Penn College News

Dozens of Penn College students earn building-code certificates

Monday, June 13, 2022

Thirty-four Pennsylvania College of Technology students – half of whom subsequently earned degrees last month – recently attained International Codes Council certification as Building Code Specialists.

The students comprised three sections of construction technology instructor Harry W. Hintz Jr.’s Codes in Construction class during the spring semester. To earn certificates, students had to score 70% or better on a 60-question, 2-hour-allotted, written examination on the building provisions of “The International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings.”



Nearly three dozen Pennsylvania College of Technology students – including recent graduates – have attained International Codes Council certification as Building Code Specialists.Penn College was the first postsecondary institution in the United States to offer the council’s College Technical Training Program, which uses the qualifying exam that the students took and has since been adopted by many colleges nationwide.

“A lot of the material was a review and expansion of class content from our hands-on associate degree in building construction technology,” Hintz explained. “The certificate is free to students in the Codes class, and the exam also serves as their final.”

The class prepared for the test during the spring semester through use of the ICC’s “2018 International Building Code Study Companion,” the aforementioned residential code book, and a 100-slide PowerPoint and worksheet that Hintz developed over the years on the first 11 chapters of that book.

Those earning certificates are:

Building construction technology
Nate M. Carsley, Elverson; Mackenzie N. Feese, Williamsport; Boyd C. Heckman, Duncannon; Ian K. Lampert, Milford, N.J.; Eric M. Lauber, Monroeton; Ryan M. Madigan, Warren; Rebekah E. Mang, New Holland; Sam H. Maxwell, West Point, N.Y.; Carson L. McChesney, Bellefonte; and Brent C. Sherkel, Smithmill.

Building construction technology students who were certified, then graduated in May, are Dan M. Cassel, Danville; David M. Collazo, Monroe Township, N.J.; Naaman T. Conoway, Loganton; Karson J. Felty, Pine Grove; Henry G. Gaffey, Wexford; Alex A. Jaworski, Taylor; Matt M. Johnson, Phoenixville; Ryan J. Koubek, Annandale, N.J.; Keegan J. McNeal, Monroeton; Lizeth V. Reyes-Becerra, Erie; Damein J. Roupp, Columbia Cross Roads; Liam T. Ryan, Malvern; Daun Williamson, Linden; Cody B. Seidel, Tyrone; Christian Stoltz, State College; Blake S. Truax, Williamsport, Md.

Continuing their education this fall will be Collazo and Roupp (concrete science technology); Gaffey, Koubek, Reyes-Becerra and Stoltz (residential construction technology & management); and Seidel (heavy construction equipment technology: operator emphasis).

Residential construction technology & management
Trent M. Devlin, Hatboro; Georgia L. Macensky, Wellsboro; Brad J. Papura, Mountain Top; Graham S. Purdy, Hillsborough, N.J.; Cheyenne E. Stein, Orwigsburg; Phil L. Tondereau, Williamsport; and Carson J. Varano, Allentown.

Another alumnus who was certified is Mark S. Wagner, of Indiana, who earned a bachelor’s in residential construction technology & management last month (and an associate degree in architectural technology in 2020).

For more information about building construction majors in the School of Engineering Technologies, call 570-327-4516.

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