Students Articles

The Engineering & Industrial Design Department recently held its annual SolidWorks Pumpkin Carving Contest, a fall favorite in which first-year students "carve" virtual jack-o'-lanterns with computer software and unbridled imagination. Three winners were selected in each of two sections of Technical Drawing I taught by Katherine A. Walker and Craig A. Miller, assistant professors of engineering design technology.

Pennsylvania College of Technology faculty and students recently lent their knowledge as presenters and assistants at the Retail Confectioners Association of Philadelphia’s fall event. In addition, a Penn College instructor was presented the association’s 2023 “Candy Hook Award,” and the association announced its intent to establish an annual scholarship for the college’s students.

First-Generation College Student Week was celebrated Nov. 5-11 at Penn College, appropriate for a campus where nearly half the enrollment – not to mention a significant number of faculty and staff, including the institution's president – meet that definition. The week was selected because Nov. 8 marks the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which created federal financial aid programs that reduce barriers to first-generation students' success.

IBM and Penn College partnered to sponsor a half-day Attack Surface Management Summit on campus Wednesday, assembling a top-notch lineup of cybersecurity speakers who shared their expertise on a number of relevant topics. Among the highlights was a discussion of ASM – the continuous process of identifying, monitoring and managing internet-connected devices for potential attacks and exposure – that involved a Penn College administrator and a graduate.

Twenty Pennsylvania College of Technology retirees recently joined the College Relations staff for the inaugural Retirees' Luncheon in the Thompson Professional Development Center. The retirees were greeted by Kimberly R. Cassel, college relations director, setting the tone for a very energetic morning filled with student presentations and updates on campus happenings. Loni N. Kline, senior vice president for college relations, warmly welcomed attendees back to campus.

A $1 million grant from the Gene Haas Foundation sparked extensive renovations to Pennsylvania College of Technology’s automated manufacturing lab while expanding scholarship offerings and enabling the college to promote manufacturing careers more broadly to K-12 students. The Gene Haas Center for Innovative Manufacturing was formally dedicated on Nov. 6.

A variety of activities during the coming week will pay tribute to two treasured segments of the campus population: veterans and first-generation students. The Wildcat community is encouraged to check out bulletin boards for a full listing of commemorative events, and to revisit Penn College News and the college's social media platforms as both groups are celebrated.

As a week of ice-scraper mornings temporarily surrendered to warmer temps and plentiful sunshine, the final Open House of the Fall 2023 semester attracted a lively crowd of aspiring Penn College students and their families. Faculty/staff, students and alumni combined to make it an informative day for visitors, who filled their Sunday with tours – both general and pinpointed to their specific interests – and a variety of optional activities focused on academic and campus life.

Students in Joseph F. DiBucci's Concrete Construction class poured front and side porches Thursday at a Greater Lycoming Habitat for Humanity home being built at 1616 Scott St. More student involvement is expected as additional houses are built in that neighborhood, and Penn College is partnering with Habitat for a multiyear residential construction project on Fifth Avenue closer to campus.

Victoria Hurwitz, director of physical therapist assistant at Pennsylvania College of Technology, was among the "Women of Excellence" honored in YWCA Northcentral PA's 15th annual tribute to strong, creative and caring changemakers who help their communities thrive.