School of Engineering Technologies News Articles

An associate professor of HVAC technology at Penn College has contributed to the HVAC Classes blog, sharing his expertise on meeting the demand for a well-educated workforce. “The HVAC industry will continue to advance in response to environmental concerns, technological advancements and changing customer expectations, providing opportunities for those who are prepared to change and grow with it,” department head Jason W. Killinger says in "How to Expand & Support the HVAC Workforce."

Pennsylvania College of Technology students posted a one-two finish in the Project MFG Maritime Welding Competition held Wednesday at the Philadelphia Shipyard. Patrick C. Evanko, of Columbus, New Jersey, placed first, and Nikolas J. Harnish, of Newmanstown, earned second-place honors after competing against 18 other welding students from other institutions.

Instructor Joseph F. DiBucci's Concrete Construction class converged Thursday on The Victorian House, itself a student undertaking more than a quarter-century ago, for a sidewalk improvement project. Aided by Penn College General Services, the crew poured concrete that will be stenciled and colored to look like brickwork.

As the automotive industry moves away from the internal combustion engine and toward the era of electric vehicles, Pennsylvania College of Technology has adapted its already-visionary curriculum and empowered faculty members to deliver that instruction.

Students in Matthew A. Francis' Construction Hand & Power Tools course are in the midst of replacing the circular benches around four Zelkova trees in front of the Klump Academic Center. "The years have taken their toll on the wood seating areas, and safety was a concern," said General Services' Chad L. Karstetter, horticulturist/grounds and motorpool manager. "We reached out to Matt and his BTC103 classes with an idea, and they accepted the challenge to revive that area. They are doing an awesome job."

Carl J. Bower Jr., assistant professor of horticulture, and 17 of his students traveled to Longwood Gardens on Wednesday, a trip that included a visit with alumna Lauren S. Hoderny-Hill. The manager of domestic and international studies at the botanical showcase in Kennett Square, she is a 2005 graduate in floral design/interior plantscape.

Career Services held its final major-specific Recruitment Day of the semester on Wednesday, as more than a dozen companies filled the Breuder Advanced Technology & Health Services Center atrium to talk with students and alumni about career opportunities in the plastics and polymer field. Penn College's Recruitment Days are narrowly tailored to particular programs, with smaller numbers of vendors – but with no less enthusiasm about discussing internships and full-and part-time jobs.

About two dozen employers made themselves available to job-seeking students in the semester's penultimate Recruitment Day, arranged by Career Services and held Tuesday in the Carl Building Technologies Center. Occupying perpendicular hallways of the BTC, recruiters shared their industry needs with tomorrow makers enrolled in electrical technology, electronics & computer engineering technology; engineering & industrial design technology, and information technology.

Think you know what civil engineers do? Think again! This edition of the Tomorrow Makers podcast will open your eyes to even more ways in which their projects impact our world. Ruth A. Hocker, a civil engineering instructor at Penn College, and Zachary T. Hepler, of Ringtown, a senior in the program, spark listeners' curiosity with topics ranging from civil engineers' vital community role to international career opportunities to floating cities.

Dressed in neon T-shirts that suitably represented the bright career possibilities across the expansive construction industry, more than 1,000 students and chaperones from regional high schools and career and technical education centers converged on main campus Thursday for PA Build My Future – an interactive showcase of limitless potential.