College Mentorship Award to Be Presented at Aug. 9 Graduation

MaTech (Machining Technologies) Inc., a firm that sponsors internships for Pennsylvania College of Technology students and employs five Penn College graduates, will be presented with a "Mentorship Award" Aug. 9 at Summer Commencement ceremonies.

Representatives of the Hebron, Md.-based company, which manufactures machined parts, assemblies and subassemblies for the defense, microwave telecommunications and poultry-automation industries, will be honored at the 11 a.m. ceremonies in the Community Arts Center in Williamsport.

The Mentorship Award, which was established in 2002, recognizes alumni and businesses that have made a significant or ongoing contribution to the education and development of Penn College students.

MaTech began operations in December 1988 in a 10,000-square-foot facility in Salisbury, Md. The company's four founders, Rolando Dalbora, Rafael Correa, Cecilia Seman and Dan Seman had extensive experience together in another successful manufacturing company. In February 1995, the firm moved operations to a 47,000-square-foot facility in Hebron.

MaTech has sponsored internships for Penn College students since 1999 as many as six per summer. This program recently expanded to include interns from other institutions, including The Pennsylvania State University. Penn College is a special-mission affiliate of Penn State.

MaTech has approximately 160 employees, including 18 engineers. Five of the employees are Penn College graduates, and two served as summer interns with the firm. The Penn College graduates working for MaTech earned their degrees in Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Toolmaking Technology and Computer-Aided Product Design.

"As we continue our transition to access new markets, MaTech intends to continue investing in the talent Pennsylvania College of Technology is developing," said Dan Seman, the firm's vice president. "Since we maintain a long-term focus in all of our business decisions, MaTech sees our relationship with Pennsylvania College of Technology as mutually beneficial. This is a key component to our overall strategy and will continue to provide exciting opportunities for graduates interested in exploring their full potential."

Seman, whose son, Daniel A., graduated from Penn College in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology, became acquainted with the College in 1998, attending a spring Career Expo event.

"I went there for two reasons," Seman said. "One was to recruit for MaTech, and the other was to see if this was the right type of educational institution for my son. Needless to say, I came away extremely impressed by the caliber of students that I had the opportunity to meet. I recall that, whenever anyone here asked how it went, my answer centered on the fact that I saw many students that I would be happy to have on our staff."