summer 2009 learning in the philippines l carl legacy

Summer 2009 Learning in the Philippines l Carl Legacy Continues l Economic Avalanche

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Student Michael C. Snyder, of Northumberland,

provides music at the college’s Walk It Out event,

which raised $5,724 for the American Cancer

Society. Organized by the Wildcat Events Board,

the Residence Hall Association and the Student

Government Association, the mini-Relay for Life held

on the Madigan Library lawn drew participation from

23 teams comprising 154 walkers.

Walk It Out

RegulaR featuRes Campus News 2

In Touch With Alumni 18

focus on faculty & Staff 20

ContentsVOLUME 18 NUMBER 3

degrees that work.

On the Cover

Amanda M. Kennedy, of Montoursville, who earned an associate degree in heavy construction equipment technology: Caterpillar equipment emphasis in 2008, now uses her degree working for Chief Oil & Gas, one of several companies drilling natural-gas wells in northcentral Pennsylvania. Read about her experiences on page 10.

4

Economic AvalancheAbdul B. Pathan, professor of economics, explains

the practices that led to the housing bubble and its eventual burst, and what we can do now.

Time-Tested Wisdom PrevailsClass of ’09 alumnus Michael Best reflects on the

legacy of his grandfather, Kenneth E. Carl, who was an instrumental figure in the institution’s history.

7Wildcat Athletics Q&A

Douglas T. Byerly, who became Penn College’s second director of athletics in September 2008, talks about what

good things might be in the future for Wildcat athletes.

8

10

Universal LanguageMay graduate Daniel J. LaSota shares photos from a

construction service project halfway around the world.

Keeping Pennsylvania’s Workers on the Cutting Edge

for the past decade, WEDnetPA has been keeping the state’s businesses competitive by providing

customized training to their employees.

14

12

Alumni Among Local Pioneers in Gas Exploration

Amanda M. Kennedy, ’08, and George Patrick Moriarity, ’06, are among the talent in demand as the rush begins to extract

natural gas from the bedrock of the Allegheny Plateau.Web Extraadditional content at www.pct.edu/oca

Penn College® is registered in

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Student Leader Legacy Scholarship GrowsPennsylvania College of Technology’s Student Government Association

exceeded – by more than $2,000 – its fundraising goal for the Student Leader Legacy Scholarship Fund.

The SGA raised a record of more than $4,500 for the scholarship fund in 2008-09 through a car show, a bread and pastry sale, a silent auction, and appeals to students and employees to “Feed the Pig” by dropping change in a large piggy bank in the Bush Campus Center. The SGA set a goal of raising $2,500 for the scholarship fund.

The Student Leader Legacy Scholarship was established by SGA in 2007 to encourage and reward student leadership. Recipients are selected from applicants who, among other eligibility requirements, have demonstrated through activities on campus and in the surrounding communities a strong determination to continue the legacy of student leadership at Penn College.

The Student Leader Legacy Scholarship Fund is designed to generate annual scholarship awards while building to an endowment of at least $25,000, at which time it will become a permanent source of scholarship awards at Penn College.

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Justin A. Ball, of Sandy Ridge (right), recipient of the Student Leader Legacy Scholarship for 2009-10, accepts congratulations from SGA President Brian D. Walton.

campusNEWS

2 One College Avenue

Adult Students Gain Peace of MindMore than 30 new Pennsylvania College of Technology students,

some of whom have been out of the classroom for decades, recently received a comprehensive introduction to campus resources. The students are enrolled under Trade Adjustment Assistance, a federal program that provides financial aid to workers who lose their jobs due to the impact of foreign imports.

During their daylong orientation in Penn’s Inn – arranged by counselors Kathryn A. Lehman and Mary Lee Kelly – the students heard from Carolyn R. Strickland, assistant vice president for academic affairs; Counseling and Academic Support Services staff; representatives of other student-centered business offices; and current TAA students who shared their experiences of enrolling in college after job-related setbacks.

Counseling Services expects to see an increase in the number of TAA referrals from CareerLink this fall due to the economy’s effects on the area workforce.

Canned goods

collected by Students

in Free Enterprise

await delivery to a

local food bank. The

student organization

coordinated a food

drive that collected

8,777 nonperishable

items – 5,105 pounds

– in conjunction with

the Campbell Soup

Co.’s “Let’s Can

Hunger” effort.

SIfE, Partners Conduct Successful food Drive

find Complete Articles on PCToday

To find more comprehensive versions of the articles in Campus News – and to read other news stories about Penn College – visit PCToday, the college’s news-and-information Web site, at www.pct.edu/pctoday.

Summer 2009 3

Two Pennsylvania College of Technology students were selected to participate in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, in which they gained experience in hands-on research alongside world-recognized scientists.

Students David M. Blumenfeld, of Lincroft, N.J., and Matthew C. Cox, of Selinsgrove, both manufacturing engineering technology students, contributed to ongoing research projects under the guidance of an NIST scientist or engineer during the 11-week program at NIST’s Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory in Gaithersburg, Md.

Blumenfeld worked on creation and measurement of a five-axis part that is being considered for use in ISO standards for machine tools. Cox experimented with 3-D printing – also called rapid prototyping – capabilities in the computer-aided design division.

About 100 fellowships are awarded at the nine Gaithersburg laboratories each year. NIST, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is one of the world’s leading research organizations and home to three Nobel Prize winners.

Sigma Nu fraternity Helps at ‘Habitat’ Worksite

Eight members of the Pennsylvania College of Technology Colony of Sigma Nu fraternity recently contributed several hours’ work to the Greater Lycoming Habitat for Humanity project. Volunteering at a property on Mahaffey Street in the Newberry section of Williamsport, the crew worked with drywall and sealed holes in the ceiling where electrical wiring and plumbing had been installed.

Michael T. Yesvetz, a construction management student from West Hazleton, drills drywall.

Matthew C. Cox, of Selinsgrove (left), and David M. Blumenfeld, of Lincroft, N.J., were selected to participate in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

Students Earn Summer Research fellowships With National Labs


The downturn/recession in our economy started in December of 2007.

The main reason for this current economic crisis is the bursting of the housing bubble, which was caused by high default rates on mortgage loans.

This downturn caused the unemployment rate to rise. The number of unemployed Americans exceeded the total population of our home state. (The population of Pennsylvania is about 12.4 million.) What happened?

How tHe bubble grew and burst

Homeownership is a major goal in our country. The government, through tax incentives, encourages people to buy

houses. In 2004, homeownership – which historically was very low – rose to 70 percent.

During the late ’90s and earlier this decade, house value was appreciating fast. People were buying more houses because the interest rate was so low. Borrowers were offered adjustable-rate mortgages and interest-only mortgages. An adjustable-rate mortgage has an interest rate that changes based on market factors, and as a result, the payment increases when interest rates rise. Interest-only mortgages are set up so that during the first several years of the mortgage, the borrower pays no principle, so initial payments are low. It’s like a bait, to hook you into taking a higher mortgage than you could afford otherwise. Overall, more than 40 percent of borrowers took

adjustable-rate mortgages, which had lower initial interest rates.

Banks started lending to subprime borrowers who otherwise would not qualify. According to some estimates, 25 percent of lending was subprime.

The banks were willing to lend. Since home value was appreciating, they didn’t care much about default, because they thought borrowers could refinance or sell their houses and be able to repay. This created a housing-construction boom. The lowering of mortgage underwriting standards, faulty credit rating, lack of government oversight on some of the financial institutions and other risky behavior on their part played a big role in this housing boom, and that created a peak in home prices.

Editor’s note: One College Avenue asked Pathan to talk about the economic slowdown and what we can learn from it. Read here what he had to say.

Abdul B. Pathan, professor of economics, discusses current issues in economics in the classroom.

Economic AvalancheWhat caused the boom/bust and

what’s on the horizon?

An interview with Abdul B. Pathan, professor of economics

In 2004, homeownership – which historically was very low – rose to 70 percent.

During the middle of 2006, when the Federal Reserve Board started raising the interest rate, forcing banks to raise mortgage interest rates, some borrowers started to default, and as a result, house values started to fall. People simply could not make payments on their adjustable-rate mortgages as rates started to go up. Many borrowers – some estimate as many as 10.5 million in December 2008 – started to owe more money to banks than the actual market price of their houses. So literally, it was easier for them to walk out of the house. Foreclosures shot up to more than 3 million in 2008.

Some of those borrowers, while house values were appreciating, built some fake equity in their houses, so they took home-equity loans to lead lavish lives. When house values dropped, they not only owed more on their mortgages than their houses were worth, they also owed the home-equity money. It’s unfathomable. People were borrowing against their houses as if they were ATMs.

Another contributing factor to this bubble is financial innovation. As a practice, lending institutions do not keep the mortgages they issue. They sell those mortgages in the secondary market. This innovation is called securitization. Examples are collateralized debt obligation and mortgage-backed securities (CDO and MBS).

This process shifted the credit default risk to other investors and institutions from the initial mortgage lenders. One estimate found that, of the $10.6 trillion worth of U.S. residential mortgages, as of November 2008, $6.6 trillion were held by mortgage pools and only $3.4 trillion by traditional depository institutions.

The two largest issuers of mortgage-backed securities are the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). They are institutions called government-sponsored enterprises, meaning

that they are privately owned with links to government. Both of them own or guarantee almost $5 trillion worth of mortgages, which is half of all mortgages.

The lending institutions, when they sold those mortgages to Fannie and Freddie, didn’t worry about the default risk, because it’s all passed on. And Freddie and Fannie, in turn, sold those securities to private investors.

There were other issuers of mortgage-backed securities, such as Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers and investment banks like Merrill Lynch.

Hedge funds also buy mortgage-backed securities. Hedge funds are privately owned investment funds dealing with large investors. They are not regulated. They didn’t have to declare quarterly reports, unlike mutual funds. Some estimates put the total value of assets of these hedge funds at $3 trillion in 2008. When hedge investors move their funds around, they affect the value of the mortgage-backed securities, stock prices, and commodity prices, creating a lot of volatility in the economy.

As subprime defaults rose, the prices of securities backed by subprime mortgages plummeted. Losses by Merrill Lynch, Citi, Bank of America, Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers mounted. Lehman Brothers went bankrupt. The Fed intervened in the Bear Stearns takeover by J.P. Morgan and the Merrill Lynch takeover by Bank of America.

The MBS and CDO investors bought credit default swap, which is sort of an insurance – if someone defaults, the investors receive payment. Some estimates put the volume of credit-default swap at $47 trillion. That was one reason insurers like AIG got in trouble. AIG lost $62 billion during the last quarter of 2008 alone, because it was insuring all these securities, and defaults were climbing.

This intermixing of risks is now called systemic risk. What that means is that previously, these risks were borne

by different people. Now, they became correlated, affecting the entire financial system. The credit market froze, affecting many industries. The stock market index dropped, people’s savings in 401(k) and other retirement funds dropped, consumer spending dropped, and the auto industry, relying on bank credit, began suffering immensely. Tax revenues of states and local authorities plummeted, which caused cutbacks in many programs, raising unemployment along with other side effects we are now seeing, like an increase in violence and other crimes.

InterventIon Since the problem was so enormous, the

government tried to intervene as much as it could. During this turbulent time, it took specific measures.

To protect banking customers, the Federal Reserve Board raised the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. insurance limit from $100,000 to $250,000 per account. It also made several moves to ease the credit of financial institutions, including lowering the federal funds rate – the rate at which one bank can borrow funds from another bank – from 5 percent to near zero, and infusing money under several programs.

The Fed gave $600 billion to Fannie and Freddie to purchase mortgage-backed securities. AIG got a loan of $175 billion in 2008 to help lower mortgage rates. The Fed also lowered the 30-year mortgage rate below 5 percent by investing money into various programs and – on March 18 – announcing another $1.2 trillion to buy long-term government bonds and mortgage-backed securities.

The federal government, through the Treasury Department, also stepped in.

On Feb. 13, 2008, President George W. Bush signed into law a $168 billion economic stimulus package in the form of income tax rebate checks mailed directly to taxpayers. Then came the $700 billion

Summer 2009 5

Economic Avalanche

Some estimate that, in December 2008, as many as 10.5 million borrowers started to owe more money to banks than the actual market price of their houses.

»


Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008/Troubled Asset Recovery Program that was signed Oct. 3. It was intended to purchase from financial institutions large amounts of mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations, or toxic assets. In reality, the Treasury injected half of that money into the banks, buying dividend-paying, non-voting preferred stocks. In effect, we – as citizens – own Citi and other institutions. Some of the money was spent for the auto industry, too.

On Feb. 16, President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787 billion stimulus bill in the form of tax cuts and spending. This was designed after former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal program. On Feb. 18, Obama announced a $75 billion program to help 9 million homeowners to avoid foreclosures.

The government also established task forces to monitor the activities – including CEO pay and benefits – of institutions taking government money, like the auto and banking industries.

In late March, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announced a $500 billion private/public partnership to buy out toxic assets to clean up banks’ balance sheets and make them stronger. Government is trying to ensure more transparency from the banks, big and small. The Treasury Department also tried to help big banks to assess their liquidity needs by running stress tests.

How Has It Helped?The goal of all government action is to:

• Restore liquidity of the banking system so credit can f low again for all kinds of economic activities.

• Restore people’s confidence about the economy so they can go on with their normal spending habits.

• Revive corporate sectors, the housing

sector, the auto industry, the appliance sector and other manufacturing industries so they can start hiring and earn profits, which will revitalize the stock market, allowing investors to regain confidence and start investing again.

The Dow Jones index dropped to less than 8,000 from its high of 14,000 in July of 2007, wiping out the perceived wealth of a lot of people from their retirement funds, which further impacted people’s spending, causing a downward spiral. Consumer spending constitutes 70 percent of our gross domestic product. Household net worth dropped by $11 trillion in the U.S. in 2008 and $50 trillion globally.

The massive bailout plans will take time to take effect. Many economists predict it may take a couple more years for the economy to rebound. Lack of action would be more disastrous. As we learned from the Great Depression of the ’30s, people trusting classical theory were hesitant to support bold action on the part of the government.

With this additional government spending, our annual deficits will run around $1.5 trillion, and our total national debt will approach $12 trillion. This may cause high inf lationary trends and high interest rates, and possibly a falling value of the dollar. That is why government has to be very careful in taming the deficit by cutting unproductive government expenditures and giving the tax cuts that will create the most jobs.

The government is taking the right steps, I would say, by trying to get rid of toxic assets so the banks can start lending.

The Fed should be given more regulatory power to oversee other financial institutions, and once-secretive hedge funds should be required to be more transparent to the public about their investment vehicles. Credit-rating agencies

should be monitored for any wrongdoing on issues of conf lict of interest.

Most big banks are in shaky positions – most smaller ones are OK so far – because of huge losses, falling value of their stocks and their inability to raise private-equity capital due to public fear that they may be nationalized. So government should make a clear pronouncement regarding their bold action to reassure public confidence and dispel any rumor. The surplus inventory of unsold houses should be disposed of before building new ones. New job creation programs should be encouraged, and government should give financial incentives to laid-off workers to get retraining from colleges like ours.

wHat do we do now?We should be patient. Our current

economic slide – I’ll compare it with a tidal wave or a big avalanche – will need a huge barrier to be stopped and prolonged time and effort to be stabilized. I believe it will get better slowly with the proper handling of the economy. People may be advised not to do anything drastic and get caught in the frenzy. A lot of people try to sell and get out of their 401(k)s, but that is never a wise decision. Most economists believe we have reached the bottom, and the economy will start to rebound by the last quarter of this year.

In a market economy, we are bound to see booms and busts: the oil boom in the ’70s, the savings and loan crisis in the ’80s, the dot-com boom in the ’90s, and the recent housing boom and subsequent bust. It has taught us to be cautious and make money the hard, honest way. We should not buy something we cannot afford, and we should not rely on others to bail us out. We should be prudent in our economic decisions. ■

Household net worth dropped by $11 trillion in the U.S. in 2008 and $50 trillion globally.

Time-Tested Wisdom Prevails

Editor’s Note: Michael J. Best, who earned an associate degree in electronics and computer engineering technology: robotics and automation emphasis in May, is the fourth of Kenneth E. Carl’s grandchildren to graduate from the institution. A 1931 graduate of Williamsport High School’s vocational education program, which begat Williamsport Technical Institute, Carl’s tenure stretched from his appointment as a drafting instructor at the high school in 1937 to his retirement as Williamsport Area Community College president in 1973. “I am very proud to be a part of my grandfather’s legacy

and am pleased that I can be a part of his dream,” Best said.

As A yoUnG ChiLd, I can remember arriving at my grandparents’ home filled with excitement. I would wait for the car to come to a stop and jump over whichever sister happened to be in my way. I would greet my grandmother at the door with a hug, “hello” and a kiss. Through the hallway to the living room I went, maybe to scour the porch for a moment, or raid the candy jar upon entering the kitchen, and then complete the circle near the bathroom. The door to the basement was across from the bathroom, and if I saw light escaping from under the door, I knew my grandfather was down there working hard.

The cellar steps were steep and always seemed dark.

If I went straight at the bottom of the steps, I would enter my grandfather’s greenhouse, filled with orchids. My grandfather had beautiful orchids. As an adult, I appreciate and respect the amount of talent and patience it takes to keep orchids. As green as I’d like to believe my thumb is, and the different plants I have in my home, I’ve tried an orchid, and the orchid won.

But, if I took a right at the bottom of the steps, I would enter my grandfather’s workshop. Quiet in nature, and an observer by trade, I would usually remain unseen until the lathe stopped, the drill silenced, or the chisel rested, until I investigated his latest masterpiece. His workshop was always such an amazing playground. Ducks, geese and other birds seem to come alive in wood. I’d look around his workshop and see pieces of wood that were twice the size of me. Their unique colors, age lines and distinct smells I can still remember to this day. The tools my grandfather had on his workbench looked so intriguing to my young eyes. As soon as my cover was blown, he quickly embraced me, and off to play with my cousins I went.

As I grew up, my family would give my grandfather a hard time around Halloween because each year he insisted to give out apples instead of candy. I wasn’t informed until much later that each year he took the time to travel to the orchard and hand pick, off the tree, only the finest and reddest apples. One Halloween toward the end of my high school years, he set out to prove us wrong. He went to the store and the orchard and returned with only the finest treats for young souls. The test of time and wisdom defines ages. The basket of candy did remain full. The apples, gone. ■

- Michael Best

Michael Best, the fourth of former college president Kenneth E. Carl’s grandchildren to graduate from the institution, in one of the college’s robotics laboratories.

Kenneth E. Carl

Summer 2009 7

Samples of Carl’s handiwork: (below) a bittern on display during an exhibit of Carl’s carvings at The Gallery at Penn College in 2007, and a tie tack worn by Best (above).

Byerly assumed the role of director of athletics

at Pennsylvania College of Technology in September

2008. A former teacher and coach in the Line

Mountain School District, he earned a master’s

degree in athletics administration from West Chester

University. He worked in Lock Haven University’s

Camp and Conference Office and was manager of

athletic fundraising at Bucknell University before

taking the helm at Penn College. He participated in

a Q&A with One College Avenue at the close of his

first academic year. Here are excerpts.

Wildcat Athletics

Q & A

You’ve been trying to ignite more excitement around the athletics program on campus. What does that mean to the athletes?

We’ve done some very, very small baby steps, for lack of a better term. We

offered some game promotions that we had not been doing on a consistent basis. At our basketball games, we offer consessions

and PA announcing, with introduction of lineups and call of the game action, attempting to provide that “true” collegiate

event atomsphere. Also, we have plans for radio broadcast of 10 basketball games for 2009 on WLYC/ESPN 1050 AM-104.1 FM

and via www.espnwilliamsport.com. We’ve done some of those activities throughout the years, but we’re trying to maybe come up with

a more consistent plan. We’re looking at putting together a game-day promotions calendar where

we would work with Student Activities, student government and Greek Life to offer, for example, Greek Life night in Bardo Gym. Somebody had a

good idea that I think we’re going to pursue. “Feed the Neighborhood,” it would be called, where you bring in a canned good through Greek Life at one of our basketball games. So it gives a reason for the kids to come as part of their organization and support the teams.

We’d love to get other groups and organizations here on campus involved with our athletic programs, and we’d love to do it starting right in the fall by doing a couple of promotions for the soccer teams. Our goal is just to increase the game-day promotions and increase the awareness of our campus community as to what the student athletes have to offer: pretty exciting play.

with Athletics Director

Douglas T. Byerly

Byerly (left), outside the Field House. On facing page, the Wildcat golf, archery and softball teams helped to continue the college’s

winning traditions in 2008-09, with a first-place finish in the USCAA Golf National Invitational, a second-place finish in the Penn State

University Conference softball championships, and one individual and three team championships at the U.S. Intercollegiate Archery Championships. 8 One College Avenue

Summer 2009 9

What has joining the USCAA and its opportunities to play for national championships done for student athletes?

I think it’s been a real nice reward for them. A great example is our men’s soccer team. They’ve now won five league championships in a row, and previously, that was it. They’d win the league championship, and their season was finished. Now they get rewarded by having a chance to go to the national tournament, which they did. The women went to Vermont, and the men went to Rochester, Mich., and had a chance to play for a legitimate national championship. Also in the fall, cross country went to the national championships and finished third. Another great example is our men’s basketball team. They had a solid year and made the PSUAC playoffs but lost an exciting home playoff game here in Bardo Gym. So they got knocked out of the league playoffs but got rewarded with an at-large bid to the national tournament, and went out there and were very competitive. They finished sixth overall, won a couple of ball games, and showed that they can play at that national level.

I think it just gives them the reward for all their hard work during the season to then compete at a whole other level. All of those teams were able to see how much work they still have to do to really have a chance to win a national championship. There’s a little bit of a gap yet between where we are and where those one or two teams are that win the championships. But we’re pretty close.

What should the community or prospective students know about Penn College athletics?

I would say they should know that we offer probably a lot more programs than they realize: 14 athletic teams and a dance team. So there are certainly many opportunities for participation on both the male and female side. Two, I think they should know that the teams are very competitive, not only in our conference – the Penn State University Athletic Conference – but many of them have a chance to be very competitive at the national level, as well, with the USCAA. So students have a chance to play for a league title, and they could have a chance to play postseason for a national title.

And even if students would want to come here and would not want to play a varsity sport, there are some club sports available, and there are a ton of intramural programs that we do a very nice job with. So, athletically, students can get their fill even if they don’t participate in a varsity program. There’s always something to do. And that’s really the goal in the end. We want to provide healthy alternative activities for our student body, and that’s what it’s all about.

You replaced Mike Stanzione, who was the athletic director for 17 years. What would you like to say about your predecessor?

I would just say – and I’ve said it to everybody – Mike’s been a tremendous asset to me, staying on board here and continuing to handle all the daily tasks that must be coordinated in an athletic department: scheduling, transportation, handling all the day-in, day-out money for teams going here and there.

Mike’s really done a great job, has really been a trouper in helping with the transition, and he’s really taken athletics from its infancy, when we reinstituted the programs and had three sports, all the way up to 14 sports. Penn College athletics would not be where it is without Mike’s hard work and dedication, and I’ll be sorry to see him leave. ■

“ And that’s really the goal in the end. We want to provide healthy alternative activities for our student body ...”

Web ExtraRead more from Byerly’s interview at www.pct.edu/oca


by Tom Wilson, writer/editor-PCToday

By her alma mater’s standards, Amanda M. Kennedy is a typical woman in the workforce: dependable in a demanding field, equally at home with transmission f luid and nail polish, and thriving in what Pennsylvania College of Technology calls – with increasing infrequency – employment that is “nontraditional by gender.”

George P. “Pat” Moriarity arrived at his job by a no-less-unconventional route, taking advantage of maternal vigilance and networking skills to run an end-around his initial career hopes.

Both of the Penn College graduates are in the midst of storybook lives work-wise, when you consider that the “story” is one of the biggest to hit Pennsylvania in the 150 years since Edwin Drake struck oil at Titusville: development of the Marcellus Shale, a geological swath that runs beneath a half-dozen states and could hold enough natural gas to slake a nation thirsty for a homegrown energy supply.

The alumni are employed by an Appalachian arm of Chief Oil & Gas, a Texas-based company that is among those exploring the potentially profitable underground formation. Chief has leased more than 500,000 acres in the Marcellus Shale play, opening a local field office along Fairfield Road and drilling its first Lycoming County well in August 2007.

Moriarity is the materials coordinator at the Montoursville-area field office, and Kennedy is a midstream operator

at Chief Gathering’s compression station covering the county’s eastern half.

The subsidiary is responsible for the gathering and selling of Chief gas and has two taps into the Transco interstate pipeline in Lycoming County – one on the east side (known as Barto) and one to the west (Canoe Run). The tie-in to Transco includes metering facilities and ancillary equipment that continuously oversee the f low of gas from Chief to Transco; data is transmitted via a communication tower and is monitored 24 hours a day.

Exploration of the Marcellus Shale already has brought two legislative hearings to the Penn College campus, proceedings at which government officials, industry representatives and environmental groups voiced opinions on a host of regulatory, fiscal and economic-development issues. Kennedy and Moriarity are among the participants in the high-stakes, high-profile enterprise, which has engaged everyone from entrepreneurial drilling companies to optimistic landowners –

and which prompted the college to help act as a clearinghouse for the glut of information (and a remedy for the rampant misinformation) that can accompany such a windfall occurrence.

The college and Penn State Cooperative Extension formed the Marcellus Shale Education & Training Center, which provides a variety of resources to the community and the oil-and-gas industry. Its primary goals are to provide concise and accurate information for the public, and to help industry meet its myriad workforce needs with backyard talent.

The first major initiative of the center was to thoroughly analyze the industry’s workforce needs by occupational title and to estimate the industry’s education and training needs.

“This comprehensive workforce needs assessment provides all education and training providers information regarding the number of jobs by title, which will help them identify the types of training that will be required,” said Larry L. Michael, executive

Amanda M. Kennedy, a midstream operator at a Chief Oil & Gas compression station, works on location in eastern Lycoming County.

AlumniAmong local Pioneers inGAs ExPlorAtion

View the Marcellus Shale Workforce Needs Assessment at www.pct.edu/msetc.

Summer 2009 11

director of workforce and economic development at Penn College.

As is obvious with Kennedy and Moriarity, among others, Chief already

has turned to the local labor pool to fill many of its positions.

“Chief is excited to have local employees play an integral role in the daily operations,” said community affairs officer Daria

Fish, who observed that nearly 50 percent of field-office employees were

hired locally. “With Penn College’s commitment to excellence in education and to creating the MSETC, we know that there will be many opportunities for future graduates to work in the natural gas industry within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

Kennedy, a 2008 graduate in heavy construction equipment technology:

Caterpillar equipment emphasis, dabbled in architectural

technology; interned and worked with Cleveland Brothers, a Caterpillar dealership; and was prepared to re-enroll in

radiography when she was chosen from among many applicants for

one of three positions.“I guess they were impressed with

some of the questions I was asking,” Kennedy said, noting the head start she got from instructors Mark E. Sones and David C. Johnson in Penn College’s diesel equipment technology department. “They gave me the mechanical background; they gave me the skills for this.”

Kennedy is on the short list of employees that rotate on-call emergency availability, which means the hours – and the responsibilities – can add up.

“It’s not just a job, it’s certainly not a normal 9-to-5 job, and it’s definitely not for everyone,” she added. “It’s very challenging and can be stressful at times, but the opportunity’s there. And don’t ever think that you know everything you need to know in this field, because the minute you think you’ve mastered something? Forget it.”

She may still be learning – on the day she was interviewed, Kennedy was studying for a review exam to mark the

end of her first 90 days on the job – but her conversation shows a ready command of her field. She talks of “scrubbers” and “pigs,” “gas eyes” and “control valves” – the tools that help her gauge temperature, regulate suction and discharge pressure, and generally maintain a safe and productive operation.

Moriarity graduated in 2006 with a degree in business administration: management information systems.

“Actually, I found out about Chief Oil & Gas prior to being hired because our family cabin was approached about three years ago (about) wanting to lease the land,” Moriarity said. “Our cabin is located near the Canoe Run compressor station in Salladasburg. I graduated in 2006 and didn’t really have much fortune in this area finding a good ‘career’ job; I had a full-time job, but always kept my options open.”

His mother works for a temporary-employment agency in Montoursville and often checked for new job openings. Once Chief posted the materials coordinator position, he quickly found his niche.

“From there, it was the application process to the interview to accepting the position,” he said. “Every day at work is different, and that is what makes it interesting … besides the whole industry being new to this area.”

Moriarity is in charge of warehousing material and inventory, coordinating sites to which the deliveries need to be made, and maintaining Chief ’s two local pipe yards.

“I think my Penn College education helped prepare me for this career because it gave me the background and knowledge I need to manage and use technology in my everyday work schedule,” he said.

Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour noted that the college is well-positioned – both in terms of employees and facilities – to help natural-gas companies meet their workforce needs as the exploration process evolves.

“We are thrilled to have a wide variety of both education and training programs that fit the needs of this industry,” she said, “and we look forward to many more success stories such as this.” ■

“We know that

there will be many

opportunities for future

graduates to work in the

natural gas industry within

the Commonwealth

of Pennsylvania.”

At Chief Oil & Gas’ Montoursville warehouse, George Patrick Moriarity coordinates deliveries to Chief ’s field sites and maintains the company’s local pipe yards.

• The Marcellus shale is a layer of rock that lies 5,000-9,000 feet underground and runs from the southern tier of New York through the western portion of Pennsylvania, into the eastern half of Ohio, and through West Virginia.

• The shale was formed 380 million years ago as heavily organic sediments were laid down. As the organic material decayed, methane was formed and is now trapped tightly.

• New drilling technologies could recover 50 trillion cubic feet of natural gas from the Marcellus shale. The U.S currently produces roughly 30 trillion cubic feet of gas per year.

Source: “Natural Gas Exploration: A Landowner’s Guide to Leasing Land in Pennsylvania,” Penn State Cooperative Extension

QUiCK FACTs

the Workforce and Economic Development network of Pennsylvania (WEDnetPA)

celebrated 10 years of helping to strengthen the statewide business environment and providing Guaranteed Free Training to Pennsylvania companies.

WEDnetPA is managed by Pennsylvania College of Technology. It affords access to training funds through an alliance of 33 educational providers throughout the state, including the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities, the state’s 14 community colleges, Penn College, the North Central Industrial Technical Education Center, the Lancaster County Career and Technology Center, the Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center, and the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.

Over the past 10 years, as one of the 33 educational partners, Penn College has facilitated funding and training for 60,655 employees at 230 local companies.

At a recent 10th anniversary event at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg, Penn College and three of its clients –

AccuWeather.com, of State College; Ralph S. Alberts Co., of Montoursville; and McClarin Plastics, of Hanover – met with legislators to emphasize the importance of WEDnetPA training to the local economy. In all, WEDnetPA participating companies and educational partners met with 60 legislators to foster awareness of the program.

A third-generation, family-owned manufacturing company, the Ralph S. Alberts Co. was started in the basement of his grandfather’s home, Seth Alberts, vice president for the custom-molding business, told legislators.

The company participated in Guaranteed Free Training for Web design and computer-aided product design, which allowed it to bring more of those functions in-house, as well as leadership training, which improved company communication at all levels.

“As an employer, you can never have enough skilled employees,” Alberts said. “The more training he or she can receive in regards to new technology, the more valuable that individual will become, and the better this company will eventually be. WEDnetPA allowed us to market our company in a more efficient manner in regards to the Internet. Furthermore, it helped with the training of CAD and 3D technology, which helped us to quote more efficiently, which further brought more job opportunities in-house.”

“Training done through WEDnetPA helped McClarin to change the culture of the company and move to a world-class company able to compete in today’s most competitive climate,” said Todd R. Kennedy, president of McClarin Plastics. “Employees benefited by having their skills upgraded and becoming more productive, with a noticeable improvement in morale and retention.”

McClarin is a premier supplier of large thermoplastic and fiberglass-reinforced

plastic components, serving customers in 17 states, as well as five countries internationally.

Guaranteed Free Training is funded by the state Department of Community and Economic Development through its customized job-training program, which was created to provide employers with opportunities for employee training and retraining in manufacturing fundamentals, product and process control, quality assurance, applied math and measurement, information technology, and many other areas.

“I have had the privilege of working with the commonwealth to help develop the program concept and guidelines from the

inception in 1999,” said Larry L. Michael, executive director of workforce and economic development at Penn College. “Watching the teamwork and collaboration grow among the partners over the years, including all of the commonwealth’s community colleges and State System of Higher Education institutions, has been very rewarding. Our partnership provides state government a single point of contact to work with to administer statewide workforce-development initiatives.”

Since its beginning, more than 800,000 workers at nearly 14,000 companies have been trained in the Guaranteed Free Training program.

“Pennsylvania is committed to providing businesses with the necessary tools they need to be strong and successful,” DCED acting Secretary George Cornelius said at a Capitol Rotunda celebration.

“To date, this year, WEDnetPA and the Rendell administration have provided basic and entry-level skills training and advanced information-technology training to more than 37,000 employees in 64 counties,” Cornelius continued. “This investment is providing businesses with an

Seth Alberts (right), of Ralph S. Alberts Co., Montoursville, talks with state Rep. Rick Mirabito (D-Williamsport), who also serves on the Penn College Board of Directors, during the WEDnetPA 10th anniversary festivities at the state Capitol Building in Harrisburg.

Keeping Pennsylvania’s Workers on the Cutting Edge


Summer 2009 13

educated, highly skilled workforce, and it further encourages job growth and business expansion.”

WEDnetPA was created to help make companies across the commonwealth more competitive by updating and improving the skills of their employees to meet specific company needs. Each year, WEDnetPA partners reach out to significant numbers of Pennsylvania companies and employees, strengthening the commonwealth’s workforce and businesses and, in turn, strengthening Pennsylvania’s economy.

“Penn College is very pleased to serve as the overall grant and fiscal manager of this important commonwealth initiative,” said Davie Jane Gilmour, president of the college. “WEDnetPA partner institutions have effectively delivered workforce-development services to more than 14,000 companies over the past 10 years. The strength of this program is that individual companies choose the training and the training vendor that is most effective for them. I congratulate the system for 10 years of outstanding success.”

Gov. Edward G. Rendell issued a citation to congratulate the network. “The decade-long effort put forth by WEDnetPA on behalf of the working men and women is

highly commendable and gives truth to the statement that Pennsylvania is known for its quality workforce and ethic that produces results,” he stated in the document.

“The training provided through WEDnetPA helps Pennsylvania companies stay competitive nationally and internationally by providing training they otherwise might not be able to afford,” said Tom Venditti, statewide director for WEDnetPA. “We provide a well-trained workforce so individual companies can survive, thrive and grow in the commonwealth.”

The anniversary event at the Capitol featured remarks by Cornelius, Venditti, Sen. John R. Gordner (R-Berwick) and Rep. Peter J. Daley (D-Washington/Fayette). Representatives from 30 companies that have been participants in the Guaranteed Free Training program also attended.

As the entire nation endures challenging economic times, WEDnetPA’s Guaranteed Free Training program becomes increasingly important to the commonwealth and its businesses. Now more than ever, the program is needed to keep Pennsylvania’s workers better prepared and skilled, and to serve as a key component in the

commonwealth’s workforce-development strategies to ensure future stabilization and growth.

In a recent statewide survey, 98 percent of companies receiving training indicated positive outcomes, including improved product/service quality, a safer workplace with fewer accidents, new customers and increased business, improved communications and teamwork, and increases in employee pay and compensation.

Employers have the f lexibility to choose any private-sector training provider, any of the 33 WEDnetPA partners, or the company’s own in-house staff to address their workforce-training needs. More than 7,500 private-sector vendors have provided training through the program.

By giving individual companies the f lexibility to get the training they need – how, where and when they need it – WEDnetPA achieves maximum efficiency with 91 percent of the program’s resources going directly to help pay for employee training. This ease of use has enabled more than 1,500 companies to participate this year alone. ■

George Cornelius, acting secretary of the state Department of Community and Economic Development, is flanked by representatives of WEDnetPA’s 33 educational partners and 30 of its business clients as he speaks at a press conference to help celebrate the network’s 10th anniversary.

Since its beginning, more than 800,000 workers at nearly 14,000 companies have been trained in the Guaranteed Free Training program.


“ This was my first impression of the camp. I was walking down the path, and this dog came at me, and (a man was) holding a machete.” LaSota explained that the school grows its own food, and the man with the machete, Felix, takes care of all its farmland. Felix and his family – except for one of his sons – are deaf.

“ The machete was his main farming tool. Everything was done by hand. Even the rope in his fence was made from vines.”

Service to others leads to a ‘truly remarkable’ learning experience

Universal Language

photos and dialogue by Daniel J. LaSota

Daniel J. Lasota, who earned a bachelor’s

degree in residential construction technology and management in May, spent 16 days helping to build a boys’ dormitory for a deaf school in a largely undeveloped area of Palawan Island in the Philippines. The former boys’ dorm was destroyed by a storm, and while the

school’s administrators made temporary accommodations, the school was in danger

of being shut down without a replacement building. LaSota – who received credit for the work in an independent-study course titled “Construction: International field Experience” – asked friends to teach him American Sign Language before leaving in order to communicate with the school’s students. Once there, all language barriers quickly crumbled as he worked and played with the school’s students. “All of the experiences on this trip made it unforgettable – and truly remarkable,” LaSota said. He shares a glimpse of his experience on the following pages.

“ This is a hand sifter. They sifted the sand to mix with the mortar to make concrete, which is very hard to do; it’s very time-consuming. They were very resourceful. They made their own axe handles, their own tampers – they made a lot of their tools.”

Summer 2009 15

“ Our group bought the pigs, and they had a pig roast in our honor. They eat meat like this twice a year, so it was quite the celebration. This was to thank us for the project. Nothing went to waste, so there were a lot of unique meals made.”

“ Coconuts are probably one of the biggest products on the island. This is one of the coconut groves we passed.”

“ This is how we got lumber sometimes. Most people didn’t have cars. There was a government ban on wood. You weren’t allowed to cut any new wood down … so they had to go into the woods and find dead trees wherever they could. They cut everything by chain saw, so that wood may look really bad (rough cut ), but that entire load was cut with a chain saw, so it’s actually pretty good. It was unique in that aspect, dealing with lumber and construction in that way, because everything was cut by hand. It’s just very different from how we’re used to it.”

“ These are some of the deaf children. Those two guys really helped us a lot; they really wanted to be involved. It truly wouldn’t have gotten done so quickly if it wasn’t for the students. You could easily tell them what to do just by showing them, and once they had a task to do, they got right to it and made sure they did the best they could.”

»


“ We could only drive so far and then we had to walk up a path to get to the mountain villages. This is some of the village locals washing their clothes.”

LaSota’s group took a day to visit remote mountain villages.“ This is on the way to the mountains. The cows traveled from field to field, and they had the right of way, so we had to wait for about 10 minutes for them to move.”

“That’s Mark (holding baby). He did everything with us.

We really got along with him.”

“ There was no running water, so they would pump the water for the day, carry it in buckets, and then put it in these big barrels. They would use that to wash their clothes and wash the dishes.”

Web Extraadditional photos at www.pct.edu/oca

Summer 2009 17

“ This is a group shot of mostly the boys. (LaSota is wearing

plaid shirt.) Five of them are showing the sign for ‘I love you.’ That was different there, because the first minute they met us they were doing that. So it wasn’t the same as here. They were very friendly people and very open, and for them to just sign to you ‘I love you’ wasn’t the same as America would take it, maybe. It was really genuine how close they were with people.” ■

“ This is the finished product. The dorm was a 20-foot-by-60-foot building. About 20 to 25 boys attended the school and stayed there.”

“ We had enough wood to make bunk beds. We completely ran out of wood at the end of this project.”

“This was taken in the

morning. This is what we had to put up with for the few

days we were there.”


in touch with alumni

Pennsylvania College of TeChnology • 1989WilliamsPorT area CommuniTy College • 1965WilliamsPorT TeChniCal insTiTuTe • 1941

1950sdale i. Wilson, ’57, radio communications & electronics, was a field service engineer with Perkin-Elmer Corp., where he was employed for 25 years. When he retired in 1991, he was supervisor of the chromatography group. He lives in Coatesville.

1970sEdward dornbach, ’70, electrical technology, is a retired safety consultant for Harleysville Insurance Co. and lives in Paxinos.

Allen dexter Kunkel, ’76, communications, has a counseling license and is a drug and alcohol supervisor for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections facility in Camp Hill. He lives in Port Trevorton.

Joseph R. sellers, ’76, electrical construction, is employed by Kennametal Inc. He provides maintenance to the company’s manufacturing equipment. He lives in Bedford.

James Clauser, ’79, forest technology, has been Carbon County’s conservation district manager for more than 20 years. Prior to this position, he worked as a U.S. Department of Agriculture soil conservation technician for the Soil Conservation Service (now the Natural Resource Conservation Service). He was also a soil conservation technician with the Northumberland County Conservation District and a forest technician for a Mount Carmel-area forest consultant. Clauser resides in Jim Thorpe.

1980sGary Lee Fetterman, ’80, nursery management, resides in Catawissa and is a rural mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service Danville Office. In addition to his mail route, he has landscaped for more than 20 years.

Andrew s. Gates, ’84, service & operation of heavy equipment, is shop foreman for Vulcan Materials Co. and resides in Stephens City, Va.

Timothy s. young, ’84, machinist general, is a press helper at ACf Industries in Milton, where he resides.

debbie A. harer, ’86, business management, is a self-employed State farm Insurance agent. She is a 2008 graduate of the American College and a chartered financial consultant. She lives in Troy.

JoAnn Christine (Bay) snyder, ’87, food & hospitality management, resides in Muncy and is office manager for Jeff Winters Agency. She manages the insurance agency and is licensed to sell property and casualty insurance.

William C. Calvert Jr., ’88, electrical technology, is a master electrician and electronics technician for the Altoona City Authority. He resides in Hollidaysburg.

Teri L. Walizer, ’89, business management, recently launched a Web-based business called Babies and Mommies. Walizer resides in Montoursville with her husband, Robert (’89, business management).

Barbara A. danko, the director of Alumni Relations since 1998 and a member of the Penn College family since she was hired as coordinator of outreach programs in 1980, retired from Penn College on June 29.

“Concentrating on developing relationships with the college’s alumni, she was always eager to hear from alumni and took great strides to get to know them and keep them informed, frequently finding or visiting alumni while on family vacations or on personal time,” said Barry R. Stiger, vice president for Institutional Advancement. “She is always proud to share their stories and accomplishments with the college community and other alumni.”

Upon becoming director of Alumni Relations, she was given the task of organizing the alumni database, including a large search effort for Williamsport Technical Institute and Williamsport Area Community College alumni. Today, the database includes more than 40,000 alumni with valid addresses, more than double the number when she started. She has established a solid foundation for engaging alumni in activities and events and was instrumental in developing an alumni awards program, the Penn College Endowed Alumni Scholarship, and the Commemorative Walkway and specialty license plate programs. In addition to serving the college’s alumni, she was liaison to the Penn College retiree group.

Alumni Relations Director Retires

Summer 2009 19

1990sJames Williams Foster Jr., ’90, business management, received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bloomsburg University in 1993. He is a sales consultant for JanWay Co. foster, who resides in Montoursville, was the company’s top salesman six of the past eight years.

Eric danz, ’95, radiography, works in the Cardiac Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as a cardiovascular MRI technologist. One of the largest such centers in the world, and one of the first in the nation in a pediatric hospital, it is a combined cardiac cath lab and MRI suite called XMR. Danz lives in Somers Point, N.J.

Anne Elizabeth (herr) skoog, ’95, mechanical drafting, is a health and home aid for Confers Home Health Agency. She and her husband, John h., (’94, food service & hospitality management) reside in Williamsport.

Michael T. stuck, ’95, occupational therapy assistant, received a certificate in nursing home administration from Millersville University in 2002 and is pursuing a master’s degree in health care administration. He resides in Millersburg and is a health care administrator for Lutheran Social Services SCP.

Clint d. hummel, ’97, computer aided drafting and design, lives in Schuylkill Haven and is a technologist for Alfred Benesch & Co.

Mandy (duncheskie) nye, ’97, medical office assistant, is a home-based medical transcriptionist for Spheris and resides in Sunbury.

Alysse (Mutchler) sechrist-helt, ’99, nursing, is a registered nurse and a transplant coordinator for Gift of Life Donor Program. Sechrist-Helt resides in Cogan Station and received her Certified Procurement Transplant Coordinator certification in february. She also provides community and hospital education on organ donations.

2000sVicky Elaine heim, ’00, occupational therapy assistant, is a certified occupational therapy assistant at Genesis Rehab Services. She received a certificate in human services from Susquehanna University and lives in Sarasota, fla.

Kyle R. hoyd, ’00, forest technology, received a bachelor’s degree in forestry in 2004 from West Virginia University. He resides in Harrington, Del., and is an urban forester for the state of Delaware.

shawn M. Melly, ’02, landscape nursery technology, is a mail processor for Security Mutual and lives in Binghamton, N.Y.

nicole Lynn (Frear) spells, ’04, office information, and ’06, technology management, is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix and resides in Williamsport.

Kirk M. Allen, ’04, business management and ’07, business administration, plans to complete a master’s degree in public administration from Penn State Harrisburg this year and enroll in the university’s doctorate program. The Birdsboro resident received a graduate certificate in public sector human resources management and was inducted into the National Scholars Honor Society.

Jesse James Monroe, ’05, forest technology, received a bachelor’s degree in forest technology from Penn State in 2007. He is a forester for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and resides in Coudersport.

Kimberly Erdman, ’07, dental hygiene, and ’08, dental hygiene-health policy and administration, is pursuing a master’s degree in health administration from Penn State. She resides in Silver Spring, Md., and is a registered dental hygienist for the Department of the Navy in Washington, D.C.

Joseph W. Meecham, ’07, electrical technology, is an electrical mechanical service technician for Gallus and resides in Lehighton.

Kelly Ann Bevilaqua, ’08, physician assistant, is pursuing a Master of Health Science degree from Nova Southeastern University. She lives in Dallas and is a physician assistant for Orthopedics Consultants.

Update Information Online

Please visit www.pct.edu/alumni to update your information online, or call toll-free 877-PCT-ALUM (877-728-2586). Why update your information? The more the Alumni Relations Office knows about you, the more it can offer you. Update your information every time you move or have a significant change in your life and stay informed about upcoming alumni events and activities, athletic outings, and much more. Also, visit the Penn College Alumni Relations page on facebook.

On-site at the construction of the new Washington County Hospital in Hagerstown, Md., are Penn College alumni Matthew Sarver, left, (’04, construction management) and Joshua N. Reynolds (’99, building construction technology). The men are employed by Gilbane Building Co., one of the largest privately held family-owned construction companies, headquartered in Providence, R.I. Other Gilbane employees include Sarver’s brothers Corey (’97, construction management) and Jamie (’03, building construction technology). Look for a feature on the Sarver brothers in an upcoming issue of One College Avenue.

focus onFACULTY & STAFF


Business and Computer Technologies

Terry A. Girdon, professor of business administration/management, was honored for

his tenure on the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education Board of Commissioners. The citation acknowledged his two full three-year terms on the board – most recently as its chair – and was presented at the IACBE annual conference, held in Louisville, Ky. During the conference, Girdon led a presentation/workshop on evaluator training, designed to prepare selected individuals to conduct the two-day campus site visits that are an integral part of the accreditation process. In addition, he hosted a meeting of the Middle States Region of the IACBE in his capacity as regional vice president.

Construction and Design Technologies

Richard C. Taylor, associate professor of HVAC technology/plumbing, heating and

design, presented a session titled “Equipment Trends and Recommendation – High-Efficiency Boilers, furnaces and Geothermal” during the 2009 PA Home Energy Conference at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College. Taylor discussed new and cutting-edge heating and cooling equipment.

Health SciencesPatricia J. Martin, assistant professor and clinical director of the occupational therapy assistant

program, traveled to Juarez, Mexico, through the nonprofit corporation Therapy Mission Inc., which brings occupational therapy services to parts of the world where therapists are scarce or nonexistent. Martin joined four other occupational therapy practitioners and a physical therapist, who provided volunteer occupational and physical therapy and training at fundacion Integra’s Villa Integra, a facility that provides rehabilitative services to more than 500 children and adults with disabilities who are not eligible to receive rehabilitation services anywhere else.

Judy Quinti, instructor of fitness and lifetime sports, was an invited speaker at the

National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Personal Trainers Conference, where she presented the topic “Personal Training Your Baby Boomer Client.” The baby boomer generation stands at 78 million strong and represents 37 percent of health-club memberships. The presentation addresses how baby boomer clients come with limitations all personal trainers should be ready to work with, such as primary risk factors for lifestyle diseases, rate-limiting medications, orthopedic problems and lack of fitness knowledge.

Integrated StudiesTwo articles by William J. Astore, associate professor of history, were published recently

in print journals. The Dallas Morning News printed “Aboard the USS Ameriprise,” Astore’s look at U.S. military missions overseas through the lens of “Star Trek,” as a full-page feature essay in its April 12 edition. An article on President Barack Obama’s strategy in Afghanistan, as seen through the lens of Mary McCarthy’s writings on Vietnam, was printed in the May issue of Le Monde diplomatique (English edition). Its title is “Obama’s Afghanistan? Seven Lessons and a few Questions for the U.S. President.” Both pieces were published originally by TomDispatch.com, for which Astore is a frequent guest author.

Clifford P. Coppersmith, dean, was called upon recently to share his expertise in Native

American history. He wrote an article for the Oklahoma Historical Society detailing the history of what today is known as the fort Sill Apache tribe. The historical society published the work in the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Coppersmith also consulted on an episode of the PBS series “We Shall Remain.” The documentary mini-series shows how native peoples valiantly resisted expulsion from their lands and fought extinction of their culture. He contributed his expertise to the episode “Geronimo,” which chronicles the resistance led by the famed Chiricahua Apache medicine man, whose tiny band became the last holdouts trying to preserve their way of life before surrendering formally to the U.S. government. The episode premiered May 4.

Tom F. Gregory, associate vice president for instruction, was promoted from dean of the School of Construction and Design and Technologies to his current post.

Jeremiah C. Gee, assessment coordinator, offered a presentation at the Network for Academic

Renewal Conference hosted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities in Baltimore. Speaking with chief academic officers, faculty members and administrators, Gee presented examples of a customizable methodology for organizing assessment processes at institution, program and course levels.

nancy A. Grausam, assistant professor of education/early childhood education, received the Excellence in

Leadership award from the Central Susquehanna Association for the Education of Young Children at the association’s annual conference. Grausam was instrumental in founding the Central Susquehanna Association for the Education of Young Children, served as one of its first co-presidents and later assumed the presidency of the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children. Among other contributions to the field, she helped write guidelines for Keystone Stars, an initiative of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning.

Abdul B. Pathan, professor of economics, presented a paper titled “Effective Teaching of

Multiplier Process by Using Current Economic Events” at “Teaching Economics: Instruction and Classroom Based Research,” an annual conference held at Robert Morris University. The paper explains the current housing, financial and economic crisis and how best to explain it to Principles of Economics students so they have a better understanding of the situation and a lasting impression about the problems. See page 4.

Natural Resources Management

debra A. Buckman, assistant professor of environmental technology, presented two workshops at

the annual conference of the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators, held at the Raystown Lake Resort and Conference Center. She presented a workshop titled “Macroinverts – Take Your Students Out in the Cold.” The session, designed for middle and high school teachers, involved going to nearby Trough Creek State Park and examining the macroinvertebrates found in the streambed. Buckman also presented a one-hour informational workshop on Marcellus Shale. She was joined at the conference by two environmental technology management students – Mark A. Barbier, of Williamsport, and Kyle A. Shirey, of Clearfield – who presented a poster and computer display of their senior project: a mapping of Black Hole Creek, for which they will photograph the majority of the length of the stream to document current conditions.

Transportation TechnologyAlfred M. Thomas ii, associate professor of collision repair, co-authored the textbook,

“Collision Repair and Refinishing: A foundation Course for Technicians,” which recently was published by Cengage/Delmar Learning. Thomas collaborated with Michael Jund, an instructor at Eastern Iowa Community College. The book offers a comprehensive introduction to the collision repair profession and industry and is intended as a core curriculum resource in postsecondary courses.

Academic Support Serviceshenriette K. Evans, Act 101 academic and career specialist, presented two workshops at the

annual Pennsylvania Association of Developmental Educators conference, held at Grantville. During the workshop titled “Student Advisory Committees – A Winning Deal,” Evans discussed how to make the best use of resources to engage students in leadership activities. She collaborated with Pamela Czapla, director of tutorial services at Lock Haven University, on presenting a second workshop titled “Marketing With Appeal: Increasing the Odds That Students Will Use Learning Centers.” Penn College student Brandon H. O’Dowd, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology major from flemington, N.J., was a guest panelist at the conference.

Student Health ServicesCarl L. shaner, Student Health Center director, was selected as a program-proposal reviewer for the

2009 National Collegiate Athletic Association CHOICES alcohol education grant. In an effort to educate students about the risks involved with the misuse of alcohol, the NCAA, with the support of the NCAA foundation and Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc., developed CHOICES, a grant program for alcohol education.

In Memory

Glenn F. Kline,retired associate professor of diesel technology, died feb. 25.

John W. Miller, retired instructor of computer science, died May 12.

Rita C. Ulrich, retired assistant professor of business/computer technology, died June 11.

Jackie E. Welliver, faculty emeritus, drafting, died feb. 6.

Williams R. Weyant, retired assistant professor of electrical technology/occupations, died Jan. 16.

Lloyd F. Woodling, retired associate professor of mathematics, died June 19.

Summer 2009 21


Give Us Your NominationsHelp the Alumni Relations Office honor worthy graduates from Pennsylvania College of Technology and its predecessor institutions (Williamsport Area Community College and Williamsport Technical Institute) by nominating someone for an alumni award.

The college accepts public nominations for four of its annual awards:

Alumni Citizenship/Humanitarian AwardPresented to two alumni at December commencement, this award recognizes distinguished community or volunteer service. Nomination deadline is Oct. 1.

Distinguished Alumna/Alumnus Award Presented at May commencement, this award recognizes significant contributions in the field, as well as a leadership role in the community and commitment to college and community relations.Nomination deadline is March 1.

Alumna/Alumnus Achievement AwardPresented to a recent graduate at May commencement, this award recognizes noteworthy professional or career accomplishment or dedicated volunteer service to the college or community. Nomination deadline is March 1.

Outstanding Varsity Athletic Alumni AwardPresented during Homecoming, this award recognizes the accomplishments of Penn College varsity athletic alumni and contributions they have made to their communities.Nomination deadline is July 1.

A nomination form and the full criteria for each award are published on the Alumni Relations Web site: www.pct.edu/alumni/nominate.htm or call toll-free 877-PCT-ALUM.

From left, Robert O. Rolley Jr., ’83, recipient of the 2009 Distinguished Alumnus Award; President Davie Jane Gilmour; and Robert V. Blauser, ’96, recipient of the 2009 Alumnus Achievement Award.

Summer 2009 23

Thursday, OcT. 83 p.m. Team Tennis vs. Psu Mont alto Tennis Courts

7 p.m. Women’s Volleyball vs. Psu abingtonBardo Gym

8 p.m. Flag Football GameAthletic Field Come out and watch two great Penn College teams battle for the Homecoming flag football title.

Refreshments will be served.

Friday, OcT. 94-6 p.m. Opening reception: Were you There? The Evolution of a college campusThe Gallery at Penn College, 3rd Floor, Madigan Library

Don’t miss the opening reception for this exhibit featuring a collection of photographs and artifacts from the Pennsylvania College of Technology Archives. See if you recognize any familiar faces or places from your days at Williamsport Technical Institute, Williamsport Area Community College or Penn College.

5:30 p.m. Friday Night LightsAthletic FieldCompetition heats up under the lights during the annual Homecoming Powder Puff Football Game. Cheer on the ladies as College West and Rose Street take on Campus View and the Village.

saTurday, OcT. 109 a.m. Williamsport Technical institute reunion registration – W.T.I. Alumni OnlyMadigan LibraryConnect and share memories with fellow W.T.I. alumni.

9:30 a.m.-noon homecoming saleThe College Store, Bush Campus CenterStop by the College Store before the games to take advantage of a 25 percent discount on all Penn College wear!

Alumni, check your welcome packet for a coupon.

10 a.m. car show registrationCollege West Parking LotHave a nice car? Join the Student Government Association and Penn College Motorsports for the Third Annual Homecoming Car Show.

E-mail [email protected] for more information.

11:45 a.m. ambassador alumni reunion Luncheon with chet schuman – Ambassador Alumni Only*Thompson Professional Development CenterAttention former student ambassadors! Director of Admissions Chet Schuman retired after 34 years at Penn College. Wish him well and reconnect with fellow alumni ambassadors. A buffet lunch, catered by Le Jeune Chef, will be served.

12:30-3:30 p.m. Tailgate Party*Field HouseConnect with alumni, students and coaches at the tailgate sponsored by Alumni Relations, Athletics and Student Activities. Mix and mingle with the homecoming court. Meet this year’s Outstanding Varsity Athletic Alumni Award recipients. Enjoy our tailgate menu or bring your own tailgate fare! Space will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Athletic and paramedic alumni, check in with Alumni Relations at this event.

Noon-3 p.m. car showCollege West Parking Lot

1 p.m. Women’s soccer vs. Psu duBoisAthletic FieldCheer on the Lady Wildcats and meet the Homecoming Court after the game. Finish watching the game while snacking at the tailgate.

2:30 p.m. Paramedic Program 30th anniversary celebration – Paramedic Alumni Only*Klump Academic Center AuditoriumPenn College President Davie Jane Gilmour and Susquehanna Health President Steven Johnson will welcome all paramedic alumni. Eat celebratory cake and tour the paramedic classrooms and labs.

3 p.m. Men’s soccer vs. Psu Mont altoAthletic FieldWatch the Wildcats and congratulate this year’s Outstanding Varsity Athletic Alumni. Award presentations will take place during the half.

7:30 p.m. comedianCommunity Arts CenterShare laughs downtown with alumni and current students. After the show, socialize at any of the establishments near the theater.

suNday, OcT. 1111:30 a.m. homecoming BrunchLe Jeune Chef RestaurantUnite and share your weekend stories over brunch at Le Jeune Chef. Sunday brunch ($12.95 plus tax and gratuity) includes student-created breakfast and luncheon favorites, a meat-carving station, and an omelet station.

Call (570) 320-CHEF for reservations.

1-4 p.m. concert and ExhibitionThe Gallery at Penn College, 3rd Floor, Madigan LibraryEnjoy a concert of classical guitar music by Alphonse Ciaccio, ’93, 1-2:30 p.m. and the current exhibit: Were you there? The Evolution of a College Campus.

PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

ANNIVERSARY

2009

198920

For a complete schedule, visit www.pct.edu/homecoming

rsVP to aLuMNi rELaTiONs at: [email protected] (877) PcT-aLuM or (1-877-728-2586)

October 8-11

*Reservations are required. Contact Alumni Relations today to reserve your seat.

Now, more than ever, our students need your support!

Please donate online at

www.pct.edu/ia

Your giftopens doors.

InstItutIonal advancement offIce

(866) GIVE-2-PC

[email protected]


Pennsylvania College of Technology

BOARD Of DIRECTORS

Dr. Robert E. Dunham, ChairMr. John M. Young, Vice ChairMr. Joseph J. Doncsecz, TreasurerDr. John J. CahirMs. Lynda M. LivingstonRep. Rick MirabitoDr. Robert N. PangbornMr. Birch B. Phillips, Jr.Dr. Robert A. SecorDr. Craig D. WeidemannSen. E. Eugene YawThe Honorable Alvin C. Bush, Chairman EmeritusMr. William Davis, Director EmeritusMrs. Carol Herrmann, Director Emerita

CORPORATE ADVISORY BOARD

Mr. John A. BlaschakMrs. Rebecca A. BurkeMr. Steve JohnsonMr. David LivingstonDr. Vincent MatteoMs. Andree P. PhillipsMr. Birch B. Phillips, Jr. (Ex-Officio)

Mr. John SavoyMr. Peter SchultzMr. James ShillennMr. Steven Uzupis

fOUNDATION BOARD Of DIRECTORS

Ms. Ann S. Pepperman, ChairpersonMr. Paul H. Rooney, Jr., First Vice ChairpersonMr. Steven M. Sleboda, Second Vice ChairpersonMrs. Karen A. Blaschak, SecretaryDr. William J. Martin, TreasurerMr. Robert C. Dietrich, Executive DirectorMr. Thomas W. BixlerMr. James W. Bower, Sr.Mr. Nicholas R. CatinoMr. Al A. ClappsMr. John M. ConferMr. James E. CunninghamDr. Robert E. DunhamMr. Robert G. FeasterMr. Robert E. ForseDr. Davie Jane GilmourMr. George E. GirioMr. James P. HuffmanMr. Philip H. JohnsonMr. Dan A. KlingermanMr. George E. Logue, Jr.Mr. Robert B. LytleMr. William P. ManosMr. Patrick MartyMrs. Ann Marie PhillipsMs. Charline M. PulizziMr. Jeffrey W. RauffMr. John P. RyanMrs. Linda L. SchultzMr. Bruce A. SmithgallMr. Barry R. StigerMr. Steven UzupisMr. Michael VuocoloMr. Robert P. WalkerMr. Ronald WalkoMr. Marshall D. Welch IIIMr. Ray WheelandMr. John M. Young

HONORARY TRUSTEES

Mr. Thomas W. DempseyMr. John A. SavoyMr. David L. StroehmannMr. Albert R. Styrcula

Pennsylvania College of teChnology became an affiliate of The Pennsylvania State University in 1989 after establishing a national reputation for education supporting workforce development, first as a technical institute and later as a community college. Today, Penn College is a special mission affiliate of Penn State, committed to applied technology education. Conveniently located in Williamsport (central Pennsylvania), Penn College attracts the second-highest enrollment in the Penn State system. In addition, Penn College manages the state’s largest worker-training program through Workforce Development & Continuing Education. The modern Penn College campus offers students hands-on instruction and access to the latest equipment, leading to excellent graduate placement and degrees that work.

An affiliate of The Pennsylvania State University

Pennsylvania College of Technology does not discriminate in admission by race, color, religion, national origin, sex, handicap, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation, status as a protected veteran, or any characteristic against which discrimination is prohibited by applicable law, and operates on a nondiscriminatory basis throughout the institution.

Read One College Avenue online at www.pct.edu/oca. The online edition

features articles found in the print edition, as well as Web-only content,

including additional photos, interactive content, and more alumni and

student news. Sign up for e-mail announcements regarding the online

edition by sending your e-mail address to [email protected].

The Gallery at Penn College hosted Artist-in-Residence Miguel Tio, who visited campus for four days to provide art workshops for teachers and parents of young children, including students in the college’s Early Childhood Education major. He also spent three days teaching preschoolers enrolled in the college’s Children’s Learning Center, who later displayed their artwork in the gallery. To view a complete list of upcoming gallery events and to elect to receive the gallery’s e-newsletter, visit www.pct.edu/gallery.

Evan Summer: Prints, Drawings and Collages Aug. 25 – Sept. 27

Were You There? The Evolution of a College Campus Oct. 6 – Nov. 8

Erasing Borders 2009: Exhibition of Contemporary Indian Art of the Diaspora Nov. 13 – Dec. 13

Nathaniel Hester: Ship of fools Jan. 19 – feb. 10

Dana fritz: Garden Views and Terraria Gigantica feb. 16 – March 28

UPCOMING EXHIBITS AT THE GALLERY

AT PENN COLLEGE

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Williamsport, PA 17701

A note to ParentsIf this issue of One College Avenue is addressed to a daughter or son who has established a separate permanent residence, please notify us of that new address by sending an e-mail to [email protected]

PCToday: Online Source for News and Information

Join the thousands who visit www.pct.edu/pctoday each day to stay up-to-date with what’s happening at Pennsylvania College of Technology. Whether you’re looking for Penn College news or the latest activities and services, make PCToday part of your day … every day.

Pennsylvania College of TechnologyOne College AvenueWilliamsport PA 17701-5799

Receiving duplicate Copies?If you are receiving more than one copy of One College Avenue, please forward the mailinglabel panel from each issue you receive to:

Office of Mail Services, DIf 167Pennsylvania College of TechnologyOne College AvenueWilliamsport, PA 17701-5799

Wildcat archer Lindsey fackler takes aim during the Eastern Regional Intercollegiate Archery Championships hosted by Penn College. The team earned championships in the women’s compound, men’s compound and men’s recurve divisions and went on to compete at the U.S. Intercollegiate Archery Championships with more than 30 other colleges and universities and more than 200 archers at Long Beach, Calif. The Wildcats won a school-record three team championships, had one individual champion, had a school-record seven All-Americans, finished third overall (the highest in school history) and qualified two archers for the World University Games. Visit www.pct.edu/oca for an update.

summer 2009 learning in the philippines l carl legacy

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