College to help Farm Show patrons ‘imagine’ career possibilities

A New Year’s tradition – Pennsylvania College of Technology’s eye-opening participation in the nation’s largest indoor agricultural attraction – is about to be renewed.

Knowledgeable students and employees will busily represent the college at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, 2300 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg, and personify the event’s 2019 theme of “Imagine the Opportunities.”

“We always look forward to showcasing the excitement of our academic programs. This is a great opportunity to introduce Farm Show visitors to the opportunities a Penn College degree provides,” said Carolyn R. Strickland, vice president for enrollment management/associate provost. “With so many visitors from across the commonwealth, we also enjoy connecting with our alumni attending the event.”



The college’s presence throughout the 104th annual event kicks off with Chefs Michael J. Ditchfield and Christopher R. Grove, along with students from the School of Business & Hospitality.

They will spend the opening days, Saturday, Jan. 4, and Sunday, Jan. 5 – Mushroom Day and Vegetable Day, respectively – in partnership with celebrity chefs and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture on the Culinary Connection stage.  A Student Cooking Challenge will be there at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Among the luminaries who will be assisted by Penn College students are:

• Walter Staib, owner of Philadelphia’s City Tavern, host of the Emmy Award-winning “A Taste of History” on PBS and the Penn College’s Visiting Chef in 2006


• 2013 alumna Kristina Wisneski, sous chef at Ripplewood Whiskey & Craft in Ardmore, a “Chopped” Champion on the Food Network, and recipient of the college’s Alumni Achievement Award in May


• 1997 alumnus Andrew Masciangelo, executive chef at Savona in Gulph Mills


• Jet Tila, host of “Iron Chef America” on Food Network and “Authentically Asian” on Facebook Watch; author of “101 Epic Dishes,” and a frequent guest on several Food Network series

Representatives of Enrollment Management and Alumni Relations will staff the booth throughout the week – No. 641 in the Main Hall West – and the college’s six academic schools will provide an engaging schedule of hands-on activities during the popular event.

Faculty and administration from the School of Construction & Design Technologies will be on hand Saturday, Jan. 4, offering three activities that illustrate a breadth of careers. “Surveying Your Future” includes a demonstration of Global Positioning System/Geographic Information System surveying equipment, a child-friendly “mystery box” will challenge youngsters to identify tools solely by touch, and guests can design and lace a custom necklace using precast concrete runes.

On Sunday and Monday, Jan. 5-6, the School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies will spotlight horticulture and forestry careers, starting with virtual-reality goggles that allow visitors to “step into” a finished landscape design. Sunday will include a hydroponic station, with giveaways to those who can guess which plants are growing there; Monday brings a Pennsylvania hardwood identification table, as well as a lumber-grading quiz.

On Tuesday, Jan. 7, the School of Nursing & Health Sciences will feature Baby SIM, a manikin that can replicate many characteristics of infants. The lifelike “infant” can cry, coo and give nursing students (and Farm Show attendees) the opportunity to assess lung and heart sounds on a baby.

The School of Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies will be represented on Wednesday, Jan. 8, testing participants’ skills as entry-level welders on the VRTEX 360 advanced virtual reality arc-welding trainer from Lincoln Electric. Challengers will be scored on their aptitude, with prizes to be awarded at noon and at the end of the day.

The School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies’ aviation department will provide a unique keepsake activity on Thursday, Jan. 9, allowing visitors to learn about safety and technique while using industry-standard tools to assemble a mini-airplane from sheet metal and rivets.

The school’s automotive/collision repair area is front and center on Friday, Jan. 10, gauging participants’ prowess with the SpraySim paint simulator while broadcasting the results on a 52-inch screen.

On Saturday, Jan. 11, through the School of Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications’ “Agriculture in Brewing” display, expo visitors will use instruments to determine bushel weight and kernel-size distribution of malted barley samples, as well as sieves to mill malt and evaluate grit-size distribution.

For more detailed information about the Farm Show, which will be broadcast on television and over streaming video through the Pennsylvania Cable Network, visit the show's website.

For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.