Student-Restored Mustang Takes Top Prize in Competition
Oct. 20, 2011 - 12:30 p.m.
A 1965 Ford Mustang convertible restored by Penn College collision repair students – with a little help from their friends – recently won the highest honor possible in its inaugural adjudication: a first-place junior award at the prestigious Antique Automobile Club of America Eastern Regional Meet in Hershey. The car and its top-prize trophy, the first ever won by a college on the East Coast (and only the second nationwide), will be on display in the Madigan Library during the college's Oct. 23 Open House. "It's a big deal for a school to come in and place first in such a popular category and against some of the top restorers in the country," said Colin W. Williamson, dean of the School of Transportation Technology. "For us to go in there and pull out a trophy at a show that is considered the culmination of the entire judging season is just amazing."
Collision Repair Students Dominate Scholarship Competition
Aug. 10, 2011 - 10:30 a.m.
Three collision repair technology majors at Penn College are among only five students nationally to receive $5,000 scholarships in a fifth annual industry competition. Nabil O. Assad, Philadelphia; Ian J. Hilner, Milton; and Isaac S. Hostetter, Lebanon, were awarded CCC Michael Salvatore Memorial Student Repair Technician Scholarships, presented by the Collision Repair Education Foundation and CCC Information Services to address the collision repair industry’s need for qualified technicians.
Antique Automobile Association's 'Vintage Tour' Stops on Campus
July 25, 2011 - 2:57 p.m.
About two-dozen vehicles owned by Antique Automobile Association of America members were displayed in the College Avenue Labs parking lot Monday, one of seven stops along the group's "Vintage Tour" through northcentral Pennsylvania and the southern tier of New York state. Sponsored by the association's Susquehannock Region, which has worked with Penn College in restoration of two vehicles for AACA's museum in Hershey, the six-day tour is open to pre-1938 vehicles. Also on the itinerary are visits to Little League Baseball headquarters and downtown Williamsport, as well as Corning and Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Three Students Among Medalists at National Vocational Competition
July 7, 2011 - 8:16 a.m.
Three Penn College students were among the medalists at SkillsUSA's 47th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference held June 19-24 in Kansas City, Mo. Placing third in their respective events were Aaron C. Dressler, Mount Pleasant Mills, Automotive Refinishing; Micah E. Hoover, Souderton, Welding; and Lewis D. Robinson, Bellefonte, Culinary Arts. Dressler is enrolled in the collision repair technology major, Hoover is a welding and fabrication engineering technology student, and Robinson is majoring in culinary arts and systems. Their bronze medals bring to 27 the total number of Penn College students who have placed in the top three spots in national competition over the years. Placing fourth in Collision Repair was Owen R. Boyle, of Bloomsbury, N.J.
Students Again Dazzle Museum Crowd With Their Restorative Powers
June 27, 2011 - 3:38 p.m.
With the vehicle's original owner present and blessed with tangible encouragement from some serious antique-automobile enthusiasts, a 1978 Pontiac Firebird Esprit restored by students in Penn College's School of Transportation Technology was returned to the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum on Saturday. Parked in front of the Hershey facility, next to a 1965 Mustang convertible painstakingly refurbished by students during the 2009-10 school year, the Firebird drew deserved attention for its return to showroom quality. "It's incredible," said Patricia K. Lovaas, the retired Army psychiatric nurse who bought the car new and drove it for 21 years before donating it to the museum in December 2009. "They did such a great job." Representing the college at the ceremony, held during an annual car show at the museum, were alumni Glen F. Sutter, of Vernon, N.J., and Ryan J. Levesque, of West Chester; and student Robert A. Talipski, of Scranton, who all worked on the car; Steven H. Wallace, assistant dean of transportation technology; Debra M. Miller, director of corporate relations; and Michael R. Bierly, a member of the collision repair faculty. Penn College already has received the next museum piece to be restored in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years: a 1970 Chevelle Super Sport 396. Watch PCToday for more about the continuing partnership, including support from Du Pont and the AACA's Susquehannock and Hershey regions.
Vocational Instructors Trained in Waterborne Auto Finishing
June 15, 2011 - 4:12 p.m.
More than a half-dozen members of automotive faculty from area vocational-technical schools attended a College Avenue Labs workshop on the technology and application of waterborne finishes. Offered through the Central Pennsylvania Tech Prep Consortium and Penn College – and taught by Jeff Klingman and Tom Siragusa, direct account representatives of DuPont Performance Coatings – the training session included both classroom and laboratory instruction.
Instructors Schooled in Latest Waterborne-Paint Technologies
May 20, 2011 - 12:16 p.m.
Automotive instructors from a number of high schools and regional career and technology centers visited Penn College on Friday for training in the application of waterborne paint. Sponsored by the Central Pennsylvania Tech Prep Consortium, the college and PPG Industries, the daylong event combined classroom lectures and hands-on experience in the College Avenue Labs paint laboratory. James Kvatek, PPG technical training instructor and facility manager, keynoted the agenda, which also included lunch at Le Jeune Chef Restaurant.
DuPont Refinishing Trainer Schools Collision Repair Students in Waterborne Application
Oct. 26, 2010 - 1:31 p.m.
A representative of DuPont, a major corporate partner of Penn College's School of Transportation Technology, visited the collision repair paint laboratory Tuesday to train students in the company's waterborne basecoat products. T.J. Donahue, a refinish systems training instructor, worked with several classes – including Michael A. Bierly's Basic Refinishing Applications course – in using the Cromax Pro process. "It's very, very simple," explained Donahue, who walked students through all of the steps, from matching and mixing colors to spray-gun application.
Collision Repair Graduate Returns for Q&A With Students
Oct. 25, 2010 - 5:22 p.m.
Ryan M. Arnold, of Limerick, who graduated in December 2006 with an associate degree in collision repair technology, shared his industry insight with several classes of Penn College students Monday afternoon. Returning to a College Avenue Labs classroom, not far from the spacious laboratory space that dwarfs the Limerick Auto Body shop where he works, the 25-year-old espoused a conscientious work ethic and patiently earning one's credibility with an employer, and urged students to appreciate both Penn College's top-notch facilities and the benefits of earning a degree. "There's a real market for young technicians right now," he said. "You can turn a wrench and make a pretty good living at it, but there's a big difference between a mechanic and a mechanic who knows what's wrong – a mechanic who can explain why you're having this problem and how to fix it."
Industry Coalition Donates Automotive Software to Penn College
Sept. 2, 2010 - 9:36 a.m.
A triumvirate of industry leaders has included Penn College among the institutions to which it will donate collision repair and estimating software. Under the agreement, recently announced by CCC Information Services Inc., MOTOR Information Systems and the I-CAR Education Foundation, the college will receive the CCC ONE Total Repair Platform and MOTOR collision estimating data. The college’s eligibility was determined by an annual survey completed by instructors in the School of Transportation Technology.
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