'Green' Construction Majors Showcased in Capitol Rotunda

Penn College was among 26 exhibitors at the Career and Technical Education celebration Feb. 8-9 in the East Wing Rotunda of the Capitol Building in Harrisburg. The college's renewable energy technologies and building science and sustainable design majors were among the key programs highlighted during Tuesday's opening ceremonies. Students, teachers and the public were welcome to visit the invited schools' displays; the Penn College table featured a PowerPoint slide show of the newest "green building technology" majors offered by the School of Construction and Design Technologies. Visitors also had the opportunity to view the online Sunny Portal, which illustrates the college's cost and energy savings realized from an array of solar panels that students installed to serve the Victorian House. Geoffrey M. Campbell (assistant professor of architectural technology) and Wayne E. Gebhart (assistant professor of electrical technologies/occupations) deftly fielded questions from guests, while Jason T. Maddox, of South Williamsport (a building science and sustainable design major/president of the newly organized student chapter of the United States Green Building Council), was available to offer a student's perspective of both programs. State Sen. Gene Yaw and state Rep. Rick Mirabito were among those who visited the college's display.Photos provided by Steven K. McCoy, coordinator of matriculation and retention for the School of Construction and Design Technologies