Academics

Penn State Berks celebrates history through National Engineers Week

READING, Pa. — In observation of National Engineers Week, Feb. 21–27, Penn State Berks, the premier engineering college in Berks County, is planning a variety of events and activities.

The following is a schedule of events for Engineers Week at Penn State Berks.

Monday, Feb. 22, 1–2:30 p.m., Lion’s Den, Perkins Student CenterEngineering Club CollaborationThe Penn State Berks engineering clubs will sponsor a luncheon featuring keynote speaker Jamie Bond, who works in the human resources department at Lutron Electronics. The event is open to the members of the campus' engineering clubs, including the Penn State Berks chapters of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers and Aero Design, the Society of Women Engineers, and Women in Science and Engineering. 

Tuesday, Feb. 23, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building LobbyEngineering ShowcaseStudents will have the opportunity to visit display booths, meet with representatives from local engineering companies, and discuss career opportunities in the engineering field. Participants include member companies of the Industrial Advisory Committee and companies partnering in the campus' Learning Factory, including Lutron Electronics.

Wednesday, Feb. 24, 1–2:30 p.m., Lion’s Den, Perkins Student CenterEngineering Panel DiscussionThe panel discussion will include representatives from local industry, such as Brentwood Industries, Carpenter Technology Corporation, Lutron Electronics and Reading Bakery Systems, who will discuss their career paths. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions after the panel discussion. This event is free and all Penn State Berks engineering students and faculty are invited to attend. Space is limited and attendees must reserve their seat by contacting Jeff Wike at jww12@psu.edu by Friday, Feb. 19.

Thursday, Feb. 25, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building LobbySpecial PresentationClassic Harley Davidson of Reading will give a special presentation, open to all Penn State Berks students, faculty and staff.

Friday, Feb. 26, 1–3 p.m., Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building, Room 249Student Competition: Lego MindStormsPenn State Berks students will participate in the Lego MindStorms competition, developed by engineering faculty members. The students will break into eight groups and work with programmable Lego robots, which must push their opponent robot out of a rink. Students must register in advance with Roy Thompson at rwt11@psu.edu.

T-Shirt Design Contest and Poster Displays, Gaige Technology and Business Innovation BuildingCombining art and engineering, students will be invited to create a T-shirt design, which will be used for next year’s Engineers Week T-shirts. This year, the shirts will feature the winning design from the 2015 Penn State Berks Engineers Week T-shirt contest. The shirts will be worn by members of the Penn State Berks Engineers Week Planning Committee and administrators and will be given to the winners of the student competition.

Penn State Berks offers a bachelor of science degree in electro-mechanical engineering technology and a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. Penn State Berks is the only college in Berks County to offer degree programs in engineering, and all classes are taught in the campus' state-of-the-art Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building.

Building on its roots in the field of engineering, Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute (WPI) was the forerunner institution of Penn State Berks. WPI began as a training center for workers of Textile Machine Works in Reading and provided a solid background in engineering, as well as other technical fields of study. Many leaders of local industry are graduates of WPI.

For more information about the Engineers Week events, contact Robert Zambanini, coordinator of Penn State Berks Engineers Week, at 610-396-6178 or raz3@psu.edu.

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated February 12, 2016

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