Industrial & Engineering Technologies
Spotlight
Parent Newsletter article – Spring 2013, Issue 1
The School of Industrial and Engineering Technologies (IET) has had a busy start to the spring semester! In addition, we are gearing up for some exciting changes for the fall 2013 semester. These changes will help the school grow with new and innovative educational opportunities and provide our students with valuable learning experiences.
New Faculty & Staff
We started off the spring by welcoming two new faces in our Welding department, Mr. James Tanner and Mr. Steven Kopera. Both Mr. Tanner and Mr. Kopera have worked for Penn College in an adjunct capacity prior to this semester and are alumni of the welding program. Mr. Tanner has worked in the metal fabrication industry for more than 16 years and is an American Welding Society (AWS) Certified Welding Inspector. Mr. Kopera has worked in both the manufacturing and ship building industry since graduation. Mr. Eric Henneberger is also a new face, joining our Civil Engineering and Surveying Technology department this last fall. Mr. Henneberger brings with him more than 30 years of experience in the Surveying field. With academic and industry experiences, these new faculty will certainly enhance our already stellar academic programs!
In addition to our new faculty, IET also welcomed a new Assistant Dean, David Cotner. Mr. Cotner joined our Dean, Bill Mack, this past October as part of the administrative team in the school. Mr. Cotner has been with Penn College for the past 10 years, where he taught in the Welding department. He is also a graduate of both the associate and bachelor's degree welding programs at Penn College. Mr. Cotner has been a leader for our students in and out of the classroom and most recently received the inaugural award for Excellence in Academic Advising.
Curriculum Updates
Along with new faculty, IET also is embarking on several changes to our curriculum offerings to better support student interests and to stay current in an ever-changing job market. Beginning this fall, the Mechatronics Engineering Technology (MH) associate degree will be offered. The curriculum in this major is designed to provide graduates with extensive skills in the areas of mechanical, electrical, and electronic troubleshooting that would make them employable in a large range of industries, including manufacturing and natural gas production.
We have also significantly restructured our Computer Aided Product Design (BCD) and Computer Aided Drafting Technology (CD) majors. Beginning in fall 2013, the majors will have new names - Engineering Design Technology (BEN) (4-year baccalaureate degree) and Engineering CAD Technology (EN) (2-year Associate degree). Changes also include: first semester technical drawing methods being taught using SolidWorks® 3D CAD software, a new Creo Elements/Pro-E® course, and the expansion of topics in the area of Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).
Celebrations
Bright futures are cultivated throughout all our majors. Some of the highlights include the celebration of our Plastics and Polymers Engineering Technology department's 25th anniversary and our Society of Manufacturing Engineering (SME) student chapter placing 15th out of more than 100 college teams during the 2012 Baja SAE competition. Our students competed with engineering students from around the globe in this four day off-road competition. Best of luck goes out to the SME club for the 2013 Baja SAE event this April in Tennessee.
If you have questions, contact the school office.
