robert J. Williamson, of Fort Washington; and Alexis B. Hassinger, of Bellefonte.Garris visits her alma mater’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center.Against a backdrop of yellow mums are (from left) students Joseph N. Moore, of South Williamsport; Alexis M. Witherite, of Spring Mills; Taylor L. Keiper, of Archbald; and Austin R. Weaver, of New Holland.McGinty explains North Creek’s automated potting process.
Twenty members of the Horticulture Club and faculty members Justin Shelinski and Carl J. Bower Jr. enjoyed a pair of Tuesday field trips: Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square and North Creek Nurseries in Landenburg. The group savored a beautiful fall day, saw the Chrysanthemum Festival display at Longwood, and toured North Creek facilities with general manager Tim McGinty and section grower Kassie L. Garris, a 2018 alumna in Penn College’s landscape/horticulture technology: plant production emphasis. (Garris visited campus last week to talk about the postgraduate path she took, from employment at Longwood Gardens to working at North Creek.) McGinty shared that he first met Garris during a Penn College field trip to North Creek two years ago, when the then-student introduced herself to him. “It just goes to show: You never know what your experiences might bring,” Bower said. “The networking you do, whether it is while you are a student or in your professional career, can lead to some great opportunities. I always tell my students to never be afraid to shake someone’s hand, introduce themselves and say they are a Penn College horticulture student … because that can take you far.” North Creek is known for its sustainable horticultural practices and native perennials, added Bower, who said its greenhouses employ some impressive technology and innovations. Photos by Bower, assistant professor of horticulture
Students document their visit to a regional powerhouse.Students’ potential future looms large around themThe class is afforded rare access to the inner workings.An informative plant tour moves outside.
Onsite power generation students had an opportunity to tour one of IMG Energy Solutions plants in October, traveling to the Alpaca Energy site in Bradford County: a 20-megawatt facility that houses three Rolls-Royce power plants. “These units each have a Bergen engine that is powered on natural gas from a local pipeline,” explained John D. Motto, instructor of diesel equipment technology at Penn College. “Students were able to gain valuable insights on maintenance and operation – not only of gaseous-fueled engines but of the power plant, as well.” Christopher Clary, IMG’s manager of operations for northeastern Pennsylvania, gave the tour. IMG Energy is a partner of Penn College, hiring a number of students for internships and many alumni who have gone to work full time for IMG. “This was a great opportunity for the power generation students to see what they will be working with when they graduate,” added Motto (who also provided the photos).
Aviation maintenance technology students gather around Dressler’s Cessna Citation I.The pilot answers questions about the plane’s avionics.Students prepare to enter the jet.
Local pilot Robert E. Dressler Jr. brought his Cessna Citation I jet to Penn College’s Lumley Aviation Center on Tuesday morning. The day was rainy, so students pulled the aircraft partially into the hangar, to avoid getting the plane’s interior wet. Dressler visited with students in Thomas D. Inman’s Avionics Maintenance Theory I class, who are studying High Frequency Communication systems as part of the aviation maintenance technology bachelor’s degree curriculum. Dressler tuned up his HF and began listening to air traffic in the Gulf of Mexico; later, he tuned to a reference station in Boulder, Colorado. One at a time, students came aboard to examine the panel, listen to the radio and ask questions about the avionics. Students, in turn, gave Dressler a tour of the college-owned Dassault Falcon 20. Photos by Inman, associate professor of aviation
Penn College’s second annual PA Build My Future event, an interactive academic and industry showcase on Thursday, provided more than 900 high-school students with an opportunity to experience the full range of possibilities in the construction and design field. Scores of current students in the School of Construction & Design Technologies joined faculty and administrators, along with many of the college’s commercial benefactors, in guiding visitors toward their potential careers.
Career Day brought hundreds of ninth-12th graders to campus on Thursday to explore more than 30 activities offered by employees and students to help high-schoolers learn about the wide variety of career options available to them. The event is coordinated by the College Transitions and First Year Initiatives Office.
Penn College alumnus Harrison G. Young, an automotive technology instructor in Jersey Shore Area High School’s career and technical education program, is one of three national finalists for the 2019 CareerSafe Safety Educator of the Year Award. Online voting is open through 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25; the winner will receive $5,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to December’s Association for Career and Technical Education “Vision 2019” event in Anaheim, California, for the award presentation. Young holds an associate degree in automotive technology (2010) and a bachelor’s in automotive technology management (2012).
Three pieces of Komatsu construction machinery are on loan to Pennsylvania College of Technology for use at the institution’s heavy equipment operations site in Brady Township.
Operations students at the 125-acre outdoor lab south of main campus are afforded regular access to the wheel loader, bulldozer and excavator through the end of the semester, the latest in Komatsu’s philanthropy on behalf of its future workforce.
“The equipment that Komatsu has provided to us has been a valuable asset to student learning in our operations lab,” said Ryan W. Peck, instructor of diesel equipment technology. “The exposure the students have gotten from this equipment is indescribable in how it has helped prepare them to go into the earth-moving industry.”
WNEP’s Chris Keating visited campus for Thursday’s PA Build My Future, filing a report on the second annual introduction of secondary students to the wide-open world of construction and design careers. Keating visited indoor and outdoor exhibits facilitated by industry sponsors, Penn College faculty and current students (who gave up a day of Fall Break to excitedly represent their respective majors). Included in the broadcast were Carol A. Lugg, dean of construction and design technologies; building construction technology instructor Levon A. Whitmyer; Christine A. Limbert, of Curwensville, enrolled in architectural technology; and Lucas Vandergrift, a sophomore at Wellsboro High School who was among the day’s 929 students from nearly 30 high schools and career and technical centers.
(“PA Build My Future photo gallery)
Two associate-degree majors within the heavy construction equipment technology program at Pennsylvania College of Technology have been reaccredited by The AED Foundation.
Accredited for five more years are heavy construction equipment technology: Caterpillar equipment emphasis and heavy construction equipment technology: technician emphasis, two-year majors offered at Penn College’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center south of main campus.
“We are pleased that you have chosen to demonstrate your commitment to academic excellence and continuous improvement through the process of accreditation,” AED Foundation Chairman Whit Perryman said.
The Coventry Foundation, an organization of passionate Jaguar collectors, has added to its scholarship fund for students in Pennsylvania College of Technology’s internationally recognized automotive restoration technology major.
Headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, the Coventry Foundation aims to perpetuate the heritage of Jaguar automobiles in North America through an archive of printed material, tools and vintage automobiles; annual scholarships to students; and recognition of accredited restoration programs. Its hope is to assure that a pool of qualified technicians is available to properly service and restore vintage Jaguars far into the future.
Brett A. Reasner (left), dean of transportation and natural resources technologies, accepts a Ford Performance banner for campus display after introducing Clor.“Everyone has a Mustang story,” the speaker said, sharing a number of tales from the car’s illustrious lineage.In one of many cultural touchpoints featuring the Mustang, Farrah Fawcett sits atop a 1976 Cobra II during her “Charlie’s Angels” years. (Others cited in the presentation include Steve McQueen’s famed San Francisco car chase in 1968’s “Bullitt.”)Clor enthusiastically recounts the automobile’s life-altering place in American society, enabling the “free and unencumbered mobility to go where you want to go.”Students and faculty alike supplement the day’s curriculum with an expert’s perspective.
Students in Penn College’s automotive, collision repair and restoration majors were treated to a colorful recap of recent automotive history – and their role in the industry’s next chapter – during a Monday campus visit by an award-winning journalist and lifelong car enthusiast. John M. Clor, who manages a club outreach program for Ford Performance, recounted “55 Years of the Ford Mustang” during a presentation in the Klump Academic Center Auditorium. Clor’s lively lecture took the audience through decades of “the most recognized car in the world,” contrasting its iconic beauty with that of less-popular competitors. “Anyone can build something for a minute,” he said, before sharing a slideshow of ill-advised vehicle designs that failed to similarly grab the public’s extended attention. “When you don’t have a heritage, you need a gimmick.” In addition to celebrating the enduring coolness of the Mustang, as distinguishable in its outline as a Coke bottle, Clor applauded the students for choosing their career paths. “Learning to do something with your hands makes all the difference in the world,” he said. “You’re the key to the future. Dream big and heritage is yours.”
Veteran journalist, author and marketer John M. Clor will share his comprehensive insight into the auto industry with the Penn College community during a presentation at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 30, in the Klump Academic Center Auditorium. A regular columnist for a number of publications, Clor will discuss the Ford Mustang’s role in the automaker’s production history and how design drives the public’s interest in cars. More on the speaker’s extensive background is available in his official bio: John M. Clor
