Continuing its tradition of supporting the nation’s heroes, Pennsylvania College of Technology is offering discounted tuition for active-duty military during the 2020-21 Academic Year.
Active-duty military can receive a discounted tuition rate of $250 per semester credit hour, up to a maximum of 18 credit hours or $4,500 per fiscal year.
The COVID-19 pandemic took a bite out of the competitive aspect of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s first esports season, but progress was made and coach Joshua Young is optimistic about the future.
Last fall, team organization and planning took place on campus for the competitive multiplayer video gaming enthusiasts. Then, during the winter break, Young spent much of his time on weekends and nights putting together the Wildcat Den: Room 203A in Madigan Library, which was converted into an esports facility and includes 14 high-end gaming computers for competition along with a streaming station that allows matches to be viewed online by spectators.
With students and parents alike experiencing the financial fallout of the devastating pandemic, a college alumnus – whose Williamsport Area Community College forestry degree was a crucial initial step toward a successful career in civil engineering – is leading by philanthropic example. John Urick, a 1974 graduate of Penn College’s immediate successor institution, recently routed his stimulus deposit to an Emergency Scholarship Fund administered by the college’s Institutional Advancement Office. Urick has a history of donating to his alma mater, from which a son, granddaughter and three cousins also have graduated. “I feel obligated to help current students in their pursuit of useful life skills,” we writes in a recently published blog entry. “Giving now, though, at this moment, is critical. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, large numbers of students are in jeopardy of not finishing their education because of financial stress caused by losing critical part-time jobs, compounded by some parents their losing jobs. The thought of students’ education being disrupted and their lives changed forever is unbearable to me.” Those inspired to join him in empowering students are encouraged to consider a gift to the emergency fund.
Six Pennsylvania College of Technology seniors were among eight Bald Eagle Battalion Army ROTC cadets commissioned as second lieutenants Saturday during a virtual ceremony, the culmination of their four-year transformation from cadets to officers.
With family members and other supporters joining them in person and on computer screens, Penn College students sworn into service are Hayden N. Beiter, of Cogan Station; Casey A. Curtin, of Berwick; Alex Hackenberg, of Middleburg; William M. Johnson, of Glen Mills; Jordan H. Murray, of Chambersburg; and Austin S. Weinrich, of Jenkintown. Curtin is a plastics and polymer engineering technology major; Hackenberg is enrolled in information technology: network specialist concentration; and Beiter, Johnson, Murray and Weinrich are graduating this year in residential construction technology and management: building construction technology concentration.
Between classes, a Pennsylvania College of Technology student modified a computer numerical control router that he typically uses for woodworking projects to help manufacture more than 300 face shields for distribution to hospitals in his area.
Matthew A. Semmel, of Palmerton, is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in engineering design technology and an associate degree in plastics and polymer technology. Due to the pandemic, he – like all other Penn College students – has been taking classes remotely since mid-March to comply with the state’s stay-at-home order and social distancing guidance.
Celebrating the talents of graduating seniors, Architecture & Sustainable Design 2020 is viewable on The Gallery at Penn College’s webpage.
The online exhibit showcases the work of students earning Bachelor of Science degrees in Pennsylvania College of Technology’s building science and sustainable design major.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a May 14 opening reception was planned for the exhibit in The Gallery at Penn College; however, a shift from the physical space to an online showing was required.
A half-hour Zoom conversation among three Pennsylvania College of Technology graphic design majors, moderated by instructor Nicholas L. Stephenson, provides potential students and their families with valuable insight on the collaborative and rigorous four-year program. Join Ali D. Petrizzi, of Langhorne; Joey M. Morrin, of Morrisville; and Hailee B. Mercy, of Felton, as they discuss their decision to attend Penn College, their classes and projects, their adaptation to online-only learning, what they like best about their chosen career field, and much more.
A memorial service will be scheduled for Lester L. “Jack” Lessig Jr., a former college board member, who died Monday, April 27, in Bluffton, South Carolina, at age 90. Lessig served on the board of trustees for Williamsport Area Community College – Penn College’s immediate predecessor – from 1982-87, including two terms as vice chair. A full obituary was published in Sunday’s Williamsport Sun-Gazette.
Over the past several weeks, the North Eastern Athletic Conference has paid tribute to student-athletes on spring sports teams whose final seasons were prematurely ended by the COVID-19 pandemic.
An industrial design student at Pennsylvania College of Technology has “rolled the dice” with his senior project. And his move looks like a winning one.
Cullen S. Berfield, of Jersey Shore, has designed a board game for his capstone. Complete with innovative rules, dice, player pieces, boards and cards, the unique endeavor marries his affinity for strategy games with his artistic instincts.
“I’ve always loved board games because they bring people together,” Berfield explained. “Bringing people together for a chunk of time, whether it be for a half hour or a few hours, is something that I find special.”
Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Student Government Association has announced its final “Student of the Month” selections for 2019-20.
Plants nurtured throughout the pandemic by the horticultural hands at Penn College’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center brought a burst of National Nurses Week sunshine to UPMC Susquehanna campuses Thursday. About 850 potted flowers and hanging baskets, originally cultivated for a plant sale, were delivered to Williamsport, Divine Providence, Muncy, Lock Haven, Cole (Coudersport) and Wellsboro hospitals for distribution to nurses – among the tireless health care workers on the front line of a global health crisis. A troupe of ESC faculty and staff, General Services employees and a college alumnus/retiree loaded and unloaded the colorful cargo at hospital campuses in Lycoming and Clinton counties; UPMC handled transport to the Northern Tier locations. Helping to keep the greenhouse stock thriving in students’ absence were horticulture faculty; Wyatt C. Forest, laboratory assistant for horticulture; and Sean C. Golden, a landscape/horticulture technology: plant production emphasis student and work study employee.
Recognizing the impact that faculty have had on their Pennsylvania College of Technology experience and that of their peers, Student Development Assistants expressed their gratitude during Teacher Appreciation Week (May 4-8).
Handwritten notecards, emails, social media posts, videos and a blog were shared while Penn College students were completing coursework remotely.
Pennsylvania College of Technology has further revised plans for completing the Spring 2020 semester, postponing Monday’s intended reopening for limited in-person coursework. In asking for students’ continued patience as the institution weighs its academic diligence against broader health concerns, President Davie Jane Gilmour vowed that case-by-case guidance for all affected students will be issued by May 15.
Can you carry a tune? Perform the latest TikTok dance with ease? Deliver a perfectly timed punchline? The Wildcat Events Board wants you! “Penn College Star” is going virtual … and there is still a cash prize! Contestants can showcase their talents in videos of three minutes or less; submissions are due by 11 p.m. Friday, May 8. Entrants must be currently enrolled Penn College students. For rules and detailed information, visit WEB’s Facebook page.