Alumni Articles

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s rich history of turning today’s eager learners into the highly skilled workforce of tomorrow will be on ample display during an Oct. 27 Open House. The college will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for prospective students and their families to delve into scores of bachelor’s, associate and certificate programs.

As part of Homecoming and Parent & Family Weekend activities, Pennsylvania College of Technology celebrated its new synthetic turf field – “UPMC Field” – and a host of other recent enhancements to its athletic complex, including a new entrance gate, press box and scoreboard.

The fourth annual Homecoming and Parent & Family Weekend (Oct. 4-6) provided another exhaustive opportunity for alumni, current students and families to (re)connect.

Standing 6-foot-5 and dressed in a dark blue lab coat accessorized by purple latex gloves and safety glasses, the Pennsylvania College of Technology graduate resembles a bookish superhero rather than a federal contractor. Daniel J. Ravizza’s appearance is appropriate for his domain. All sorts of aircraft representing various eras of aviation extend from the ceiling of the hangar-like facility.

Two recently retired faculty members at Pennsylvania College of Technology have been granted “faculty emeritus” status by the institution. The emeritus recommendations for Sandra Lakey, associate professor of speech communication-composition, and Thomas J. Mulfinger, associate professor of building construction technology, both were approved by the Penn College Board of Directors on Oct. 3.

Opened six years ago this month, the ice arena plays host to an inquisitive Penn College contingent. Evan Cleary (in plaid shirt), who arranged the campus visit as facilities manager in Penn State's Office of Physical Plant, joins his guests outside the famed Berkey Creamery. Cleary is a 2017 alumnus of Penn College's heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology major.

General Services' Gary T. Pandolfi, refrigeration, heating and plumbing mechanic, helps Katherine A. Downes, a graphic design major from Hamburg, as students took turns pouring Wildcat Blue dye into the water outside the ATHS. The deep-blue hue works its way through the fountain's pool, a change that will remain until after the college's Oct. 27 Open House.

The Shell Polymers Rotational Molding Center of Excellence was unveiled Sept. 24, and Shell was honored for its generous support for facilities that aid in the instruction of aspiring plastics professionals at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Makerspaces are collaborative learning centers with equipment and tools to dream, create and innovate in a community environment. The Dr.

"What I enjoy most out of life is giving back." Pennsylvania College of Technology alumnus Robert E. Wood lives that credo daily as the executive chef at JBJ Soul Kitchen in Toms River, New Jersey. As part of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, JBJ Soul Kitchen is a nonprofit community restaurant that serves paying and in-need customers.