Penn College Team Takes First Place at International Builders' Show

A team of students from Pennsylvania College of Technology took first place recently in a construction competition at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders.

In addition, team adviser Richard L. Druckenmiller, an instructor of building construction technology and the 2003 recipient of the Master Teacher Award at Penn College, was honored with the "Outstanding Educator" award for the two-year-program competition category.

The winning team, consisting of four members of the Penn College Construction Association (a student chapter of the National Association of Home Builders), competed in the contest for schools offering two-year programs in construction and related majors. Penn College also sent a team to compete in the four-year program category.

Members of the winning Penn College team are: Thomas A. Fedor, Whitehall, Building Construction Technology; David G. Mazaika, McAdoo, Building Construction Technology; John D. Morgan, Williamsport, Architectural Technology; and Adam N. Waigand, Cranberry Township, Butler County, Building Construction Technology.

In the two-year competition, teams must produce a residential-home design, complete with working drawings, estimated costs and a construction schedule. They make a final presentation to a panel of industry judges. The students are given a family profile, budget, location, design criteria and relevant construction information from which they produce a design that?s efficient, cost-effective, and shows innovation and value engineering.

Members of the Penn College team that competed in the four-year category are: David F. Hodgman, Chambersburg, Residential Construction Technology and Management; Nathan M. Krepinevich, Williamsport, Residential Construction Technology and Management; Justin B. Phillips, Collegeville, Residential Construction Technology and Management; Jeremy R. Tenio, Clarks Summit, Residential Construction Technology and Management; and Justin P. Williamson, Woolrich, Construction Management.

"All were a credit to Penn College and our commitment to education and professionalism," said Tom F. Gregory, dean of construction and design technologies. "All of these people deserve our congratulations for their fine representation of Penn College."

The International Builders' Show is one of the largest conventions in the world, with approximately 1,600 manufacturers introducing their building and construction products and services to more than 90,000 industry professionals from 100 countries.

For more information about construction-related majors at Penn College, call (570) 327-4518, send e-mail or visit on the Web.