Plastics and Polymer Department Holds Open House

Industry representatives from nearly a dozen firms participated in a Plastics and Polymer Department Open House and Reception at Pennsylvania College of Technology recently, getting a firsthand look at the state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories available to students, faculty and staff.

The event included presentations on Penn College's Plastics and Polymer academic program, offered by associate professor Dr. Kirk M. Cantor and assistant professor Timothy Weston, and on The Plastics Manufacturing Center at Penn College and the Rotational Molding Center of Excellence, offered by PMC Director C. Hank White.

Speakers also provided overviews of the plastics industry (Brent Vernon of the Governor's Action Team), the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce's Plastics Initiative (Chamber President Vince Matteo), and the Ben Franklin Technology Partners (Larry Seibert, regional program manager).

Other presentations included the recognition of matching-grant donors by Penn College President Dr. Davie Jane Gilmour, a Penn College career-services update by Sharon Waters, director of career/academic support and counseling, and an update on Penn College's Technology Transfer Center by Larry L. Michael, associate dean for technology transfer.

The industry representatives also visited the Plastics and Polymer Technology and Automated Manufacturing facilities in the Breuder Advanced Technology and Health Sciences Center. Faculty, including Eric K. Albert, associate professor of machine tool technology/automated manufacturing, led the tours.

"The Plastics Industry Open House at Penn College was a landmark event, again demonstrating the cooperative partnership among Penn College's plastics academic program, The Plastics Manufacturing Center, Ben Franklin Technology Partners and other government programs, and the plastics industry," White said. "Our plastics program provides technology resources and highly trained individuals to facilitate the growth and success of the plastics industry in Pennsylvania and beyond. We were pleased to provide a forum for plastics companies to gain a full appreciation of our state-of-the-art facilities and our commitment to providing excellence in plastics education."

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