IEEE Group Announces Results of Regional Competition

Pennsylvania College of Technology and the Penn College IEEE (originally the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Student Branch hosted the 2008 IEEE Region 2 Student Activities Conference on April 8 and have announced the results of the event's competitions.

The conference was attended by more than 195 IEEE members, consisting of student-branch members, their student-branch advisers and regional administrators representing 20 colleges and universities across Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey. IEEE is the world's leading professional association for the advancement of technology.

The conference opened with morning leadership training, continued with afternoon competitions and culminated with an evening banquet and awards ceremony. IEEE speakers John Paserba, of Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc., and Jim Watson, of Watson Associates, led the morning sessions.

Competitions included such events solving an ethical dilemma, presenting a technical paper, displaying electronics projects, or solving a mystery electronics project during the "brown bag competition." In their spare time, students could try their skills at solving a physics problem (to launch a projectile and hit a specified target) or visiting a career fair staffed by Qortek and Primus, both sponsors for the conference.

The keynote speaker for the evening's festivities was Frank G. Pellegrino, executive vice president of Primus Technologies Corp., a platinum sponsor for the event. Pellegrino spoke before a crowded Genetti Hotel Grand Ballroom about philanthropy, intellectual property, entrepreneurism and education.

Penn College IEEE Student Branch members who organized the student-run conference are: Michael R. Bloom, Orangeville; Gregory C. Ditzler, Lebanon; Michael W. Ehret Jr., Palmerton; Kenan M. Kessler, Exton; Hideky R. Silva, Williamsport; Ryan A. James, Danville; Andrew C. Kennerly, Plymouth Meeting; Douglas B. Martin, Gap; Casey L. Miller, Mount Penn; F. David Nevill, Annville; and Blake J. Waybright, Gettysburg. The student group is advised by Scott D. Neuhard, instructor of electronics.

The winners in each competition are:

Brown Bag First place: Villanova University, Matthew Reda, Evan Hollenshade and Christine Grispino; second place: Youngstown State University, Andriy Ptichkin, Firas Alshafei, Amy Dattilio and James Hall; third place: Penn State York, Clarence Shearer, Benjamin Strine and Cory Martin.

Ethics First place: Rowan University, Alexis Louie and Will Weaver; second place: Villanova University, Ashley Fortino and Alexandra Dyar.

Paper First place: Rowan University, Metin Ahiskali; second place: Temple University, John W. Kosempel and Dennis Samuel; third place: Rowan University, Ryan Elwell.

Micromouse First place: Penn State Harrisburg, Neseth Kong, Curt Armer and Andy Zambell; second place: DeVry University-Columbus, Ohio, Chris Lukich, James Stethem, Jason Guild and Greg Wyatt.

Project Showcase First place: Bucknell University, Jacob Krizan, Carson Dunbar and Anthony Katigbak; second place: Temple University, John Kosempel; third place: Penn State Harrisburg, Justin Drew Warner and Peter Edward Miles.

Physics First place: Temple University, Sudarsha Kandi; second place: Bucknell University, Carson Dunbar and Anthony Katigdak; third place: Temple University, Joe Grow; fourth place: Rowan University, Ryan Elwell; fifth place, ITT Technical Institute, Robert Schoonover.

For more information about electronics and computer engineering technologies majors and other academic programs offered by the School of Industrial and Engineering Technologies at Penn College, visit online or call (570) 327-4520.

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