Penn College receives NSF grant to aid transportation workforce

Pennsylvania College of Technology is the recipient of a nearly $1.5 million federal grant to support students majoring in a transportation-related field.

The National Science Foundation awarded $1,498,465 (grant No. 2221107) as part of its S-STEM program, which funds scholarships for academically talented low-income students.

Dubbed Transportation Scholars, the program will provide up to $10,000 annually for eligible students. To meet the criteria of high achieving and low income, students must have a high school GPA of at least 3.0 and be eligible for Pell Grant aid.

Scholarship recipients are required to be seeking an associate degree in aviation, automotive, collision repair or diesel.

“In a nutshell, jobs in these transportation fields are plentiful and command high salaries,” said Bradley M. Webb, dean of engineering technologies. “We are grateful to the NSF for recognizing Penn College’s long history of success in preparing students for careers in the transportation industry. With the support of this grant, we hope to offer such opportunities to students who might otherwise not have the means to pursue such enriching careers.”

Automotive technicians inspect, maintain, diagnose and repair complex systems on vehicles. Aviation maintenance technicians repair and maintain everything from gliders to helicopters to jets. Collision repair technicians repair damaged vehicles to their pre-accident condition. And diesel technicians fix and maintain diesel-powered highway, industrial, and marine vehicles and equipment.

“All of these fields require proficiency in math,” Webb noted. “That’s why mathematics and transportation faculty at the college are working together to contextualize math concepts using practical examples from the transportation industry. Linking mathematics to careers that are of interest to students can be an effective way to improve learning.”

The Transportation Scholars will be part of a cohort that will meet monthly through the college’s Career Seminars program, featuring personal development activities and field trips to local employers. Individually, the students will be assigned a faculty adviser who will serve as a mentor and career coach.

“We’re confident the various components of the Transportation Scholars program will have the cumulative effect of increasing and diversifying the students eyeing a career in transportation. Eventually, that will pay dividends for the industry as a whole,” Webb said.

The college’s goal is to have 45 scholarship recipients throughout the funding period, which ends in 2028.

The grant’s principal investigator is Robert K. Vlacich, associate professor of automotive technology and department head. Co-principal investigators are Webb and Brad R. Conklin, faculty in diesel equipment technology.

Visit the Transportation Scholars program webpage to apply.

For information on transportation-related degrees and other programs offered by Penn College’s School of Engineering Technologies, call 570-327-4520.

Email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222 for additional resources on Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education and workforce development.

For more information about grant-funding opportunities, faculty and staff may contact Grants & Sponsored Programs at ext. 7580 or through its Web portal.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2221107. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.