Industry Support Evident in Scholarships to Penn College Students

Published 10.09.2012

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Seven students in Pennsylvania College of Technology’s construction majors have been awarded a total of $14,500 in varied scholarships, a significant reminder of employers’ support for the college’s sought-after “degrees that work.”

“It is a testament to the industries that have provided funding for the educational opportunities of our students,” said Marc E. Bridgens, dean of construction and design technologies. “Their investment illustrates their confidence in Penn College graduates and their passion for their respective professions.”



The largest award – a National Housing Endowment/Lee S. Evans Scholarship in the amount of $5,000 – went to Frank D. Gianotti, of Bound Brook, N.J., a residential construction technology and management: building construction technology concentration major.

Evans, an educator and consultant who taught thousands of builders how to better manage their businesses, established the scholarship with his wife, Virginia, to help address the pressing need to educate and train construction managers for the residential building industry.

Gianotti, president of the Penn College Construction Association (the student chapter of the National Association of Home Builders), was also one of four Penn College recipients of $1,000 scholarships from the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Harrisburg.

The others were William E. Brougher Jr., of Enola, a residential construction technology and management: building construction technology concentration student; Keith A. Sheldon, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology major from Shermans Dale; and Timothy M. Unverdorben, of Pine Grove, pursuing an electrical technology degree.

Sheldon’s award is in memory of Howard C. Gale, twice president of the HBA and a member of its scholarship committee; Brougher received his scholarship in honor of Wayne Yohe, a member of HBA and its remodelers council, and a strong supporter of vocational-technical education’s role in preparing students for the workforce.

Scholarships of $1,500 each were awarded by the West Branch Susquehanna Builders Association to Robert E. Powers, an electrical technology major from Lock Haven, and Jonathon N. Sheriff, a building construction technology student from Williamsport.

The organization, affiliated with the Pennsylvania Builders Association and the NAHB, has a substantial history of support for Penn College students – from scholarships, networking opportunities and commencement awards to financial and moral support for students traveling to national construction competitions.

Awarded a $2,500 Bradford White Corp. scholarship through the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Educational Foundation and PHCC National Auxiliary was Evan J. Aigeldinger, an HVAC technology major from Broomall.

The scholarships from Bradford White, an Ambler-based manufacturer of water heaters and related components, are designed to attract and support new talent essential to the future of the plumbing and HVAC-refrigeration industry.

For more about the School of Construction and Design Technologies, call 570-327-4518.

For information about Penn College, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.