Eight Pennsylvania College of Technology students – seven horticulture majors and an alumnus of the School of Natural Resources Management re-enrolled for his bachelor's degree – increased their marketability by passing the Pennsylvania Pesticide Applicator Certification exam Nov. 20.

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture representative Jeff Bastian administered the three-hour test, which enables students to become commercial (public) or private applicators.

The commercial designation applies to properties not owned or rented by the applicator, to nonagricultural uses, and in settings that include apartment complexes, golf courses, nonresidential swimming pools, playgrounds/athletic fields, parks, schools and day-care centers. A private license applies to agricultural production on land that is owned or rented by the applicator or his or her employer.

Passing the commercial exam at the college's Schneebeli Earth Science Center were brothers Christopher M. and Matthew D. Bramble, Kittanning; Dean A. Dietrich, Lenhartsville; John D. Resides, Pleasant Gap; Mark W. Risser, Lititz; Todd J. Sitler, Douglassville; Emily S. Turney, Montgomery; and James S. Wiand, Reading.

Matthew Bramble, Resides, Risser and Sitler are majoring in ornamental horticulture: landscape technology; Dietrich majors in ornamental horticulture: plant production; and Turney is enrolled in the college's since-revised landscape/nursery technology major.

Christopher Bramble graduated in May with an associate degree in landscape/nursery technology; he now is a technology management student in the college's School of Business and Computer Technologies.

"These students should be very proud; this can be a tough test. Taking the Plant Insects and Diseases class certainly helps, but they did a lot of work toward this," said Carl J. Bower, a member of the school's horticulture faculty and the course instructor. "This will help give them an edge over their competition, which is always a good thing in this job market."

For more information about the School of Natural Resources Management, visit online or call (570) 320-8038.

For more information about Penn College, visit on the Web, e-mail or call (800) 367-9222.