Computer Science Faculty Member Earns Doctorate From Penn State
Published 06.04.2008
Nicholas A. Vonada, associate professor of computer science in Pennsylvania College of Technology's School of Business and Computer Technologies, recently earned a doctorate in adult education and instructional systems from The Pennsylvania State University.
Vonada's dissertation was about students particularly nontraditional students and those enrolled in distance learning who attend the college through the federally funded Trade Adjustment Act program, which provides educational support to workers who lose their jobs due to the impact of foreign imports.
Vonada holds a master's degree from Lock Haven University, a bachelor's degree from Lycoming College and two associate degrees from Williamsport Area Community College, a Penn College forerunner.
He has been an employee of the college for 21 years, the past 11 as a full-time faculty member. His primary focus has been on information technology, specifically in the areas of networking, telecommunications and systems programming on an IBM i5Series AS400 midrange computer system, for which he is a certified systems training specialist.
Vonada is a member of the Common Association for Academic Computing, a nationwide IBM organization that promotes academic initiatives with colleges and universities throughout the country. He also is a graduate of the International Leadership Academy, held during 2005-06 in Holland, where he worked with various educators and administrators from around the world to further international leadership and cooperation in the form of exchange programs and other forms of educational collaboration.
He has published or presented professional papers for organizations such as IEEE (formerly the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), ISECON (the Information Systems Education Conference) and AERA (the American Educational Research Association) on topics including intelligent computing, human-computer interaction and the effects of globalization on education within the United States.
Prior to his Penn College employment, Vonada spent 12 years in industrial management. He also has nearly three decades of Army logistics management experience.
To learn more about the academic programs offered by the School of Business and Computer Technologies, visit online or call (570) 327-4517. For information about Penn College, visit on the Web, e-mail or call toll-free (800) 367-9222.