The Tower • 2015 Winter 1
SAVE THE DATES FOR OUR SPECIAL UPCOMING EVENTS! Alumni Student Bowl-a-Thon Wednesday, April 8 – 7:00p.m. Dutch Lanes
Spring Admissions Open House Saturday, April 11 – 9:00 a.m.
Alumni Banquet & Class of 1965 Reunion Saturday, April 25 – 5:00 p.m.
Machine Shop Reunion Luncheon Saturday, April 25 - 11:00 a.m. Machine Shop
Commencement
Saturday, May 9 – 1:00 p.m.
Stevens Scramble Golf Outing Friday, June 19 – 11:30 a.m. Overlook Golf Course
The Tower is a service of the Thaddeus Stevens Foundation and Alumni Association. It is published quarterly. Current circulation is 7,500 to alumni, parents, trustees, faculty, corporations and friends.
D. Scott Trower ‘80, Foundation President David D. Wolf ‘85, Alumni Association President Alex B. Munro ‘60, Executive Director amunro@stevenscollege.edu Sophia E. Hower, Editor sehower@stevenscollege.edu Mike Brady ‘05, Graphic Designer
740 East End Avenue Lancaster, PA 17602 (717) 295-9666 1-800-571-7324 Fax: (717) 295-9652 Federal Tax I.D. #23-6406980
The Thaddeus Stevens Foundation is registered with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in compliance with its charitable organization law, and copies of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free within Pennsylvania 1-800-7320999. Registration does not imply endorsement by the Commonwealth.
2 Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Greetings….. The demand for our graduates continues to far exceed our capacity. One example of this problem is the annual career fair that will be held in two weeks. Currently we will have over 300 representatives from 150 companies completely filling three collegiate basketball courts and a significant number waitlisted because we do not have the space to accommodate them. Programs such as Machine Technology, Metal Fabrication, Electrical Technology, and Computer Aided Drafting & Design have over 40 different employers attending and recruiting our graduates. All programs have multiple employers attending. In several cases the companies have openings for all of a program’s graduates. While this situation is good for the College and its graduates it is not good for the economy. As I have stated in the past, in a global competitive marketplace, the only sustainable competitive advantage a company has is their workforce. With all other costs such as transportation and materials approximately the same for all competitors; the productivity, innovativeness, and creativity of your workforce is the only way you can remain competitive. It is obvious from all national surveys and our experiences with employers, that they do not have skilled employees they need to remain competitive or to expand. This problem is exacerbated by the large number of skilled employees eligible for retirement.
From The President’s Desk William E. Griscom
Consequently, the College’s primary focus is to increase capacity and output through: the construction of the Greiner Advanced Manufacturing Campus; the creation of new programs; and expansion of existing high-demand programs. The Greiner campus will facilitate the tripling of the: Machine Technology and Computer-Aided Manufacturing; Metal Fabrication and Welding Technology; and Heating, AirConditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration (HVAC&R) programs plus the addition of a stand-alone Welding program. We have already doubled the size of the Electrical Technology program and are offering Machine Technology and HVAC&R in the evenings as well as the day. This fall we initiated the ElectroMechanical and Water and Environmental Technology programs which I will briefly describe in the two following paragraphs. The goal of the Electro-Mechanical Technology program (Mechatronics) is to blend two disciplines into one program. Historically, equipment in manufacturing environments has been supported by two separate groups with clearly defined boundaries and little overlap. Today and in the future these boundaries have become harder to define with increasingly sophisticated robotics and automation equipment. Often, manufacturers have a difficult time finding technicians who possess a broad range of competencies. Manufacturers are often looking for technicians who can handle tasks that are more mechanically focused (i.e. pneumatics, hydraulics, power transmission) to electrically focused (i.e. DC/AC, PLC’s, instrumentation, motors/drives). At this time nearly all of the training equipment is in the lab and in place. The curriculum is being refined by the faculty with input from industry. Currently 19 students are making great strides in mechanical power transmission, circuit fundamentals, and PLC’s. The faculty are working towards increasing the amount of direct input from industry, relevant to equipment and systems to augment the training systems that are used in the foundational courses. The goal of the WET program is to prepare individuals to become operators at drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities. In the spring of 2014 the program became the first Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) accredited associate degree program. Students in this program learn the techniques, theory, codes, and regulations necessary to complete DEP certification exams for drinking water or wastewater treatment facility operations. The DEP accreditation will reduce the amount of on-the-job experience required to obtain licensing. In addition to preparing our students to operate treatment facilities, the skills and knowledge obtained in the program will qualify them to be environmental technicians who could seek employment in both government and private industry. Bids are due in the near future for the remaining WET laboratory furniture and facility construction. It is planned to have a fully functional WET laboratory available for the start of the new school year, at which time a second faculty member, Ms. Katie Surra, will join the program. In the fall of 2015 the College will initiate a Residential Remodeling program in response to industry needs and will consider the addition of associate degrees in Civil/Land Surveying and Building Maintenance. All of these initiatives are contingent upon continued State and private sector support. With the appropriate funding these expansion efforts will permit the College to realize the goals in its Academic and Master plans which will result in an enrollment of over 1,800 students and 600 graduates per year. The result will make a significant difference in meeting the technical workforce needs of the Commonwealth and consequently contribute to economic development.
The Tower • 2015 Winter 3
From The
Tower
Michael Hirak Michael Edward Hirak, of Lancaster, PA, passed away at his home on Thursday, January 8, 2015, at age 93 following a courageous battle with cancer. Born May 5, 1921 and raised in Wall, PA, he was the son of the late Michal and Elizabeth (Uchnar) Hirak. He was the loving husband of the late Mary Margaret Miso Hirak, to whom he was married 58 yrs. Mr. Hirak enlisted in the US Army July 1942 and was deployed to the Pacific Theatre WWII from June 1943 to January 1946. Sgt. Hirak served in the New Guinea and Luzon campaigns and in the occupation of Japan. He received the Asiatic Pacific Theater ribbon with 2 bronze service stars, the Philippine Liberation ribbon with 1 bronze service star, the Good Conduct Meritorious Unit Award, Bronze Arrowhead, and World War II Victory medal. Mr. Hirak attended Franklin & Marshall Academy and graduated from Franklin & Marshal College in 1949 on the GI bill. He joined the faculty at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology and taught chemistry and many other science-related subjects for more than three decades, until he retired at age 70. He was very active in community service. He organized picnics for children and volunteered as a clown entertainer. He was a member of Sertoma Club, American Legion Post 34 and VFW of Millersville. He enjoyed woodworking and made more than a few large toys and decorative wood cutouts for his home and family as well as birdfeeders for his backyard wildlife. He was an avid Steelers and Pirates fan. He loved his family and enjoyed playing with his children and grandchildren. He will be greatly missed. Surviving are four children: Thomas Hirak of Lancaster, PA, Elizabeth Field, M.D., wife of Bill Field, PhD., of Iowa City, IA, Michelle Vorwerk, wife of Carl, of Lansdale, PA and Mary Gerni, wife of David, of Dover, DE; seven grandchildren: Daniel, Katie, David, Carl Jr., Heather, Carolyn and Allison; and a great-grandson, Cole.
In Memoriam Robert Shirey Class of 1945 – Electric May 20, 2014
Paul J. Mazakas Class of 1968 – Plumbing November 2, 2014
Marlin Wendell Davison Class of 1955 – Electric November 15, 2014
John Paxson Class of 1956 – Carpentry January 25, 2015
Bernard Serina Class of 1956 – Drafting September 6, 2012
Robert Sweet Class of 1966 – Baking January 11, 2015
Ron Mantz Class of 1965 – Machine December 24, 2014
4 Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Class of 2002
Vincent J. Lattanzio
Congratulations to Shawn DeGroft on his recent promotion from IT Technician to Systems Administrator for Clarcore Engine Mobile Solutions (formerly Clark Filter). Shawn is a graduate of the Computer Network Systems Administration program at Stevens.
Thaddeus Stevens Foundation Board Officer
Class of 1965 The Class of 1965 will get together for an informal reunion on Friday evening, April 24, 2015, at the Dutch Maid Motel & Deck, 22 N Reading Road, Ephrata. The class will be formally recognized for their 50th reunion at the Alumni Banquet on Saturday evening, April 25, at the college.
MSC Tool Box
MSC Industrial Supply has generously donated one of their Inventory Management Vending Systems to the Machine Tool Technology Program. Students will gain access to this cutting edge technology found in industry and the college benefits by gaining increased management of their tooling inventory.
Vincent James Lattanzio, 62, of Willow Street, PA, passed away on Friday, January 9th, 2015 at Penn State Hershey Medical Center after a brief bout with acute myeloid leukemia. Born in Philadelphia, PA on August 2nd, 1952, he was the son of the late Vincent and Josephine (Malandra) Lattanzio. He was married to Rebecca Harnish Lattanzio for forty years on December 21st, 2014. Vince grew up in Maple Shade, NJ and graduated from Bishop Eustace Preparatory School in 1970. He graduated from Saint Joseph’s University with a bachelor’s degree in theology in 1974. He moved to Lancaster, the hometown of his beloved wife, Becky, in 1974 where he was fond of working on his in-laws’ family farm. He studied Cabinet Making at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, graduating with the class of 1978. Vince started his career in banking at Commonwealth National Bank and joined Fulton Financial Advisors in 1988. He was a certified employee benefits specialist and later earned the designation of Certified Financial Planner. Vince was a senior vice president/manager of Charitable and Endowment Services at Fulton Bank at the time of his death. The son of Italian immigrants, Vince treasured his recent trips to Italy during which he connected with cousins and visited his parents’ hometowns in Abruzzo. He studied Italian diligently over the last several years and was able to speak it fluently. He was a member of the Lancaster Italian Cultural Society. Vince enjoyed going to Phillies games, playing ice hockey, cooking Italian food, and spending time in one of the special places of his childhood, Long Beach Island, New Jersey. His life was enriched by time spent as a Cub Scout leader, baseball coach, and ice hockey coach over the years. He especially delighted in spending time with his family. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his four children, Annie Lattanzio Hale (Paul), of Lancaster, Kate Lattanzio of Spartanburg, SC, Charlie Lattanzio of Oakland, CA, and Joe Lattanzio of New Orleans, LA. Vince is also survived by three granddaughters, Julia, Sophia, and Emelia Hale of Lancaster, PA. Vince proudly served as treasurer of the Thaddeus Stevens Foundation Board of Directors and was chairman of the Alumni Awards Committee for the Thaddeus Stevens Alumni Association Board of Governors. He was a loyal participant in many activities that supported the school and will be greatly missed.
twitter.com/thaddeusstevens facebook.com/TSCTAlumni Be sure to follow us on Twitter and friend us on Facebook. It’s a great way to keep up to date with Stevens and reconnect with classmates!
The Tower • 2015 Winter 5
The Director’s Corner Alex Munro, Executive Director Foundation & Alumni Association Dear Alumni and friends:
This Could Be You!
I have a fascinating short story about a young woman who exhibited great determination in her pursuit of a gold collar career.
Who would have thought Alexis’ visit to the Stevens’ Machine Technology laboratory was her first step in pursuit of a gold collar career? There wasn’t much time lost before Alexis was enrolled as a student and ready to enter our Machine Technology program.
Alexis Nolt from Lititz, PA, came to Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology from a loving family of Mom, Dad and five brothers. Over the years as each of her brothers reached the age of selecting their career path, her dad would try to encourage the young men to attend Stevens College and select Machine Technology as their major.
I asked her if she felt intimidated walking in to what is mostly an allmale environment. She responded “not in the least. Everyone was respectful and very helpful in working with me during my early weeks of acclimation.” She said, in reality, she was slightly intimidated by the huge size and shape of all the machines. That feeling soon left quickly after she learned the operation and functionality of each piece of machinery.
On many occasions in past years her dad, who isn’t an alumnus of Stevens, would gather the boys and make a trip to the Stevens campus. These excursions never included Alexis, who stayed at home to help her mother with the baking needs of the family. Surprisingly, none of the brothers ever expressed a desire to become a machinist. Alexis knew her father had great admiration for Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology for the high degree of excellence they provide to their students in technical training throughout all their majors. However, his sons had other career expectations for their future. Then, one day, Dad said he was going down to Stevens by himself to an open house. That’s when Alexis capitalized on the opportunity to ask her father if she could come along with him, which was a welcomed request.
As a freshman she interned over the summer with Defense Logistics Agency in Mechanicsburg, PA, and has been working with them ever since. Alexis has been putting in 38 hours a week at Defense Logistics in addition to her second year training in machine technology at Stevens. Quite an accomplishment; it speaks volumes about Alexis and her outstanding work ethic. She commented, “It’s hard to believe that I’ll be graduating this May with an Associate Degree in Machine Technology plus with a job in waiting”. It was a quick and enjoyable two years of my life. Alexis felt the technical training she received at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology was of the highest level of technical excellence and the skills that she attained were outstanding. She has the confidence that this program has prepared her for a successful life in a gold collar environment. She would like to encourage other women to take advantage of the opportunity to pursue a degree in the technical field of machine technology at Stevens College. The rewards for the women who do so will qualify themselves for a lifetime of blue chip employment offers.
Arriving on campus, they immediately went to the Machine Technology lab. She said it was so fascinating to watch the students operating the various types of machinery and making all types of projects out of pieces of metal known as stock. She felt the instructors were kind, informative and most intriguing as they explained their program to her. She thought to herself that it would be an exciting and rewarding career to be a machinist and that her father would finally have a machinist in the family – even though it was achieved by his daughter! 6 Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
The circumstances around your life will certainly vary from those of Alexis to some degree. However, for the motivated women who are seeking to be trained in technical skills that will yield an abundance of employment opportunities, I suggest you check out the Stevens College’s Machine Technology program as soon as possible. Respectfully,
Alex Munro
Surveys show business up for manufacturers but shortage of skilled workers presents big obstacle By Clare Goldsberry Published: November 21st, 2014 There’s no shortage of surveys that attempt to take the pulse of the manufacturing industry sector, and the results show one major concern that all respondents have in common: lack of available, skilled, trained and experienced people to fill the myriad job openings in today’s manufacturing environment. Two recent surveys reveal what manufacturers are up against. The good news from the annual ThomasNet Survey (www.ThomasNet.com/imb) is that North America’s manufacturing sector is on an upward trajectory. The bad news is that a shortage of young talent, compounded by Baby Boomers’ negative perception about Millennials, could impact its continued expansion. The results from the survey of nearly 500 product and custom manufacturers, released this week, shows continued growth for this sector. Companies are hiring, increasing production capacity, and investing for more growth to come. More than half (58%) grew in 2013, and 63% expect even more gains by the end of 2014, said ThomasNet. There are plenty of positive indicators including manufacturers getting more business from existing markets, and their average account values are rising. Nearly eight out of 10 (76%) are now selling overseas, and one-third expect that business to increase. In anticipation of what’s ahead, they’re investing in capital equipment, optimizing operations, upgrading their facilities and retraining their people. More than half (52%) expect to add staff in the next several months, up from the 42% who planned to hire last year. Respondents’ companies are looking for trained, experienced people - manufacturing/ production management, line workers, skilled trade workers and engineers - to keep up with current and future demand. That’s the same problem that concerns suppliers to the automotive OEMs, revealed in the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA) Automotive Supplier Barometer released last week (www.oesa.org). This most recent survey looked at Human Resources
issues where the majority of the 79 respondents said that finding qualified, available candidates for open positions is of great concern. Positions that continue to be most difficult to fill are in engineering (general, software, electrical and process), production and controls engineering; technicians and hourly skilled trades people. On average, respondents to the OESA survey said it takes three months to fill engineering positions. ThomasNet’s President Mark Holst-Knudsen commented: “A deeper look under the hood raises questions about whether the manufacturing industry can continue its current momentum. For the industry to sustain its steady climb, all the fundamentals have to be in place, and one of them is missing - a robust pipeline of talent.” The solution, said ThomasNet, is the Millennial generation. That group is the next best hope for filling that pipeline needed to replace the steadily retiring Baby Boomers. “Nearly half of this year’s respondents (49%) are 55 and older,” noted ThomasNet’s survey summary. “Moreover, thirty-eight percent plan to retire in one to ten years, and most (65%) lack any succession plan.” However, 62% of the respondents said that Millennials represent a small fraction of their workforce, and eight out of 10 (81%) have no explicit plans to increase those numbers. However, noted ThomasNet, companies are making headway in the area of apprenticeships, which provide opportunities to bring in entry-level employees and career changers. For manufacturers where these programs are applicable, 51% now have them in place, and 23% plan to do so. They’re teaching apprentices trades such as machining, CNC milling and turning, and welding while increasing their staff. “We need new talent everywhere - on the plant floor, in the field and in management - and getting young people to look at manufacturing isn’t easy,” said Karen Norheim, executive vice president of American Crane, Douglassville, PA. “To ensure our company’s success, our employees have become brand ambassadors
for manufacturing. We’re bringing our children to our plants, looking at new internship programs, and reaching out to local colleges and trade schools. By making a local footprint we’re helping to address a national problem.” This year’s ThomasNet data shows that the manufacturing industry increasingly aligns with Millennials’ value systems and technology expertise. The research demonstrates that Millennials have an opportunity to make a social impact working with sustainable and green technologies, solar energy, and wind power, noted the ThomasNet survey results. In addition, respondents cite innovations in design and manufacturing software, automation/robotics, and 3D printing as intrinsic to today’s jobs. However, 46% of the ThomasNet survey respondents say that a larger issue is at work - younger people still perceive manufacturing as “blue collar” work. And Baby Boomers’ perceptions of Millennials exacerbate the challenge. Forty-three percent of respondents believe that this generation lacks the work ethic and discipline to succeed. “At a time when the American manufacturing sector is poised for a comeback, the talent shortage is the elephant-in-the-room that could impede progress,” said ThomasNet’s Holst-Knudsen. “It will take the concerted effort of every manufacturer to reach across generational lines, and bring in the people who are critical to the industry’s continued success.” www.plasticstoday.com/articles/Surveysshow-business-up-for-manufacturers-butshortage-of-skilled-workers-presents-bigobstacle-141122 Clare Goldsberry has been in the plastics industry for more than 30 years, and writing about the industry since 1989. She comes from a manufacturing family whose company currently does high-speed CNCN machining of fabricated parts for a variety of industries, which also encounters the problem of a skilled worker shortage. The Tower • 2015 Winter 7
$50,000 GRAND PRIZE GOES TO TSCT
By David Lightener ’04` Collision Repair Instructor
The Collision Repair Education (CRE) Foundation was created in 1991 by collision repair industry partners in response to a critical shortage of qualified and well-trained entry-level employees that it was facing due to a rapid advance of technology in the automotive industry. The country’s technical education system was no longer able to produce enough high-caliber graduates to meet industry needs. The Foundation has had an enormous influence in the quality of education for collision repair students both at the secondary and post-secondary levels by collecting financial resources and the most current material resources to distribute to technical schools for students to use, and working with I-CAR to help schools obtain the most up-to-date curriculum available for students. Every year, the CRE Foundation allows all secondary and postsecondary schools with collision repair programs to apply for a number of grants available, the biggest being their $50,000 Ultimate
Collision Education Makeover grant. The application requirements includes a paper application supplying significant information about the school and a video portion, which Thaddeus Stevens staff members have completed for 5 years in hopes of winning the grand prize. For the first three years, the Foundation generously provided Stevens with thousands of dollars’ worth of tools, materials, and curriculum just for applying for the grant. Then, in 2013, Thaddeus Stevens was awarded $10,000 as a runner-up, which we were able to use to purchase a few important pieces of equipment for our program. We were blown away by the generosity of the Foundation to that point. This past fall, at the 2014 SEMA convention in Las Vegas, Thaddeus Stevens was awarded the grand-prize of $50,000 of the Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant. Our program is going to use the $50,000 to help revamp our facility with the purchase of a new paint booth. The new paint booth will be
heated, which will increase productivity in our shop and allow the students experience with more of a real-life process in being able to refinish multiple cars per day. The new booth will also help us to produce cleaner products from our refinish procedures and will help us to reduce our environmental impact. The refinishing portion of our program will be cleaner and more efficient from beginning to end. We are also giving our shop a face-lift with the help of the makeover grant; we will be re-coating the floors after the new booth is installed. Once the renovations are completed, we will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the changes and to formally thank the Collision Repair Education Foundation for their support and the generosity they have shown us over the past several years. Their incredible efforts have not only made a great impact to us, our facility, our program, and our students; but also to our industry as a whole. The support the Foundation provides not only brings much needed financial means, it
also emphasizes the importance of education to each student it touches and draws more donors each year within the industry which affirm that goal. Thaddeus Stevens College will not compete for the Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant again next year, but our program will create a video of thanks for the Foundation in place of our application. The Foundation has also indicated that they will continue to support our program with material and curriculum donations, which makes such a difference for us and how we are able to allocate the funding we have available to our program. We are so excited to see what we are able to do with the resources we have obtained with the grant from the Collision Repair Education Foundation, as well as other grants which the school has received. The Tower • 2015 Winter 9
Happenings in Academic Affairs Dr. Robert Nye, Vice President
Making a Difference Greetings! I hope you find the promise of the New Year invigorating, full of hope and as excited as I am to seek out new ways to help make our students at Thaddeus Stevens College successful in pursuing their dreams and for the College to achieve its mission. One of the initiatives we began late last semester was the development of academic skills seminars to help our students, many who may not have had previous opportunity to develop the academic skills and discipline to excel. While we are considered highly successful nationally in the progression and graduation of our students, a sixty percent graduation rate still means we have forty percent of our students who do not graduate within a three year period (or four year period for PreMajor Program students). That is a lot of lives that we missed the opportunity to change for the better. Many of these students we lost took HUGE strides to get here, but could not find a way to adapt and perform in an independent, postsecondary environment.
proximate living examples of what he or she may aspire to become-whether lawyer, scientist, artist, or leader (or skilled professionals from TSCT programs) in any realm—their goal remains abstract. Such models as appear in books or on the news, however inspiring or revered, are ultimately too remote to be real, let alone influential. But a role model in the flesh provides more than inspiration; his or her very existence is confirmation of possibilities one may have every reason to doubt, saying, ‘Yes, someone like me can do this.” Being a mentor means many things. Mentor traits that could be useful for our students are: • Coaching and encouraging pursuit of excellence in technical skills • Coaching development of professional soft skills • Challenging students to move beyond their comfort zone • Developing self discipline • Providing alternative advice from TSCT faculty and staff…….. sometimes it takes an outsider to influence a young person in a manner that those closest to them cannot do. • Provide a listening ear…..sometimes we all just need someone to talk to • Encourage students to never, never quit!
Do you have time to be a mentor? Do you know someone who has mentoring attributes that would be interested in making a difference? These academic skills seminars are just one way to provide a service to Just a few hours a week could make a huge difference in the lives of help students who may not have had the advantage of learning them our students. We are beginning the process of developing a formal in the past. During our second effort in January of providing these program that will replicate some of the key tenets of other successful seminars, we held nine seminars including presentations on how to programs, including a three to five hour academy to prepare mentors read a text book, test preparation, how to study for both the benefits and challenges of being a math, time management, note taking, memory mentor and tailoring the instruction to the needs techniques, and goal setting. Forty-two students of our students. Our goal is to have at least one I want to inspire people. I want attended one or more of these seminars. If one mentor per program available for next fall at the someone to look at me and say of these 42 students, who were at risk for not start of the school year. By the time of the next “because of you I didn’t give up.” progressing after this semester, finds a way to be quarterly update, we should have the details of -Anonymous successful through attendance at these seminars, the formal program available for you to peruse we paid for the value of this service many times and share with others. In the meantime, if you A mentor empowers a person to over and made a difference. do have an interest, please feel free to contact see a possible future, and believe myself or Ms. Sheri Wright, the Director of the We have also been researching another means for it can be obtained Academic Center, with your interest. making a difference and improving graduation -Shawn Hitchcock rates. One option that has great merit and has I hope you will consider supporting this valuable proven successful in other learning institutions initiative. I leave you with some quotes that I is the development of mentoring programs. We think ably provide our intent for developing a are in the fledgling stages of developing both student and professional robust mentoring program that helps the College fulfill its mission mentoring programs. As alumni of Thaddeus Stevens, you are a key and continue doing what it has done for more than a century: Make a stakeholder in the success of the College. As TSCT graduates, you know difference in the lives of deserving, hard working TSCT students, and what it takes to be successful in school, in life and in your profession. If ultimately making a difference for communities throughout the entire you have a few hours a week to give to a mentoring program, you could Commonwealth. very well make the difference in the lives of a future TSCT graduates Respectfully, that we may have otherwise lost. Paraphrasing slightly a quote from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor regarding the potential value of mentorship for our students, she stated: “When a young person, even a gifted one, grows up without 10 Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Rob Nye
The Lancaster-Lebanon SCORE The Lancaster-Lebanon SCORE chapter regularly conducts several workshops which would be beneficial to a number of our alumni and students. At the present time these workshops are held at the SCORE facility at Liberty Place in Lancaster, but if there is sufficient interest they will offered on campus. Specifically, the workshops are as follows: Simple Steps for Starting a Business A five part workshop for any new business or anyone thinking of starting a business to learn how to make smart decisions and put the processes in place to achieve success. Each of the five workshops is three hours and is taught by experienced professionals. Topics covered include start-up basics and legal structures, concept development, marketing, creating financial forecasts and reports, and funding your business. Simple Steps for Growing Your Business A six-part workshop series for existing entrepreneurs to take their business to the next level by switching strategy from start-up or maintenance mode to a growth mode. Each of the six workshops is three hours and taught by experienced professionals. Topics include business assessment and goal setting, time and resource management, marketing your business, growing sales, financial management, and managing operations. Fundamentals for Starting Your Business A three hour abbreviated version of Simple Steps for Starting a Business, designed for those who are considering starting a business and need an overview of what it takes to further that dream. The course is taught by an experienced professional, and touches on all of the topics covered in Simple Steps for Starting a Business. It is not designed as a substitute for the Simple Steps workshop, but more as an introduction to the basic needs to be considered by anyone contemplating starting a business. The above programs are open to the public, with the exact dates available to anyone interested on the SCORE website, www.scorelancaster.org.
Basketball Team Hopeful for Playoffs This year the Bulldogs had a very competitive season, competing and fighting in each game. It is a young team with 10 freshman and 3 sophomores. They’re currently 9-9 in the conference, with high hopes for this young team to qualify for the District 19 playoffs.
The Tower • 2015 Winter 11
Development News
Allen E. Tate, Director of Development
I am sure each of you were on Santa’s “nice” list this year and experienced a wonderful Christmas, filled with the joys and sharing of the season. It is always a great time with family and friends. The students have returned from break. For many, this will be their last semester before graduation and before they enter careers they have prepared for over the past two years. We are fortunate here at Stevens to have many businesses and industries that partner with the College and who employ our graduates. In February, the College’s Career Fair will once again open with over 140 companies participating. This will be our largest Career Fair ever, which speaks highly of the quality of education and training our students receive here at Stevens. The new 2015 college desk calendar is available. This year it was designed by Jim Bengochea, a second-year graphic communications and printing major and an intern in the Development Office. If you would like this nice monthly calendar that is displayed in a CD case, please email me at tate@stevenscollege.edu and I will send you one. It’s a nice keepsake just for the photography!
Use your smartphone to scan this code and immediately access the Stevens website!
You also might enjoy going on www.myfuturecareer. us, a career awareness website that we are developing. Check out the new career videos that have been added, some featuring our alumni at their worksites. This is a fantastic resource to pass along to students, employees, middle grade and high school students at home. It provides insightful information to consider in choosing a career. We are very appreciative of the numerous companies that have sponsored their career section and allowed us to film one of their employees or a Stevens College grad. Over the past months, I have had to opportunity to attend most of the Industry Advisory/Craft Committees for each of our 19 technical programs. I have been very impressed by more than 200 representatives of business and industry that are a part of and attend their specific technical program’s advisory committee. These volunteers provide guidance to us on the state of the industry and their company’s needs. They assist in curriculum improvement and equipment acquisitions, offer internships and act as ambassadors for the program to other vendors and area school districts. This support is critical as we develop the next-generation workforce. We all appreciate the time and efforts you provide in volunteering and supporting the programs. We are always looking to add more
12 Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
industry representatives to each of these committees. They usually meet only two times a year. If you are interested, just contact the program instructors and tell them of your interest, or let me know and I will forward your request to them. I also want to thank the various companies that, over the past years, have donated materials, supplies, and equipment to support the various programs. Such items are a huge help in our ability to provide technical instruction in our labs and also for students to complete their hands-on projects. Companies have helped us through direct gifts of cash, gift-inkind goods, or assisted us through their corporate foundations. Our hands-on technical education is very important and requires vital equipment that is not possible to acquire solely with our state appropriation. With the challenge of limited funding, these types of partnerships are of significant support to the College. We are always looking for more such partners. Another area of corporate support to the College has been matching gifts. Many companies encourage their employees to support community and educational programs. We are fortunate that each year a number of our alumni donate to the College. Then, through their company’s Matching Gift Program, their donation is doubled or matched by the company’s gift. If you haven’t inquired about this opportunity, we encourage you to speak with your company about the possibility of supporting Stevens College in this way. Your donation to the College, whatever the size, is important to continuing to offer a quality education and lifelong impact the lives of our students. I look forward to seeing you on campus soon. And when you do, don’t forget to stop in at the Development Office and say hi!
Thaddeus Stevens Alumni Association
Alumni
Awards Banquet
2015
Saturday, April 25, 2015
4:00 p.m. Annual Business Meeting (Jones Conf Rm) 5:00-6:00 Social Hour 6:30-9:00 Buffet Dinner & Program Multipurpose Activity Center
Name:____________________________________________ Class Year:_______________ E-mail Address:_____________________________________ Phone:__________________ I would like to purchase ___ reservations at $35/each for: Name(s): _______________________________ ,___________________________________ _______________________________ ,___________________________________ TOTAL ENCLOSED: $ __________ Note: Special tables will be reserved for the 50-year reunion class. All other seating is open. Make checks payable to: Thaddeus Stevens Alumni Association Mail this form to: 740 East End Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17602 Also payable by: ( ) Visa ( ) Mastercard ( ) Discover Account # ____________________________________ Exp. Date_________ Signature________________________________________________________
Deadline for Reservations is April 17, 2015 The Tower • 2015 Winter 13
The College and Industry Benefits From a Large US Dept. of Labor Grant In the Fall of 2013, Stevens received a $2.5 million grant from the US Dept. of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. This is one of the largest grants the College has ever received. The grant supports the expansion of Stevens’ enrollment capacity to meet the increasing demand for highly trained employees in high-demand technical fields. Four Stevens associate degree programs are benefitting from the grant to assist in program expansion. These include HVAC/Refrigeration, Machine Tool and Computer-Aided Manufacturing, Metal Fabrication and Welding and our new ElectroMechanical Technology programs. Additionally, two new short-term (four week) certificate programs in Welding and Metal Casting (Foundry) will be created. The grant runs for four years through the fall of 2017. Since, 2010, approximately 700 community and two year technical colleges across the USA have been awarded these grants, the single largest Federal dollar commitment of its kind. Grants like these also require much specific data collection, record keeping, partnership development and industry outreach. The grant benefits technical program expansion now and at the new Greiner Campus for Advanced Manufacturing, opening fall 2017. Building on Steven’s already strong Advisory Councils, the grant also facilitates the development and strengthening of current and new business and industry partnerships, including with the Workforce Investment Board (WIB), CareerLink and the Manufacturers Association in York. Over $1,110,000 of the grant funds are allocated to new equipment, including: Machine Tool and Computer-Aided Manufacturing - Two CNC milling centers and two CNC turning centers Metal Fabrication and Welding: A hydraulic press brake and 16 welding training exhaust booths and welding kits HVAC/Refrigeration: A commercial refrigeration multi compressor rack, pumps training system and a universal refrigeration skills trainer. Electro-Mechanical: An articulated robotic cell, hydraulic/pneumatic/ electronic trainers, to support the variety of training skills necessary in manufacturing for Electro-Mechanical technicians for robotics trouble shooting. Metal Casting certification program: an induction furnace The grant also supports certain career services, supplies, additional faculty, targeted recruiting, program outreach, and online learning components. Support is also provided for video creation for www.myfuturecareer.us , a career awareness website aimed at high school students, and others, to show the opportunities in high-demand STEM careers. These engaging videos feature actual Stevens graduates on their jobs, describing their experience. The new hydraulic CNC press brake for the Metals Fabrication and Welding Technology program at arrives at Stevens on a 0-degree morning. A special thank you to Greiner Industries for donating a 50-ton crane, and to B&K Rigging for donating a 3-man rigging team to get the 17,000 pound machine safely installed. 14 Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Ultimately, the grant assists Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in achieving its Master Plan goal to double the number of graduates by 2020 and help meet the significant need in business and industry for a highly skilled STEM workforce and for advanced training for existing workers. A skilled technical workforce will help Pennsylvania’s industries to grow, benefitting both its residents and its economy. For more information about the grant, please call Pam McCarty, TAACCCT Grant Administrator at 717 391-6934.
Residential Remodeling T E C H N O L O G Y
Residential Remodeling Begins Fall 2015 Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology will introduce a new program in August 2015 for Residential Remodeling Technology. Freshman students entering this program will spend their first year learning the basics of wood working and carpentry skills. Students will utilize all of the hand and power tools used in construction along with the latest material choices used today. Students in the second year will be exposed to all aspects of residential remodeling. This includes demolition and stabilizing structures, designing, estimating and constructing room additions with complete interior and exterior finishes. Also covered will be complete kitchen and bathroom
remodeling, which includes basic electrical, plumbing and HVAC instruction. Graduates of the Residential Remodeling program will be eligible to seek employment with remodeling and renovation contractors and specialty contractors. Workforce Investment Board research has shown that this field will be one of the top ten sought-after jobs in central Pennsylvania during the next ten years. To apply for this program or obtain additional information visit www.stevenscollege.edu or call Mr. Charles Byers at 717-391-3545.
The Tower • 2015 Winter 15
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage
The Thaddeus Stevens Foundation Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
PAID
740 East End Avenue • Lancaster, PA 17602-3714
Permit No. 1354 Lancaster, PA 17604
INVEST WISELY Make an impact on the future while earning a secure income with a GIFT ANNUITY
A GIFT ANNUITY CAN PROVIDE: • Financial security with guaranteed income for life. • Tax benefits including deductions and capital gains tax savings. • Personal satisfaction in leaving a meaningful legacy at Stevens.
Let us help you create a lasting legacy at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. For more information, contact the Foundation Office at 717-295-9666. 16 Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology