Month: October 2019

PLET student travel to Germany — final report

Published on by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

Guest Post by Lauren Hampton, Plastics Engineering Technology major

No matter how vivid the photos or descriptive the lecture, there’s nothing quite like seeing and experiencing another country in person. And, in today’s increasingly global business climate, it’s vital that students be versed in the culture and business practices of international partners. There is much to be learned from seeing how others do it. That’s why, every year, students in the Plastics Engineering Technology (PLET) program have the opportunity to travel overseas to visit plastics companies and universities and attend a plastics trade show, too.

On Thursday, Oct. 17th, a group of PLET majors embarked on an 11-day trip to Germany. We asked student Lauren Hampton to keep a travel log and tell us about the trip. Here is her final report on the experience: 

Day 9 — Friday

Today, we visited Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences. They have a plastics engineering program similar to the one we have at Penn State. Additionally, students from both Penn State Plastics Engineering Technology and Rosenheim Plastics Engineering can participate in a semester study abroad program at the respective school. During our visit, we had a wonderful tour of their labs and got lots of information about the different research projects they are currently working on.

After our tour at Rosenheim, students had a free afternoon in Munich. Some toured the Allianz Arena where FC Bayern Munich plays. Others explored the city.

Group Photo at RosenheimStudents at Allianz ArenaStudents at Allianz Arena

Day 10 — Saturday

Today, we had a free day in Munich and it was our last (non-travel) day of the trip. Students did a variety of activities during the day. A couple of students visited Eagle’s Nest. Others went to some museums and went shopping in Marienplatz. In the evening, we had a group dinner at Schneider Bräuhaus.

Students at Eagle’s Nest

Students at Eagle’s Nest.

Glockenspiel at Marienplatz

Glockenspiel at Marienplatz.

Parting thoughts

I would like to give a special thanks to all of the faculty members—Jon Meckley, Dr. Gary F. Smith, Lucy Lenhardt, and Dr. Israd Jaafar—who took us on this once-in-a-lifetime trip. I can say on behalf of all of the students, we had a wonderful time and this is an experience that we will remember and cherish for many years to come.

Auf Wiedersehen, Deutschland!

 

PLET Students travel to Germany — Travel Log #2

Published on by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

Guest Post by Lauren Hampton, Plastics Engineering Technology major

No matter how vivid the photos or descriptive the lecture, there’s nothing quite like seeing and experiencing another country in person. And, in today’s increasingly global business climate, it’s vital that students be versed in the culture and business practices of international partners. There is much to be learned from seeing how others do it. That’s why, every year, students in the Plastics Engineering Technology (PLET) program have the opportunity to travel overseas to visit plastics companies and universities and attend a plastics trade show, too.

On Thursday, Oct. 17th, a group of PLET majors embarked on an 11-day trip to Germany. We asked student Lauren Hampton to keep a travel log and tell us about the trip. Here is her report latest report from Germany:

Day 6 — Tuesday

Today, we toured the Mercedes Benz engine plant in Stuttgart. We learned about the company’s history in the Neckar Valley. The afternoon was spent doing various activities. Students toured museums, visited landmarks, and explored the town.

at Mercedes

Students at the Mercedes engine plant in Stuttgart.

Birkenkopf

Students at Birkenkopf.

Dr. Smith and Cake

Dr. Smith likes cake. 

Day 7 — Wednesday

Today we toured Arburg, a prominent injection molding machine manufacturer. Following the tour, we traveled to Füssen. In Füssen, students went out for dinner and explored the town afterwards. Throughout the day, we rode on a total of seven trains – which is a lot of trains, if you ask me.

Group Photo at Arburg

Group photo at Arburg.

Happy Train Travelers featuring Dr. Smith, Dr. Jaafar, and Ryan Malatesta (Rye Bread)

Happy train travelers — Dr. Smith, Dr. Jaafar, and Ryan Malatesta.

Mr. Meckley

The lonely traveler: Mr. Meckley.

students at dinner

Students at dinner.

Day 8 — Thursday

Today we hiked up to Neuschwanstein Castle. We had a private tour inside the castle and then explored the surrounding area. Some went shopping while others hiked up Säuling Mountain.  Then, we travelled to Munich – our final destination.

neuschwanstein castle

Group photo at Neuschwanstein Castle.

Dr. Jaafar at the top of Säuling Mountain

Dr. Jaafar at the top of Säuling Mountain.

 

 

PLET students travel to Germany – Travel Log #1

Published on by Behrend Blog1 Comment

Guest Post by Lauren Hampton, Plastics Engineering Technology major

No matter how vivid the photos or descriptive the lecture, there’s nothing quite like seeing and experiencing another country in person. And, in today’s increasingly global business climate, it’s vital that students be versed in the culture and business practices of international partners. There is much to be learned from seeing how others do it. That’s why, every year, students in the Plastics Engineering Technology (PLET) program have the opportunity to travel overseas to visit plastics companies and universities and attend a plastics trade show, too.

On Thursday, Oct. 17th, a group of PLET majors embarked on an 11-day trip to Germany. We asked student Lauren Hampton to keep a travel log and tell us about the trip. Here is her report from the first five days:

DAY 1 — Thursday, Oct. 17

Day One… Here we go! All the professors showed up to the airport bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (specifically Mr. Meckley rocking his flip-flops and plaid cargo shorts). However, the students were slightly less bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Some would say they looked like zombies. Nevertheless, everyone was excited and raring to go!

first flight

First Flight

The first flight went very well. Most slept, some listened to music. Then… DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNN…. THE. EIGHT. HOUR. LAYOVER. Below are some of the activities students chose to participate in to pass the time, including: homework, card games, chit-chat, and of-course some sleep.

layover homework

Homework! Of course!

 card games

Card games

Days 2 & 3 — Friday & Saturday

We arrived in Cologne (Köln), Germany early Friday morning. We had two free days in the city. During that time, we explored the city, ate lots of good German food, and took in all the beautiful views.

cologne

Cologne Cathedral and the Rhein River (Awesome Photo Taken by Dr. Jaafar!)

gelato

Jon Meckley, associate professor of engineering, with gelato. 

cathedra

Cologne Cathedral

jaafar and pretzel

Dr. Israd Jaafar, assistant teaching professor of engineering, and a giant pretzel. 

Day 4 – Sunday

We attended the K Show in Düsseldorf – the world’s number one tradeshow for plastics and rubber. We visited a number of companies and learned many new things!

smith and meckley with race car

Dr. Gary F. Smith, assistant professor of engineer, and Mr. Meckley with a Race Car at the K Show

interacting with lifting machine

Interacting with Lifting Machine

 

stduents at K show

Students at the K Show

Day 5 — Monday

We attended our second day at the K Show.  We met with companies and got to see the new generation of molding machines!  Then, we hopped on a two-and-one-half-hour train ride to Stuttgart.  We arrived in Stuttgart around dinner time and spent the evening relaxing and getting ready for our next tour.

virtual reality of the K show

Virtual Reality at the K Show  (Inside of a Blow Molding Machine)

group pix at the train station

Group Photo at the train station. 

NEXT: The PLET students will tour the Mercedes Benz engine assembly plant followed by tours of the Mercedes Benz and Porche Museums. Then, they’ll visit several other cities in Germany before ending in Munich where they will tour the University of Applied Sciences Rosenheim.  We’ll post updates from Lauren as they arrive.

 

 

TV Game Show Appearance Fulfills Lifelong Dream of Alumnus

Published on by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

By Heather Cass, Publications Manager at Penn State Behrend

Answer: This 2008 Penn State Behrend alumnus appeared on Jeopardy a decade after earning dual degrees in Physics and Mathematics.

Question: Who is Jeffrey Machusko?

Though he didn’t win, Manchusko walked away with $1,000 and lifelong memories of a dream come true.

Manchusko grew up near Pittsburgh watching Jeopardy, the classic answer-and-question quiz show, with his family.

“I used to keep track on my fingers of how many I could get right,” he said. “I considered it a good night when I made it to my toes.  When my wife and I started dating, we learned early on that we were both big Jeopardy fans.  Watching the show was a great cheap date for us broke college students.”

Fortunately, Machusko, 33, a data engineer for a tech consulting firm in Colorado, is no longer broke, but he and his wife still enjoy the nightly quiz show. Last year, he had the opportunity to appear on the show and meet show host Alex Trebek.

Machusko - Jeopardy

We caught up with Machusko to ask him a few questions about his experience:

When did you appear on the show?

I filmed on November 1, 2017, and the episode aired January 25, 2018. It was a crazy time in my life. In the span of a week, I got married, went to Mexico for our honeymoon and flew from the honeymoon directly to LA to film.

How did you end up on the show?

There is an online pre-screening where participants face fifty rapid-fire clues. If you pass through that screening, you can sign up to be on the show. People who do very well on the screening are invited to live auditions that are held across the country.  The auditions feature another round of testing, then there is some live play where you get to use the buzzers from the show.

How did you do?
Not well! All three of us did poorly.  It was an unusually difficult game.  I did get a True Daily Double though, so it wasn’t a total loss.

Did anything surprise you about the experience?
I was caught off guard by how warm and friendly everyone who works there was.  It eased everyone’s jitters about being on TV.  I expected a show that’s been running for more than thirty years to be a bit of a cold, business-as-usual experience.  I enjoyed spending the day with the show employees and the other contestants.

Did any questions stump you?
Unfortunately, too many! I was never much of a fiction reader, and there were a lot of literature clues as well as other things I just don’t know much about, like trains and Will Rogers.

What makes a good Jeopardy player?
I think the best thing you can possess is a skin-deep knowledge of a broad variety of topics. It also helps to be very fast on the buzzer. And, one thing I think has been overlooked until James Holtzhauer’s recent 32-game-winning streak is a willingness to take risks.

Are you just naturally curious about a variety of things?
Almost to a fault. I tend to get distracted easily.  My dad always had documentaries on when I was a child, and I think it helped foster my curiosity about the world.

What advice do you have for others who want to be on Jeopardy?
Just go for it!  I had to audition three times over ten years to get on the show. The first time I auditioned, I was a student at Behrend and I tried out for the college tournament.  In general, I’d suggest those who want to be contestants watch the show and try to understand the game. There’s a lot more to winning than just knowing the questions.

Were you involved in any clubs, sports, or activities while you were at Behrend?

My peers and I revived the Physics Club and put together a few events and a trip to Fermilab in Chicago.  I was also one of the founding members of the Rugby Club and its first president.

What is one of your fondest memories of Behrend?
Playing rugby.  It was a huge part of helping me find confidence outside of the classroom.  I also really enjoyed the astronomy nights.  Seeing Saturn through the campus observatory was breathtaking.  Overall, being in an environment where I was able to grow and learn was so important and it set me up for success in my career.

Machusko and wife rebecca at skypond

Jeffrey Machusko and his wife Rebecca at Sky Pond in Rocky Mountain National Park.