Hollenbach Construction, Inc., a professional general contractor and construction management organization that develops and delivers client-focused solutions to meet facility needs has named Glenn Ebersole (MS E SC ’73) as its Director of Strategic Business Development. Mr. Ebersole will be in charge of providing leadership in strategic business development and marketing for the company.

“The addition of Glenn Ebersole to our team further strengthens our ability to meet the needs of our clients,” noted Tim Little, President of Hollenbach Construction. “Glenn is a multi-faceted professional, a guide and facilitator and has a comprehensive and strategic understanding of the business development, marketing and sales that will greatly benefit our clients, team members and Hollenbach Construction.”

Before joining Hollenbach Construction, Mr. Ebersole was the Director of Strategic Marketing for LMA Consulting Group where he led the strategic marketing efforts. Prior to that he was the founder and chief executive of J.G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing and project management consulting firm where he provided professional services as an Owner’s Project Manager / Representative for a diverse list of clients and projects including several that received local, regional and national recognition.

ESM Homecoming Tailgate

Tailgate: 8:30 – 11:30 Stadium, behind the Visitor Center, Lot number 4978 (see tailgate map for details) Game Time: 12:00 kickoff Beaver Stadium, for ticket holders

To learn more, visit http://www.esm.psu.edu/alumni/tailgate RSVP by October 12, 2011.

Timely responses are greatly appreciated. For telephone registration, please contact Jason M. Lyons, 814-867-1569 or JML43@psu.edu.
**Special thanks to E SC alum Mike Erdman for his tailgate location.

On Saturday, May 28, nearly 200 members of the Curwensville Alumni Association gathered to celebrate the 124th anniversary of the association. The evening highlighted a keynote speaker, engineering science and mechanics alumnus, James Matlack (BS ’84). His presentation included three points which were ‘Never forget who you are,’ ‘Never forget where you came from,’ and ‘Never forget you can do anything you want too.’ These topics were further defined through a student’s school years shape them into the adult person they are, he encouraged the audience to recall the great and lowly experiences of their school years, nothing those incidents will stay with a person and define who they are and who they will become. And finally, he said no matter the career a graduate chooses, if they have enough desire, audacity and motivation they can achieve any goal. Closing his talk, James quoted Walt Disney, “All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.” The evening included the Class of 2011 in the audience and 12 students were presented with two thousand dollar scholarships provided by the generous financial contributions through the years in honor or in memory of graduates of Curwensville Area High School.

ESM invites alumni to the departments third Blue-White tailgate; Saturday, April 16! More details on the event will be forthcoming. The Nittany Lion football team will culminate spring practice with one of the highlights of the Penn State sports calendar, Blue-White Weekend presented by AAA, set for April 15-17. Kickoff for the Blue-White Game presented by AAA is tentatively scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 16 in Beaver Stadium. The contest will air on the Penn State Sports Network and this website. As in previous years, there will be no admission or parking fee for the Blue-White game.

Mr. Thomas Sheffer, BS E MCH ‘64, has been selected as a Penn State Engineering Alumni Society (PSEAS) Distinguished Service Award recipient for 2011. Mr. Sheffer served on the ESM Alumni Advisory Board and was responsible for “branding” the ESM Department and guiding the development of the ESM Newsletters and new publicity materials. The award will be presented on Friday April 1 in Kunkle lounge at 1.30 p.m. ESM congratulates Tom!

Elise Corbin, 2007 PSU ESM graduate, recently won the the Best Paper Award at the 2010 IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Sensors Conference. The Conference is an annual international conference for the presentation, discussion, and exchange of information regarding the latest research and development in sensors and its related fields. IEEE SENSORS brings together researchers, developers, and practitioners from diverse fields. The meeting was held this year in Hawaii. Over 1,000 papers were submitted to this meeting. Ms. Corbin is currently a PhD Mechanical Science and Engineering graduate student at the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. Ms. Corbin’s paper was “Electrical Noise Characteristics of a Doped Silicon Microcantilever Heater-Thermometer” which was co-authored with her advisor, Professor William King. To learn more about the conference, please visit their web site.

Professor John H. Light of Carlisle, parted this world on November 8 at the Carlisle Regional Medical Center. He was 85 years old. "My family is my greatest pride and joy," he once wrote. "I am constantly amazed to see the blessings that are mine in this regard."

A native of Pennsylvania, John Light was born in 1924 in the Pennsylvania Dutch farming community of Annville. He was the third child of the late Dr. V. Earl Light, Sr., and Cora G. Light. He attended the Annville public schools and was graduated from Lebanon Valley College in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science degree. His college years were interrupted for military service during World War II, when he served with a rifle company of the 104th Infantry Division in Belgium, Holland and Germany. Light attained the rank of Staff Sergeant before sustaining the injury that earned him the Purple Heart. An Infantryman Remembers World War II, Light's recollection of his war years, was completed on the fiftieth anniversary of his injury in Marburg, Germany, and led to his being awarded the Silver Star during a memorable ceremony in 1996 at the United States Army War College.

Professor Light earned graduate degrees in physics and engineering mechanics while employed by the Pennsylvania State University from 1948 to 1959 as a full-time Research Engineer at the Ordnance Research Laboratory and as a Research Associate in the Engineering Department. His lab work involved the design and development of stress measuring equipment, shock and vibration isolation of electronic and mechanical components, and problems associated with underwater ordnance. He was the author of two publications in scientific journals at the time. In 1959 Professor Light was named to the faculty of Dickinson College, where he taught mathematics until his retirement in 1987. He also served as the Registrar of Dickinson College from 1966 to 1969.

From 1969 to 1981 Professor Light served as a School Director for the Carlisle Area School Board and from 1969 to 1975 was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Carlisle YWCA, serving as President from 1973 to 1975. He was also a charter member of Carlisle Brown Baggers and belonged to the Carlisle Rotary Club and the Central Pennsylvania Eclectic Club.

Professor Light was a member of the Second Presbyterian Church in Carlisle since 1960, where he served as Sunday school teacher, Deacon, and Elder. His lifelong love of music included singing in the church choir, as well. Light was a charter member of the Carlindian Chorus, the Carlisle Chapter of SPEBSQSA, and especially enjoyed singing in a barbershop quartet called The Lamplighters from 1970 to 1973. For many years Light also performed in the annual presentation of Handel's Messiah at Allison United Methodist Church in Carlisle and was a member of the Grantham Oratorio Society.

John R. Longenecker, President of Longenecker and Associates, Inc. of Las Vegas, NV has established the Longenecker and Associates Scholarship in Engineering Science and Mechanics with a commitment of $50,000. This scholarship will provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding graduate and undergraduate students, pursuing or intending to pursue, degrees in Engineering Science, Engineering Mechanics, or Engineering Science and Mechanics in the College of Engineering at Penn State University Park.

Mr. Longenecker received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Engineering Mechanics in 1971, and 1973, respectively. In 2006, he was recognized for his contributions to the energy industry with a College of Engineering Outstanding Engineering Alumnus Award.
Mr. Longenecker’s career includes two presidential appointments. He served under President Reagan as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Uranium Enrichment in the US Dept of Energy; and he was appointment by President George H. W. Bush as Transition Manager for the United States Enrichment Corporation, a government-owned, for-profit corporation that provides uranium enrichment services to electric utilities throughout the world.

John Longenecker has served two terms on the College of Engineering Industrial and Professional Advisory Council—with Engineering Science and Mechanics from 1981-1986, and with Nuclear Engineering from 1989-1994.

Longenecker and Associates, Inc. was founded in 1989, and has extensive experience in the energy industry in the areas of project management, strategic planning, regulatory compliance, independent assessment, and quality assurance in various programs including environmental remediation, national defense, nuclear reactor development and operations, waste management, and advanced technology development and deployment. Unique strengths and experience include independent assessment, strategic planning, acquisition support and regulatory compliance.

The Engineering Science and Mechanics Department expresses profound gratitude to Mr. Longenecker and Longenecker and Associates for their strong support of our students.

The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/NEP) has announced the appointment of Dr. Alan J. Snyder (BS E SC ’78), Vice President and Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Studies at Lehigh University, as a new member of its Board of Directors.

The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania BFTP/NEP's goal is to help lead northeastern Pennsylvania to a better economic future by building partnerships that develop and apply technology for competitive advantage. To achieve this goal, the Ben Franklin staff concentrates efforts on three key areas: developing early-stage technology-oriented companies, helping established manufacturers creatively apply new technology and business practices to achieve industry leadership, and promoting an innovative community-wide infrastructure that fosters a favorable business environment for high-growth companies.

David Denkenberger (B.S. E. Sc. 2001) and wife Jill became the proud parents
of Audrey on August 22, 2010. Earlier this year, David received his Ph.D. from the
University of Colorado at Boulder, and will join Ecos Energy Consulting in Durango, Colorado
in October.

While majoring in Engineering Science, David was a Goldwater Fellow. Graduating
at the top of his class, he was the Student Marshall for the department at the Spring Commencement in 2001. He also won an NSF Graduate Fellowship.