Farm Show Visitors to Get Hands-On Glimpse at ‘degrees that work’

Published 12.18.2015

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Two years after it observed its own centennial, Pennsylvania College of Technology will help the Pennsylvania Farm Show celebrate its 100th anniversary in Harrisburg next month.

Honoring tradition, Penn College – a national leader in applied technology education – will have a weeklong presence at the nation’s largest indoor agricultural exposition. Admissions Office representatives and a variety of knowledgeable faculty and staff will be available from Jan. 9-16 in the Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, 2300 N. Cameron St., where visitors can get acquainted with the college’s six academic schools throughout the popular event.

“The Farm Show has always been an excellent opportunity for the college to interact with the community. Each year we are greeted by many alumni, students and friends of Penn College,” said Claire Z. Biggs, coordinator of admissions/enrollment services. “We are thrilled to be able to share the incredible opportunities that await students on campus, and being able to watch folks interact with our activities makes for such a fun week.”



Majors within the college’s School of Health Sciences are explained at the 2015 Pennsylvania Farm Show by Edward A. Henninger (left), dean, and Scott A. Geist, director of surgical technology.The following is a summary of Penn College’s scheduled participation:

Saturday, Jan. 9

Ten students from the School of Business & Hospitality, along with Chef Paul E. Mach and Chef Michael J. Ditchfield, will demonstrate their culinary techniques live on the PA Preferred Culinary Connection stage. Ditchfield, an instructor of hospitality management/culinary arts, will present at 10 a.m., and Mach, an assistant professor of hospitality management/culinary arts, at 6 p.m.

Throughout their three days at the Farm Show, the students will assist other notable chefs as they prepare their onstage demonstrations, including the Food Network’s Gina Neely, PBS’s Chef Walter Staib, 2006 Penn College alumnus Lance Smith and Pennsylvania First Lady Frances Wolf. (Students and faculty will also prepare food for an invitation-only reception on the eve of the show's opening.)

Sunday, Jan. 10

Want to learn about the automotive industry? Faculty from the School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies will discuss fuel-cell technology and demonstrate model fuel-cell-powered vehicles. Attendees interested in collision repair and automotive restoration can interact with faculty members and learn the art of pinstriping.

Culinary students will return to the PA Preferred Culinary Connection stage to assist Mach at 11 a.m. and will compete in the Student Cooking Challenge there at 4 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 11

Many offerings in the School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies prepare students for opportunities in the great outdoors. Farm Show visitors can see a mock display of a hydroculture system and explore the types of crops grown in the school’s hydroponic lab. Representatives will discuss horticulture and forestry programs, as well as diesel, heavy construction equipment and on-site power generation majors.

Culinary students and Ditchfield will provide more live demonstrations on the PA Preferred Culinary Connection stage at 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 12

Do you like to design or build things? Have you ever thought about pursuing a construction-related career? Then stop by the Penn College booth to learn how its majors in the School of Construction & Design Technologies can lead to exciting opportunities in the construction industry. School representatives will help you build a wooden toolbox that could carry your tools for a promising future.

Wednesday, Jan. 13

Through the School of Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications, Penn College offers an Introduction to Forensic Science class and laboratory where students learn the basics in fingerprinting, crime scene investigation and so much more! Visitors will have the opportunity to analyze their fingerprints and learn about forensic science and other courses and degrees at Penn College.

Thursday, Jan. 14

Representatives of three majors within the School of Health Sciences will involve their audience:

  • Occupational Therapy Assistant
    Through simulations with low-vision goggles or trying to function with only one hand, visitors will have the opportunity to experience what it would be like to live with a sensory or physical disability. Learn how occupational therapy practitioners help people to adapt to those difficulties in order to perform activities that they need to do, want to do or are expected to do.



  • Surgical Technology
    A hands-on workshop introduces the skills needed to perform in the operating room. Explore how laparoscopic surgery is performed using actual surgical instruments.



  • Physician Assistant
    With the aid of teaching stethoscopes and a simulated heart machine, visitors will be able to experience many different heart sounds including the differences in heart rates. Also, through a model, visitors will be able to view changes that occur in the eye with many disease processes. By using those interactive tools, they will be able to get a glimpse of the physical exam that physician assistants perform on their patients.


Friday, Jan. 15

Penn College’s School of Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies will provide visitors with an opportunity to learn the basics of circuitry while creating their own flashing LED card using electric paint.

Saturday, Jan. 16

The School of Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies returns to provide participants with an opportunity to watch demonstrations of a 3-D printer. Visitors will have a chance to examine various 3-D samples and observe the development of 3-D CAD models in parametric software.

For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education and workforce development, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.