Category: School of Engineering

Penn State Behrend’s Class of 2023 is ready to make its mark on the world!  We’re proud of our students and all that they have learned and accomplished here at Behrend. Over the last several weeks, we have introduced you to a few of our remarkable seniors who have overcome challenges, pioneered new technologies, participated in important research projects, and made their mark at Penn State Behrend.

Today, we’d like you to meet Max Myers.

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Minors: Math, French and Francophone Studies

Hometown: Erie, Pennsylvania

Scholarships: Behrend Excellence Award

On choosing Behrend: Behrend is a great school. The class sizes are small, so you get to know your professors well. Getting started with extracurriculars, research, or other campus opportunities is easier because you aren’t competing with thousands of other students. Also, Behrend is close to home, so I saved money by commuting.

On choosing his major: I wanted to go into some form of engineering or science. Mechanical engineering is very broad. You can go into a lot of different sectors – corporate, government or academic – and fields within those sectors after finishing the degree.

Awards and recognition: President’s Freshman Award, Dean’s List, First-Place Engineering Research Award at the Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference.

Proudest accomplishment at Behrend: Graduating with two minors, my Schreyer Honors thesis, three internships, and an internship project all coming to an end as I start a new chapter is extremely gratifying.

Campus involvement: I was part of the French and Francophone Club. I also worked as a tutor at the Learning Resource Center for about three years and was a lifeguard at Junker Center for a year.

What you might be surprised to know about him: I can ride a unicycle.

Words he lives by: “It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life,” JRR Tolkien. It is really easy to get caught up in your education or your career and start chasing pursuits that are not totally your own. It is also easy to stop pursuing something you love because of what others think. I think living a good life is living a simple life, where you do things you care about no matter how big or small they seem. Everyone has a different path.

Highest priority in coming years: I want to travel globally and continue to learn. I think I will be to go to graduate school within a decade.

Advice for first-year students: Study hard. Respond to your emails. Make sure to keep your professors updated via email. Make sure the email is sent and not stuck in the drafts folder. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help—Tutoring is free, and the tutors are wicked smart and patient.

Max plans to serve as a nuclear naval officer through the Nuclear Propulsion Candidate Program.

Penn State Behrend’s Class of 2023 is ready to make its mark on the world! We’re proud of our students and all that they have learned and accomplished here at Behrend. Over the next several weeks, we’ll introduce you to a few of our remarkable seniors who have overcome challenges, pioneered new technologies, participated in important research projects, and made their mark at Penn State Behrend.

Today, we’d like you to meet Savanna Carr.

Major: Industrial Engineering

Hometown: Accident, Maryland

On choosing Behrend: I originally wanted to be an aerospace engineer, and the only university that offers aerospace engineering in Pennsylvania is Penn State. I ran cross-country and track in high school and after talking to the head cross-country coach, Coach Greg Cooper, I decided to start at Behrend and transfer to University Park after two years. After my first semester, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. I knew Behrend was where I was going to be the most successful.

On choosing her major: When I decided to stay at Behrend, I changed my major to Mechanical Engineering. I’ve always loved the methods and process of manufacturing but not always the design part of engineering. During the pandemic, I did some soul-searching and realized that Industrial Engineering was a better fit for me. I switched my major again, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Her proudest accomplishment at Behrend: There have been a lot of things I am proud of during my time at Behrend, but if I were to pick one, I would say that it is how much I have grown as a person. My freshman year, all I could think of was running fast and making it to nationals. While I’d still love to do that, I’ve realized that there is more to college than that. I took a semester off to do a co-op at Rand Machine where I helped grow their new Program Management department. I’ve never been the best student, but once I started taking major classes, I started making the Dean’s List. Though it has not been easy, Behrend has helped me grow tremendously and I am proud of the person I am today.

Campus involvement: I am a member of the cross-country and track teams as well as Phi Sigma Rho, an engineering sorority.

Awards: I’ve been the AMCC cross-country runner of the year four times, an academic all-American, and the 2019-2020 Behrend Athlete of the Year, and I received the 2020 Herb Lauffer Leadership and Scholarship Award.

What makes her unique: I’m determined. My coach told me that when he needs a relay to do well or someone to score points in an event, he’ll put me in it because he knows I’ll get the job done.

What you might be surprised to know about her: I love to downhill and water ski.

She’s writing her own story: I’ve always felt pressure to be the best in the classroom, the fastest person on the team, and involved in everything. During college, I realized that while I could have everything, I wasn’t able to achieve everything. And it took me a while to realize that it is okay. I define what makes me successful, and I define what is a good life. So, I try to wake up every day grateful for the opportunities I have been given and to be a better person than I was yesterday.

Improvement is her passion. I am passionate about improvement, from the manufacturing process to personal goals. It’s amazing what someone can accomplish when they put their mind to it.

Advice for first-year students: Something I’ve come to realize is that when you set a goal to climb a mountain, you only spend a fraction of the time at the summit compared to the long trek up. Enjoy the climb.

Parting thanks: I’d like to thank everyone who has helped me through the journey, especially my parents, Jay and Johnna, who I am so blessed to have supporting me, and Coach Greg Cooper who talked me into coming to Behrend.

After her graduation in December, Savannah plans to find work as an industrial engineer.

Penn State Behrend’s Class of 2023 is ready to make its mark on the world!-  We’re proud of our students and all that they have learned and accomplished here at Behrend. Over the next several weeks, we’ll introduce you to a few of our remarkable seniors who have overcome challenges, pioneered new technologies, participated in important research projects, and made their mark at Penn State Behrend.

Today, we’d like you to meet Ben Fahrney.   

Major: Mechanical Engineering Major

Hometown: Lititz, Pennsylvania

Scholarships: Provost Scholarship as well as scholarships from the foundry industry

On choosing Behrend: I chose attend Penn State Behrend for its excellent integration of the business and engineering schools. I chose to stay at Behrend because of the professors. During my first year, one of my professors sat down with me for almost four hours to talk about what I wanted to get out of my experience there. This kind of personal interaction with professors is common at Behrend and exactly the reason I loved it here.

On choosing his major: Like most engineers, I have always loved learning how things work but, at Behrend, I really fell in love with the process. Seeing a project that you have been working on for months–and sometimes years–slowly come together is a truly rewarding experience and one I hope to continue pursuing in my professional career.

Proudest accomplishment at Behrend: One of my proudest accomplishments was completing an almost three-year-long research project (concerning the integration of additive manufacturing into the Pennsylvania investment casting industry to spur economic growth) and presenting my findings at various competitions, at major trade expos, and at several campus presentations. Working on a huge project like that and then presenting in front of more than 200 industry professionals is not where I would have seen my Behrend career going, but it has been an amazing experience.

Campus involvement: I have been on the executive board for the Materials and Manufacturing Group for all four of my years here at Behrend. I am also involved in the Rack ‘em Pool Club and Disc Golf Club and have been a Welcome Week volunteer twice. I have also worked in Innovation Commons, the college’s open ideation, product development, and prototyping center, for three years.

Awards and recognitions: I have been on the Dean’s List several times, won both first and second place in the engineering division at our annual Sigma Xi research competition, been the recipient of several metal casting scholarships from the foundry educational foundation (FEF), and won the Larry Blum Intern Scholarship, which allowed me to speak at the 68th annual technical conference for the Investment Casting Institute.

What makes him unique: When I first came to Behrend, I had almost no experience in the metal casting industry. I barely knew what the industry was. Since starting formal academic research during my first semester, I have become a highly regarded student in the field.  After four short years, I have had internships, competed in competitions, and spoken at conferences in the industry. I am an active member of the Foundry Educational Foundation, the Association for Iron and Steel Technology, and the Investment Casting Institute and frequently travel to their conferences and expos.

Top priority: I am excited to begin pursuing my professional career. I’m also looking forward to setting some roots down near my family and begin serving my community as a volunteer firefighter again.

Eager to help: I am most passionate about helping people in any way that I can. I enjoy talking with new and prospective students, making them feel welcome, and giving them the advice and guidance that was so helpful to me when I first came to Behrend.

Advice for first-year students: The best advice that I have for new students is to talk to people. Bugging my professors, people at job fairs, and even the maintenance staff at Behrend has afforded me more opportunities than I can count.

After his graduation in May, Ben has accepted a position as a systems integration and testing engineer in the rotary mission systems division of Lockheed Martin in New Jersey.

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Penn State Behrend’s Class of 2023 is ready to make its mark on the world!  We’re proud of our students and all that they have learned and accomplished here at Behrend. Over the next several weeks, we’ll introduce you to a few of our remarkable seniors who have overcome challenges, pioneered new technologies, participated in important research projects, and made their mark at Penn State Behrend.

Today, we’d like you to meet Marcus James.

Major: Software Engineering

Hometown: Tacarigua, Trinidad and Tobago

Scholarships: I received the Penn State Behrend Chancellor’s Scholarship.

On choosing his major: I have always been fascinated by technology and computers. When I started taking computer coding classes in high school, I found it interesting, and I liked it a lot. When it came time to look for colleges, I began researching good fields to get into and among them was software engineering, which really appealed to me.

Proudest accomplishment: I have been the president of the International Student Organization. I took over the presidency during a difficult time when it seemed to be falling apart, and because of my efforts during my junior year, the club is very active and thriving again.

Campus involvement: I have been involved in the International Student Organization, the Multi-Cultural Council, the Behrend Lion Entertainment Board, the Organization of African and Caribbean Students, Lion Ambassadors, Triangle Fraternity, and  Engineering Ambassadors, and also served as a leader and director of Behrend’s Welcome Week this past year.

Surprising fact: When I tell people that I am an international student, they are often surprised.

Highest priority: I would like to work first on becoming financially stable. Once I am comfortable, I can start focusing on other passions, like travel.

Wanderlust: I am passionate about traveling. I love discovering and exploring new places and I love learning about new cultures.

Advice for first-year students: Learn how to manage your time early on. College requires a lot of personal responsibility. It’s up to you to do what you need to do to keep your grades up while also having a healthy social life.

After his graduation in May, Marcus will be an Android-focused engineer for Hinge in New York City.

Penn State Behrend’s Class of 2023 is ready to make its mark on the world!  We’re proud of our students and all that they have learned and accomplished here at Behrend. Over the next several weeks, we’ll introduce you to a few of our remarkable seniors who have overcome challenges, pioneered new technologies, participated in important research projects, and made their mark at Penn State Behrend.

Today, we’d like you to meet MollyAnne Lloyd.

Major:  Industrial Engineering

Hometown:  Erie, Pennsylvania

Scholarships: Behrend has provided several scholarships toward my tuition expenses during the past four years, including the SME Myrtle and Earl Walker Scholarship, the Material Handling Manufacturing Scholarship, the  Charles A. and Elinor Matts Trustee Scholarship, and the Shelly and Shirley Czulewicz Trustee Scholarship.

On choosing Behrend: I love the campus, and it is close to home. I wanted a school that allowed me to go home when I needed to while also earning a solid degree from a well-known school.

On choosing her major: I was supposed to do the 2+2 program; however, early on in my freshman year, Behrend has become my home. My research advisor, Dr. Paul Lynch, exposed me to the disciplines in the engineering department to truly find my passion. By the end of my freshman year, I confidently changed my major to Industrial Engineering.

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Her proudest accomplishment at Behrend: I was recently  selected as the Industrial Engineering department’s Outstanding Student for the 2022-23 year. I truly cannot describe how honored I feel.

Campus involvement: I love campus life at Behrend; there is so much to be a part of here. I have served as president of the American Foundry Society and the Association for Iron and Steel Technology Material and the Manufacturing Club; as treasurer of Society Women Engineers; and as a member of Tau Beta Pi, the National Society of Leadership and Success; the Cast in Steel Competition team; and the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers. I am the former vice president of member development for Alpha Sigma Tau and the former vice president of academics and judicial affairs for the Panhellenic Council.

Awards and recognitions: Dean List; second place in the Sigma Xi Research Competition Recipient; Outstanding Student for the Industrial Engineering Department; and the Alpha Sigma Tau Excellence in Leadership Award.

Advice for first-year students: You are the only one responsible for your success. Own it and take pride in what you do because you are the only person who can make your dreams come true.

After her graduation in May, MollyAnne plans to work in her field for a few years to gain experience and knowledge before attending graduate school.

Penn State Behrend’s Class of 2023 is ready to make its mark on the world!  We’re proud of our students and all that they have learned and accomplished here at Behrend. Over the next several weeks, we’ll introduce you to a few of our remarkable seniors who have overcome challenges, pioneered new technologies, participated in important research projects, and made their mark at Penn State Behrend.

Today, we’d like you to meet Christopher Mamatas.

Major: Computer Science

Hometown:  Plum, Pennsylvania

On choosing Behrend: I chose Behrend because a few friends from high school all decided to come up here, so we can still be together and accomplish our future career goals.

On choosing his major: I chose my major because I’ve always loved computers and wanted to create with them.

Proudest accomplishment at Behrend: My proudest accomplishment at Behrend will be working as a programmer and developer of the Landing Place app.

Campus involvement: I am a programmer for the Virtual/Augmented Reality Lab.

What makes him unique: What makes me unique is my applied problem-solving techniques.

What you might be surprised to know about him: I built my own PC in middle school.

His passions: I am passionate about technology and artificial intelligence.

Advice for first-year students: Take time to really study and focus on schoolwork. It is very easy to get carried away with all the fun and freedom of being a first-year student, but don’t get too far behind on your schoolwork.

After his graduation in December, Christopher plans to work as a software engineer.