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As a kid, Eli R. Rush fell in love with roller coasters. As an adult, he’s turned that passion into a livelihood. The Pennsylvania College of Technology alumnus is a designer for a renowned manufacturer and builder of coasters. Rush, of Elysburg, works for Great Coasters International Inc. Headquartered in Sunbury, the company has crafted award-winning wooden roller coasters for amusement parks throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

A federal grant that enhanced services for veteran students at Pennsylvania College of Technology recently ended, but its benefits will endure. A Department of Education program, the three-year, $450,000 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success grant aided the coordination of services geared to veteran students’ academic, financial, physical and social needs.

A dozen students comprise the 2024 class of inductees to Pennsylvania College of Technology’s chapter of SALUTE, a national veterans honor society. "Being recognized for achieving this high standard of academic achievement in front of their fellow veterans provides an avenue to distinguish themselves among a group that has already done amazing things in their lives," said Chet Beaver, assistant director of student advocacy for veteran/military.

Penn College’s Engineering & Industrial Design Technology Department held its annual SolidWorks Pumpkin Carving Contest last week. The fall tradition tests students on their “carving” abilities, as they craft virtual jack-o'-lanterns with computer software. Three winners were selected in each of two sections of Technical Drawing I and Detailing I.

With one United East Conference championship in the bag (men’s cross-country) and another still possible (women’s soccer), the Pennsylvania College of Technology fall sports season is nearing its end in brilliant fashion. Also, this past week, as the men’s soccer and women’s volleyball seasons were ending, the wrestling season began, and action is about to get underway for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, with previews of those two teams forthcoming.

On Sunday, the Penn College community welcomed prospective students and their families and friends to the final Open House of 2024. Sunny, seasonal weather greeted guests, as did a warm welcome from student tour guides and campus employees. Around 550 potential students were in attendance and over 1,600 total guests, according to Bryce W. Winder, coordinator of admissions events and communications, who added, "The weather was amazing, and our guests were even better."

Wawa is hosting a Pop-Up Employer Information Table from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday, Nov. 4, in the Hager Lifelong Education Center lobby (outside of the Keystone Dining Room). The company is recruiting for customer service positions, and all students are welcome.

A call comes in from the Lycoming County Department of Public Safety’s 911 Center, reporting lost and injured hikers are in the woods on the property of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center. Fielding the dispatch are students enrolled in the college’s emergency management & homeland security major, who promptly set their training and skills into motion for a search and rescue full-scale exercise that also involves forest technology students.

An inspiring team effort took place recently with readings of “Meet Mason” by the Penn College men’s basketball team. In honor of Blindness Awareness Month in October, the team, their coach and the book’s author engaged children in various local settings, including the Dunham Children’s Learning Center at Penn College, Otto Bookstore in downtown Williamsport and Cochran Primary School. The “center” of this team dynamic is Mason Chapman, whose story is shared in “Meet Mason."

Information shared by Roy H. Klinger, instructor of collision repair at Pennsylvania College of Technology, is featured in a short video on The Weather Channel. The 1:19-minute piece, titled “Autumn Leaves Could be Eating Away at Your Car,” warns viewers that, “As beautiful as fall foliage is, those colorful leaves piling up on your car can cause serious damage, from stripping away paint to clogging your car’s air systems.”