Alum visits class, makes donation from Geisinger

Pennsylvania College of Technology radiography alumna Kianna A. Rizzo, of Elysburg, recently visited campus to provide an interactive presentation for students in the advanced modalities class, which explores post-graduation pathways in the field of imaging.  

Rizzo graduated from the program in 2025 and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in applied health studies. She is a vascular interventional technologist at Geisinger Medical Center, as is colleague Jessica McFee, who joined Rizzo in exposing students to the interventional procedures that are performed in a level-one trauma center. 

According to Christine L. Eckenrod, director of radiography, Rizzo quickly moved from radiography to interventional procedures after graduating from Penn College and passing her American Registry of Radiologic Technologists credentialing examination.

“One of the great things about a career in radiography is all of the places it can take you,” Eckenrod said. “Radiography is a great career choice, but it is also a stepping stone to so many other opportunities, like CT scanning, MRI, mammography, interventional radiology and the radiologist’s assistant. The advanced modalities course is where students learn more about these modalities, with the opportunity to explore and hear from professionals who are actually working in that modality.”

The class, Rizzo added, is so important for students to explore the many pathways after graduation from the radiography program.

“This allows them to realize that their degree does not limit them,” she said. “Many of the modalities of medical imaging allow individuals to do on-the-job training, and that is what we do at Geisinger.”

Rizzo said that her time at Penn College set her up for success in her current career.

“Being a hands-on learner means that my favorite part was being in the lab and having the opportunity to practice positioning techniques on classmates prior to performing them on patients in clinic,” she said. “Being able to work in numerous hospital systems throughout my clinical time has made me a skilled and versatile employee.”

Rizzo and McFee began by highlighting their day-to-day experiences as vascular interventional technologists before beginning hands-on activities. Students learned how to deploy stents and “scrub into the case,” or scrubbing, gowning and gloving themselves. Additional stations gave students the opportunity to practice starting their own case, where they gained access into an artery using wire and catheter skills.

Geisinger Medical Center donated operating room drapes, gowns, gloves, micropuncture kits, sheaths, catheters, wires, stents and balloons so students can continue to simulate using the equipment that would be used on a patient.

“The radiography program is grateful for the donation of expired medical equipment from Geisinger as part of the presentation,” Eckenrod said. “The equipment and supplies allow students to have hands-on practice in the classroom as they explore the interventional radiology career path. It means a lot to the program and to the students to have the support of our industry partners, like Geisinger, to make these experiences happen.”  

Penn College offers an associate degree in radiography that can be continued to an online bachelor’s degree in healthcare leadership & administration. To learn more about the college’s radiography program, call 570-327-4519.

Geisinger is a Penn College Corporate Tomorrow Maker and a member of the Heritage Society ($50,000-$99,999) on the college’s Donor Wall.