‘World of Concrete’ opens worlds of opportunity for students

Seven students and two faculty members from Pennsylvania College of Technology recently attended World of Concrete 2022, the only annual international event dedicated to commercial concrete and masonry construction industries.

The 47th annual WOC, held in mid-January in and around the expansive Las Vegas Convention Center, featured more than 1,100 exhibitors and nearly 37,000 registered industry professionals engaged in several days of networking, education and competition.

Penn College students who made the trip, their hometowns and majors are: Reese A. Kauffman, of York Haven, concrete science technology; Madison L. Kistler, of Kutztown, applied technology studies; Hunter E. Lentz, of Elizabethville, concrete science technology; Jaymz M. McClelland, of Bellefonte, concrete science technology; Pilar P. Pastusic, of Dushore, building construction technology; Matt J. Siluk, of Orwigsburg, concrete science technology; and Harrison Wohlfarth, of Midlothian, Virginia, applied technology studies.

They were accompanied by Scott A. Bierly and Franklin H. Reber Jr. from the college’s building construction faculty.

“World of Concrete is basically an emporium displaying everything you could imagine concrete is capable of, and much more. Walking the floor, you’ll realize that the convention encapsulates each branch of the industry into several football fields’ worth of show,” Wohlfarth explained. “It's all there, and waiting to be explored. Sustainable cement and concrete mix design, decorative materials and techniques, and advanced fiber technology and repair procedures are just a few of the fields covered by the convention.”

Wohlfarth, among the students dual-majoring in concrete science technology – the only program of its kind on the East Coast – earned an associate degree in building construction technology in 2020.

“It's amazing seeing just how excited everyone gets about their product or their experience with concrete,” he said. “Everyone is telling their stories and passing on their advice from experience. If you live to see what this industry is capable of, and where it’s headed, consider World of Concrete. It will not disappoint!”

“World of Concrete was an amazing opportunity to network and to see all new technological innovations in the concrete industry,” added Kistler, co-leader (with Wohlfarth) of the college’s ConCreate Design Club, a student chapter of the American Concrete Institute. “I got the opportunity to sit in on a seminar that will help me in my classes and future endeavors, as well.”

Kistler, who earned a surveying technology degree last year, said the group also got to see “some cool brick- and block-laying competitions.”

“There was an endless amount of information to absorb and just as many booths to visit. Our last day there, we got the chance to visit the Hoover Dam, which we learn about in class,” she said. “The trip really brought everything full circle with what we learn in the classroom to real life. It's a great opportunity for the concrete students, and I hope this trip continues to happen.”

Enabling the group’s travel this year were a number of industry partners that fully funded the trip: Lithko Contracting LLC; Forcine Concrete and Construction Co.; Durable Surfaces; Conewago Enterprises Inc.; and Central Builders Supply Co.

For more information about Penn College’s concrete science technology major, visit the School of Engineering Technologies or call 570-327-4520.

For more about the college, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.