Financial Support From Caterpillar, Area Dealers Nears $1.5 Million

The Caterpillar Foundation and four dealerships recently delivered another $148,000 in instructional funding to Pennsylvania College of Technology and its students, bringing to nearly $1.5 million the total contribution since the Fall 1994 semester.

"Penn College's relationship with CAT continues to grow stronger," said Mary A. Sullivan, dean of natural resources management. "Their financial support of our programs and students allows us to continue to offer a high-quality educational experience that is second to none."

The latest commitment from the Caterpillar Excellence Fund provides $98,000 for the diesel technology and heavy construction equipment technology majors at the School of Natural Resources Management and $50,000 toward electric power generation technology.

This marks the 14th year that Penn College has received money from the Caterpillar Excellence Fund. With the latest contribution, the total stands at $1,465,000 exclusive of equipment donations and technical support provided over the years from CAT and its dealers.

The foundation's funding partners are Alban Tractor Co. Inc., Baltimore; Cleveland Brothers Equipment Co. Inc., Harrisburg; H.O. Penn Machinery Co. Inc., Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; and Ransome CAT, Bensalem.

"The college continues to offer an outstanding program that is able to keep pace with the changing industry," said Karl Quinn, Alban's training manager in Sterling, Va., and a member of the college's Heavy Construction Equipment Technology/Caterpillar Advisory Committee. "The Penn College graduates who come out of the many diesel programs and power generation offer tremendous value to Alban as an employer. We look forward to the continuation of the joint efforts and hope that the program will continue to grow with the industry."

The Caterpillar Foundation contributed $25,000 toward the diesel and equipment majors, matched by $22,000 from Cleveland Brothers (a charter member of the partnership) and $17,000 each from Alban, H.O. Penn and Ransome. The foundation provided an additional $25,000 for electric power generation, supplemented by $6,250 each from the four dealers.

The majors are based at the college's Schneebeli Earth Science Center near Allenwood; the electric power generation curriculum also involves electrical faculty from the School of Construction and Design Technologies.

For more information about the programs offered by the School of Natural Resources Management, send e-mail or call (570) 320-8038.

For more about Penn College, e-mail the Admissions Office or call toll-free (800) 367-9222.

For information about grant-funding opportunities, faculty and staff may contact the Grants and Contracts Office at ext. 7562 or through its Web portal.