Veteran Joseph Molinaro, center (blue shirt) explains to Rep. Rothfus why he chose the BET program at Penn State New Kensington as a career change after leaving the military. The campus’ program is one of only four programs in the nation to be accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. -- To get a firsthand look at hands-on learning in the STEM fields, U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus (R-12), of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, visited Penn State New Kensington Aug. 23 and met with faculty and students in engineering and health care fields.
The visit to the New Kensington campus was a first for the congressman who was elected to the House of Representatives in 2013. Rothfus is a member of the Financial Services committee.
After being welcomed to campus by Chancellor Kevin Snider, the two-term congressman talked with students in the Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology (EMET), Biomedical Engineering Technology (BET) and Radiological Sciences programs.
Robert “Doc” Mueller, right, associate professor of engineering technology, gives Rep. Rothfus an overview of the EMET lab at Penn State New Kensington. The EMET bachelor’s degree program emphasizes all fields of engineering technology related to typical, highly-automated manufacturing, production, or assembly plant processes. EMET graduates acquire the skills necessary to apply current methods and technology to the development, design, operation, and management of electro-mechanical systems.
EMET students, left to right, Lynsie Headley and Matt Rzewnicki, demonstrate a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) for Rep. Rothfus. The automated controller is used for industrial purposes, such as controlling steel mills and power plants.
Congressman Rothfus talks with BET program coordinator Joie Marhefka and her second-year class of future biomedical engineering technicians. The classroom is a part of the recently renovated BET lab, which houses patient monitoring equipment, the same equipment that is used by health care professionals. Health care providers, including hospitals and clinics, rely on BET technicians to operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair medical equipment.
Veteran Joseph Molinaro, center (blue shirt) explains to Rep. Rothfus why he chose the BET program at Penn State New Kensington as a career change after leaving the military. The campus’ program is one of only four programs in the nation to be accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
Sgt. Jack DelloStiritto, right, is a second-year BET student and a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. DelloStritto told Rothfus that he chose the BET program because he always worked with his hands and that troubleshooting health care equipment was a natural progression for a career outside the Army.
Rep. Rothfus thanks Joseph Molinaro, a BET student, for his service to the country.
Bill Woodard
Alumni and Public Relations Specialist