University of Kansas visit enhances HVAC collaboration

Representatives from University of Kansas visited Penn College’s campus recently to learn more about the college’s heating, ventilation & air conditioning degrees. The university is the lead institution in a new National Science Foundation Gen-4 Engineering Research Center named the Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub.

For almost two years, Penn College has been part of a consortium of technical schools involved in the NSF proposal to develop a new Engineering Research Center based on heating, ventilation & air conditioning/refrigeration innovation. Ellyn A. Lester, assistant dean of architecture & construction, has been leading the college's involvement in EARTH and has traveled to the University of Kansas for several meetings to build relationships with the group.

"Each time I’ve met with the team, I’ve offered them an open invitation to come to campus,” Lester said. “We’re thrilled that they were finally able to come to meet our faculty, tour our facilities and spend time with our students.”

Mark Shiflett, director of the initiative, provided a presentation about EARTH to more than 100 students and faculty before the group toured the college’s facilities. Shiflett is a distinguished foundation professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas. During his 28-year career with DuPont Co., he developed new refrigerants and is an inventor on 40 U.S. patents. He received the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Institute award for Industrial Research in 2016 for the development of non-ozone-depleting refrigerants that have led to the healing of the Earth’s ozone layer.

During his talk in the Klump Academic Center Auditorium, Shiflett explained that, as a result of leaks from current cooling systems, the hydrofluorocarbons commonly used as refrigerants cause about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. EARTH plans to facilitate repurposing and recycling 90% of refrigerants, create novel and environmentally safe refrigerants, and develop more energy-efficient HVAC-R systems with less than 1% refrigerant leakage (via sensors and self-healing additives).

Jason W. Killinger, associate professor of HVAC technology, provided the tour of the college’s heating, ventilation & air conditioning technology instructional spaces, discussing the integration of technology in hands-on education.

“One of the most meaningful takeaways was the strength of the heating, ventilation & air conditioning engineering technology program and the clear pathways it provides students into the HVAC industry after graduation,” Killinger said. “The group expressed genuine interest in supporting efforts to convert the program into an online format, making it more accessible for both traditional and nontraditional learners. Their enthusiasm underscored the value of expanding flexible options to help students achieve career goals in a rapidly evolving field.”

"Shiflett's presentation resonated with our students, and Jason Killinger's tour of the HVAC labs impressed the KU team,” Lester said. Afterwards, Michael J. Reed, Penn College president; Joanna K. Flynn, vice president for academic affairs and provost; and Bradley M. Webb, dean of engineering technologies, met with Shiflett and Casey M. Williams, EARTH’s education director, who also toured the college. "We had a great discussion that will lead to several joint initiatives in the near future," Lester said.

The EARTH initiative includes six partner research institutions: the University of Kansas, University of Maryland, University of Hawaii Manoa, Lehigh University, University of South Dakota and University of Notre Dame. Penn College will also be among the project’s partners, holding an important role in preparing the HVAC workforce to implement the new strategies.

To learn more about Penn College's associate and bachelor's degrees in heating, ventilation & air conditioning, and its certificate in plumbing, visit www.pct.edu/hvac.