Category: School of Engineering

Class of 2016: Meet Brittany Ochs (Plastics Engineering Technology)

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By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

Penn State Behrend’s class of 2016 is ready to make its mark on the world!  We’re proud of our students and the things they’ve accomplished and learned while here at Behrend.  Over the next couple months, we’ll be introducing you to a few of our remarkable seniors who have overcome challenges, pioneered new technology, participated in important research projects, and left an impression at Penn State Behrend.

Today, we’d like you to meet Brittany Ochs.

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Major: Plastics Engineering Technology

Hometown: Lucinda, Pennsylvania

On choosing to major in Plastics Engineering Technology: I have always been interested in math, science, and art. I also enjoyed working with my dad at our farm back home and tearing things apart and putting them back together. This major allows me to use my creativity and art to design parts and molds, my math and science skills to perform experiments and analyze data, and my hands to work with the equipment. It’s all the things that I enjoy.

Proudest accomplishment at Behrend: Winning first place in a Society for Professional Engineers blow-molding design contest.

Campus involvement: I’m the president of the plastics engineering technology club and a member of the National Society for Leadership and Success, Society of Plastics Engineers, and Society of Women Engineers. I’m also a STEM scholarship recipient and a member of two national honor societies, Tau Alpha Pi and Lambda Sigma.

What you’d be surprised to know about her: Eventually, I’d like to own a small farm and raise beef cattle.

Personal passions: I love the outdoors, hunting, and sports.

Advice for current students: Do not be afraid to ask for help!

Brittany has accepted a position as a process engineer at US Endoscopy following her graduation in May.

Class of 2016: Meet Trey Neveux (Mechanical Engineering)

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By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

Penn State Behrend’s class of 2016 is ready to make its mark on the world!  We’re proud of our students and the things they’ve accomplished and learned while here at Behrend.  Over the next couple months, we’ll be introducing you to a few of our remarkable seniors who have overcome challenges, pioneered new technology, participated in important research projects, and left an impression at Penn State Behrend.

Today, we’d like you to meet Trey Neveux

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Major: Mechanical Engineering

Hometown: Butler, Pennsylvania

On choosing to major in Mechanical Engineering: I’ve always enjoyed science and creating things. Mesh those two things together and you’ll find engineering at the intersection. I chose mechanical engineering to engage my widespread interest in physical systems that are easy to visualize, such as clutches, gearboxes, brakes, etc.

Proudest accomplishment at Behrend: I was part of the student team which created the disc golf course on campus. It really highlights the college’s beautiful grounds and it’s the only disc golf course in the Erie area. Learn more about the disc golf course here and here. Use this QR Code to go directly to the Disc Golf map:

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Campus involvement: I’ve been involved in Residence Life, the Lion Entertainment Board, Disc Golf Club, the SGA’s Supreme Court, and Tau Beta Pi, and I sat on both the Information Technology Fee and Student Activity Fee Allocation committees.

On flying, scuba diving, and woodworking: I’m never bored because I have a wide variety of hobbies. After graduation, I really want to explore some hobbies that just weren’t feasible in college, like flying, scuba diving, and woodworking.

Advice for current students: Your time at Behrend is finite, and the rate at which that time disappears is faster than you can imagine. Take advantage of all the opportunities that Penn State Behrend offers you!

Trey has been accepted into the Ph.D. graduate program in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan.

Class of 2016: Meet Jordan Mushrush

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By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

Penn State Behrend’s class of 2016 is ready to make its mark on the world!  We’re proud of our students and the things they’ve accomplished and learned while here at Behrend.  Over the next couple months, we’ll be introducing you to a few of our remarkable seniors who have overcome challenges, pioneered new technology, participated in important research projects, and left an impression at Penn State Behrend.

Today, we’d like you to meet Jordan Mushrush.

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Jordan Mushrush

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Minor: Operations and Supply Chain Management

Hometown: McKean, Pennsylvania

Proudest accomplishment at Behrend: As president of the engineering society Tau Beta Pi, I led an expansion of activities that included bringing a speaker from NASA and a Pi Day charity fundraiser. I also was president of Behrend Robotics, involved in Omicron Delta Kappa and a musician for the student theatre production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” I am also involved in Omicron Delta Kappa.

Not-so-secret superpower: I am a musician, composer, orchestra member and conductor. I have played with and conducted orchestras for several community theatre groups, including the Erie Playhouse and Lake Effect Theatre. I like playing in pit orchestras because the books usually are written for many instruments (I play bassoon, saxophone, clarinet, and flute), which challenges me and improves my abilities.

Spirit in spades: I also orchestrated part of “Spirit of Erie,” a 200-actor pageant created and produced by an amazing team from the Erie Playhouse as part of 2013’s Oliver Hazard Perry bicentennial celebration.

Advice for current students: Whatever you decide to major in or do in your spare time, pursue what makes you happy. The rest will follow.

Jordan plans to find work as an engineer or project manager after his graduation in December, but hopes to own his own business someday.

2016 Standout Seniors: Meet Nicole King

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By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

Penn State Behrend’s class of 2016 is ready to make its mark on the world!  We’re proud of our students and the things they’ve accomplished and learned while here at Behrend.  Over the next couple months, we’ll be introducing you to a few of our remarkable seniors who have overcome challenges, pioneered new technology, participated in important research projects, and left an impression at Penn State Behrend.

Today, we’d like you to meet…..

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NICOLE KING

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Hometown: Grove City, Pennsylvania

On choosing to major in Mechanical Engineering: I have always loved science, math, and physics. Also, my father, who is an engineer, had a huge influence on my life. I love talking to my dad about the things I’m learning at school and how they related to his work.

Proudest accomplishment at Behrend: Probably when one of my freshman residents told me that they looked up to me so much that they wanted to get involved with all the clubs I was involved with.

Campus involvement: I’m the president of Reality Check and a member of the Lion Entertainment Board and the Lion Ambassadors. I sit on the Student Government Association budget committee, and I am also a resident assistant.

Advice for current students: Get involved! There’s so much more to learn at Behrend than just those things that relate to your academic major. You will meet many different types of people here. I challenge you to try and have an impact on the lives of those around you and get them involved, too.

Nicole has accepted a position as an engineer at Bechtel in Pittsburgh following her graduation in May.

Makers Engineer Ornaments, Fun

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By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

The upcoming holiday season offers the perfect distraction for stressed-out students. In this last week of classes, we found plenty of holiday cramming going on with every area from Housing and Food Services to Student Activities to the School of Engineering fitting in some festive merrymaking before things get serious with Finals Week next week.

Wednesday evening, a dozen students gathered in an electrical lab in Burke 145 to munch holiday treats and craft acrylic LED ornaments with Dr. Chris Coulston, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.

Students first drew snowflakes on computers using CorelDraw and added any text they wanted before sending their creations to the laser printer to be cut out of acrylic. Then, they used soldering irons, wire, LED lights, and batteries to make their snowflakes glow.

Though the Makers group meets fairly regularly, Coulston refrains from calling it a club.

“It’s more like a gathering of like-minded makers,” he says. “I just invite students to show up and make something. It gives them an opportunity to try some of the tools we have, like the laser cutter and soldering equipment.”

Ultimately, though, it’s about encouraging critical thinking and creativity, which are key concepts for engineering students to grasp.

“We try to come up with things that challenge them or make them look at things in a slightly different way,” Coulston said. “For instance, before Thanksgiving, we made LED hot dogs. Who’d have thought you could light up a hot dog?”

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While there may be no practical application for glowing frankfurters, there is certainly a demand for people with the creativity, technological skills, and theoretical knowledge to use ordinary objects in a truly unique way.

While the majority of those who attend Coulston’s Maker gatherings are engineering students, he welcomes all students and faculty members.

“I’d love to have some artists and scientists join us, too,” he said. “The more, the merrier. They’d probably have some really cool ideas.”

Coulston brought a special guest to Wednesday’s gathering, his pug, Shiloh, dressed in her holiday best.

“Anyone can get a picture with Santa, but where else can you get a photo with Santa Pug?” he says with a smile.

Just like an engineer, always looking to improve the original product.

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Plastics Engineering Technology Students in Denmark & Sweden — Travel Log #2

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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 program have the opportunity to travel overseas to visit plastics companies and universities and attend a plastics trade show, too.

Eleven students recently returned from a ten-day trip to Sweden and Denmark. We asked them to send us some photos and tell us about their journey. In this blog post, we pick up with the students on Day 8. (You can read the first week of their trip here.)

Day 8 – Thursday, October 22nd

After breakfast, we had a long train ride from Gotenborg to Stockholm during which we were able to admire the beautiful countryside of Sweden. Once we arrived, we made our way to our hostel along the Riddarfjärden bay. We then had the evening to scout out the different places that we wanted to visit and find a local restaurant for some classic Swedish cuisine.

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Day 9 – Friday, October 23rd

On Friday, we took the train to SSAB Steel Mill for a presentation and tour of their facility. The presentation discussed the advantages their tool steels provide over more commonly used materials, including their high strength and hardness properties. Touring the mill was an eye-opening experience. The size of the equipment required to manufacture the steel itself was overwhelming. Rolling the hot steel slabs caused the entire room to shake and we could feel the heat from about 20 yards away. After the tour, we rode the train back to central Stockholm to spend the rest of the night exploring the city.

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Day 10 – Saturday, October 24th

Saturday was our opportunity to explore the historic sites in Stockholm. During breakfast we used our city and bus maps to plan our events for the day. The events included touring the Vasa Museum (a museum dedicated to a salvaged warship), exploring the Royal Palace, and roaming the scenic streets of “Old Town.” We were also able to visit some of the local shops in search of souvenirs. Our evening consisted of a final dinner together at a local restaurant, followed by dessert at a near by ice cream shop. We ended our day back at our hostel where we began packing for the journey home.

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“Old Town”

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Royal Palace

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Vasa Museum

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Day 11 – Sunday, October 25th

We ended our final day in Stockholm with a group breakfast at our hostel before hauling our luggage and souvenirs to the train station for the last time. After arriving at the airport, we chose to spend the last few hours reminiscing on our experiences as we browsed through each other’s pictures. Though we all enjoyed our time traveling overseas, by the last day we were glad to be on our way home so that we could share the stories of our experiences with our friends and family.

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Follow Plastics Engineering Technology Students through Denmark & Sweden — Travel Log #1

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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 program have the opportunity to travel overseas to visit plastics companies and universities and attend a plastics trade show, too.

Right now, eleven students are at the tail end of a ten-day trip to Sweden and Denmark.

We asked them to send us some updates and photos so we could all learn from their journey.

Day 1- Thursday, October 15th

Today was our departure date. We left Behrend in a bus and headed to the Toronto airport to board the plane to Copenhagen. We were all anxiously awaiting departure!

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Day 2- Friday, October 16th

We arrived in Copenhagen at approximately 10:00 a.m. and made our way to our hostel. After dropping off our things at the hostel, we went our separate ways to explore the city. One group toured the Christianborg Palace and visited Tivoli Gardens-the oldest amusement park in Europe. Other groups climbed local towers to see the city from above. This was our first experience communicating with other cultures and through other languages.

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Day 3- Saturday, October 17th

Our second day in Copenhagen was more eventful, as we taught ourselves how to use the bus and train systems. We were able to travel across the city more efficiently to see more distant attractions. Some of these attractions included the Rosenborg Palace, Kastellet Fort, and also the Little Mermaid statue.

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Day 4- Sunday, October 18th

The last day in Copenhagen we were able to catch a few more attractions, such as the Marble Church and the picturesque town of Nyhavn. In the evening, we boarded a train to Vejen, and we arrived at our hostel late that night.

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Day 5 – Monday, October 19th

On Monday, we woke up and caught the bus to Billund for a tour of the LEGO facility. The manufacturing facility was very innovative and automated, which was very interesting to see. We learned about their history, business model, company values, and processing techniques. We departed LEGO in the early afternoon and headed back to Copenhagen for the night. At this point, we went our separate ways to the hostels that each group of students had booked on their own. It was a great experience maneuvering through the city with our luggage and trying to find our hostel on our own.

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Day 6 – Tuesday, October 20th

Tuesday we visited the Danish Technical University (DTU), just outside of Copenhagen. They had incredible research facilities and free 3D printing for any university student. The university was very project oriented and encouraged all students to go “beyond state of the art.” You could tell from their work that the students were very passionate and had put time and effort into their projects to make creative ideas come to life. Afterwards, the group boarded another train to Goteborg, Sweden, where we found our hostel for the night.

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Day 7 – Wednesday, October 21st

We woke up in Goteborg bright and early to make our way to the Scan Pack Packaging Trade Show. Students spent hours visiting the various booths and displays from packing companies from around the world. Some highlights included a juggling robot; collapsible, reusable, and more environmentally friendly material gaylords; biodegradable packaging; and various forms of filling equipment for assembly lines.

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To be continued….

Creating the Penn State Behrend Performance Band was one of Miranda’s many highlights

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One of Craig Miranda’s favorite moments from this past academic year was creating the Penn State Behrend Performance Band, which performed a series of concerts on campus by the spring semester’s end.

By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

Editor’s note: Far from Home is an occasional series in which we document a year in the life of international students at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.

When Craig Miranda arrived at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, he had one goal.

“Even though I’m just a freshman, I want to start big. I want to make an impact,” the first-year computer science major said at the beginning of the academic year.

Miranda did more than start big. He finished big.

Through the course of the academic year, he excelled in the classroom, joined numerous campus organizations, started his own club, joined the tennis team and even presented a project at the Clinton Global Initiative University’s 2015 meeting, held this past March in Miami.

It’s not how Miranda expected his first year to go when he set foot on campus last August.

“I came here thinking that I would be more secluded. I thought I would just focus on getting my work done to get through, but it turned out to be the opposite,” he says.

Miranda credits the friends he made at Behrend with helping him get involved. Being so far away from home can be challenge, but he’s begun to build a strong support system at the college through the friends he has made.

“Friends are what help me to keep going,” he says. “They give me an escape to get away from whatever I’m feeling, whether it’s homesickness or something else.”

Together with his friends, Miranda created the Penn State Behrend Performance Band student organization as an outlet for anyone who enjoys singing or performing live music. By the end of the semester, the band had 12 members and had performed six concerts.

“We want to reach diverse groups of people, who come from different cultures and might have different tastes in music,” Miranda says of the student organization. “One of the songs we performed this year was an original written by two of our members, and it included both English and Chinese lyrics.”

An emphasis on musical diversity is a reason why Miranda, currently president of the club, has already begun the process of having the Penn State Behrend Performance Band brought under the college’s Multi-Cultural Council (MCC) banner. As the group grows, he envisions it being used even more to promote diversity on campus.

Miranda’s work with the band, coupled with his other accomplishments, made for a busy year, but he says he has no plans to slow down over the summer. Now back home in Kuwait, he reports that he’s already thinking about returning to Behrend in the fall, with plans to do “do something a lot bigger.”

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Turnbull Award winner relishes her time spent at Behrend

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By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

First impressions go a long way. Just ask Amyelia Payne.

Four years ago, while searching for colleges, the New Castle native toured Penn State Behrend. That’s all it took for her to make up her mind.

“We had this awesome tour guide, and right away, I knew Behrend was for me. I instantly fell in love with the campus,” the senior interdisciplinary business with engineering studies (IBE) and international business major recalls.

Payne’s experience that day would later influence her campus involvement as a student. When she looked into organizations to join, one club resonated with her.

“I loved Lion Ambassadors because a Lion Ambassador was the first person that I met when I came to campus,” Payne says. “I remember how that influenced me, and I wanted to have that same impact on students when they came to tour Behrend.”

Joining Lion Ambassadors was just the start of Payne’s influence and involvement. She joined Lambda Sigma and Beta Gamma Sigma, both national honor societies, and also became very active in Student Government Association (SGA). As a junior, she was SGA vice president before serving as president this past year.

Through SGA, Payne has left her mark. She’s helped spearhead discussions and preliminary plans to transform Erie Hall into a fitness and recreation center and Behrend’s SGA played a part in expanding Penn State’s smoking policy to include electronic and vapor cigarettes.

As SGA president, Payne also introduced an international seat on the organization’s board in response to the college’s growing international student population. This past fall, Penn State Behrend welcomed 186 international students, the largest such class ever at the college.

“We’ve seen such an influx of international students, and this was done to ensure that they had equal representation,” Payne says.

Payne’s involvement on campus was recognized in April at the 66th Honors and Awards Convocation where she was named the recipient of the Thomas H. Turnbull Award. The award recognizes a Penn State Behrend student who has contributed to the college community through outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship.

As it happens, when it came time for the naming of the Turnbull Award winner, Payne was already on stage handing out awards as part of her duties as SGA president.

“I had been standing up there for more than two hours smiling, and by the time they got to the final awards, my face hurt. I heard them say IBE and international business major and I thought, ‘Wait a minute; I’m the only one here with that double major,’” she recalls. “I was so shocked, but it was an incredible feeling to be recognized. I’ve given a lot to Behrend in four years, but I could never repay the experiences that it’s given to me.”

This week, Payne will graduate with her IBE degree and head to Cary, North Carolina, to intern with LORD Corporation this summer. She will study abroad in Barcelona this fall before graduating with her international business degree in December.

She says she will miss her time at Behrend, but she’s also hopeful and excited for the future.

“I’m not sad. There have been times over the past month when I’ve thought about it, but why be sad? It’s inevitable, so there’s no reason to dwell on it,” Payne says. “Everyone comes to college to get a degree and for their academics, but it’s what you do outside your degree that makes your experience unique. I’ve done all that I could, and I think I’m looking forward to that next stage of my life. ”

Plastics Engineering Technology student produces video that finishes third in national competition

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By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

“There’s a great future in plastics.” It’s one of the most iconic lines from the 1967 classic The Graduate.

But it’s more than just a movie line for Stephen Levy. It’s one of the prime reasons the Pittsburgh native chose to enroll at Penn State Behrend.

Levy, a senior plastics engineering technology major, has a passion for the plastics industry and his potential in it. This past fall, he displayed that passion by producing a video that ultimately took third place in The Society of the Plastics Industry’s Student Video Contest. The video was produced independently by Levy, outside of the classroom.

The contest, which featured an “Innovating in the 21st Century” theme, tasked students with creating a two-to-four minute video that explored the future of the plastics industry in the 21st century in the areas of innovation, design freedom and the economics of plastics.

Levy’s video, titled “Impact of Plastics on Society,” covered the benefits of plastics, touching on how plastic is more environmentally friendly than many people think while also offering a glimpse at what the future of the industry may look like.

“There is just so much that can be done with plastics, especially when you think about the future and 3-D printing. That’s one of the main reasons that I wanted to pursue a degree in PLET because I see the applications for the future,” Levy says.

Levy received a $3,500 gift for his third-place finish. He estimates he spent at least 10 hours working on the video, and he was satisfied with the final result. However, even he was a tad surprised when he received notification in late January that his video has been selected as one of three winners.

“I was so excited,” Levy says. “I spent a lot of time on the video, and I thought it was good, but I really didn’t think it could win.”

Watch Levy’s video here.