Students Articles

First-Generation College Student Week was celebrated Nov. 5-11 at Penn College, appropriate for a campus where nearly half the enrollment – not to mention a significant number of faculty and staff, including the institution's president – meet that definition. The week was selected because Nov. 8 marks the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which created federal financial aid programs that reduce barriers to first-generation students' success.

On this Veterans Day weekend, Penn College News honors the students, alumni, faculty and staff who have selflessly served (or continue to serve) their country. Members of the college community are encouraged to join in acknowledging these colleagues, who are among those to whom we pay tribute.

IBM and Penn College partnered to sponsor a half-day Attack Surface Management Summit on campus Wednesday, assembling a top-notch lineup of cybersecurity speakers who shared their expertise on a number of relevant topics. Among the highlights was a discussion of ASM – the continuous process of identifying, monitoring and managing internet-connected devices for potential attacks and exposure – that involved a Penn College administrator and a graduate.

Twenty Pennsylvania College of Technology retirees recently joined the College Relations staff for the inaugural Retirees' Luncheon in the Thompson Professional Development Center. The retirees were greeted by Kimberly R. Cassel, college relations director, setting the tone for a very energetic morning filled with student presentations and updates on campus happenings. Loni N. Kline, senior vice president for college relations, warmly welcomed attendees back to campus.

A $1 million grant from the Gene Haas Foundation sparked extensive renovations to Pennsylvania College of Technology’s automated manufacturing lab while expanding scholarship offerings and enabling the college to promote manufacturing careers more broadly to K-12 students. The Gene Haas Center for Innovative Manufacturing was formally dedicated on Nov. 6.

The Penn College Motorsports Association's annual Trunk or Treat, postponed by rain a week earlier, showed that the Halloween spirit didn't diminish with November's arrival. "It was a great event and we are looking forward to doing it again next year," said PCMA President Alex Riddle, of Kingston, an automotive restoration student (and May graduate in automotive technology).

Pennsylvania College of Technology is among 325 higher education institutions nationwide recognized in the Military Times 2023 Best for Vets: Colleges list. The Best for Vets survey is sent to colleges and universities annually, asking about the institutions’ programs for veterans. The survey results are analyzed along with publicly available data about colleges and universities obtained from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

A variety of activities during the coming week will pay tribute to two treasured segments of the campus population: veterans and first-generation students. The Wildcat community is encouraged to check out bulletin boards for a full listing of commemorative events, and to revisit Penn College News and the college's social media platforms as both groups are celebrated.

As a week of ice-scraper mornings temporarily surrendered to warmer temps and plentiful sunshine, the final Open House of the Fall 2023 semester attracted a lively crowd of aspiring Penn College students and their families. Faculty/staff, students and alumni combined to make it an informative day for visitors, who filled their Sunday with tours – both general and pinpointed to their specific interests – and a variety of optional activities focused on academic and campus life.

Students in Joseph F. DiBucci's Concrete Construction class poured front and side porches Thursday at a Greater Lycoming Habitat for Humanity home being built at 1616 Scott St. More student involvement is expected as additional houses are built in that neighborhood, and Penn College is partnering with Habitat for a multiyear residential construction project on Fifth Avenue closer to campus.