College to Be Well-Represented at 2011 Pennsylvania Farm Show

Visitors to the 2011 Pennsylvania Farm Show can explore the many career opportunities of Pennsylvania College of Technology's exciting and varied "degrees that work" from Jan. 8-15 in Harrisburg.

Admissions Office representatives will be available all week at the college's booth in the Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, 2300 N. Cameron St., and showgoers will have an opportunity to learn about each of the college's eight academic schools there on a rotating daily schedule.

"The Pennsylvania Farm Show has a rich tradition in the commonwealth, and Penn College is honored and excited to be a part of this annual event," said Dennis L. Correll, associate dean for admissions and financial aid. "We have great hands-on activities planned all week, and we welcome all visitors including Penn College alumni to stop by the booth to visit and discover our "˜degrees that work.'"

On Saturday, Jan. 8, attendees can learn from School of Construction and Design Technologies representatives how to build a wooden toolbox (and a promising future in the construction industry). Also that day, Penn College culinary students joined by Chef Michael J. Ditchfield, instructor of hospitality management/culinary arts, at 11 a.m. and by Chef Paul Mach, assistant professor of hospitality management/culinary arts, at 5 p.m. will demonstrate their techniques on the PA Preferred Culinary Connection stage.

Students and faculty from the School of Hospitality will return to the stage at noon Sunday, Jan. 9 with Chef Charles R. Niedermyer, instructor of baking and pastry arts/culinary arts, and will participate in the Student Cooking Challenge at 4 p.m.

Also Sunday, the college's School of Transportation Technology will offer demonstrations and hands-on activities throughout the day for those interested in automotive, aviation and collision repair. Visitors can construct model cars propelled by fuel cells; learn how weight and balance are distributed in an experimental Velocity aircraft; and see how vehicles are masked for painting, how pinstriping is accomplished and how body damage is analyzed.

On Monday, Jan. 10, visitors can learn about heavy construction equipment and diesel technology majors majors that offer vast opportunities and excellent pay for graduates after only two years of education. Those looking to join the growing "green" industry can interactively explore the in-demand careers open to graduates of Penn College's horticulture majors; potential students can learn more about the diverse set of skills that can lead to high placement after graduation in jobs that offer them the opportunity to see something they've created.

At 3 p.m., Ditchfield and students will conduct a cooking demonstration on the Culinary Connection stage.

The School of Hospitality also will be featured at the college's booth throughout Tuesday, Jan. 11.

The School of Health Sciences takes over the Penn College booth on Wednesday, Jan. 12, with faculty offering a variety of activities to spotlight the high demand in surgical technology and the "expect the unexpected" nature of the college's dynamic EMT-paramedic program. Visitors can experience the skills needed to perform an appendectomy or laparotomy, exploring surgery through actual operating-room instruments and models. Farm Show guests also can evaluate their lifesaving skills by learning to insert a breathing tube or to pace and defibrillate a heart using a human simulator.

On Thursday, Jan. 13, those stopping by the School of Integrated Studies display can make several items including refrigerator magnets and key chains through a dye-sublimation process, which uses a special ink that starts out as a solid and transforms into a gas without becoming a liquid. Through the application of heat, the image can be transferred to hundreds of different items, allowing for a high degree of personalization.

On Friday, Jan. 14, the School of Business and Computer Technologies will show how game programming, business planning, marketing, accounting and the law converged to fuel the record-setting launch of "Call of Duty: Black Ops," a video game that recently sold more than 5.6 million copies within the first 24 hours of going on sale. Faculty will be on hand to talk about the school's "degrees that work" that can prepare students for careers in accounting, business, health information technology, Web design, information technology and paralegal studies.

On Saturday, Jan. 15, the School of Industrial and Engineering Technologies will demonstrate how corn is revolutionizing the plastics industry. School representatives will display plastic parts made from corn, discuss how that particular material is manufactured and detail how such new sustainable, compostable plastics will impact our lives.

For more detailed information about Penn College's 2011 Pennsylvania Farm Show participation, visit online.

For general information about the college, visit on the Web, e-mail or call toll-free 800-367-9222.