The Tower Summer 2021 - 3

Dear
Thaddeus
Stevens
College of
Technology
Alumni and
Friends
It has been nearly one year since I assumed the role of
President of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. I
have enjoyed meeting many of you, and have found the
College to be a warm and welcoming community.
W
hen I joined the College last year, we were operating in a carefully
orchestrated hybrid model in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While this was by no means ideal, I consider it a success as evidenced by a
commencement ceremony that celebrated the graduation of 379 members
of the Class of 2021, and another 118 members of the Class of 2020 who
returned for an in-person celebration of their achievement in front of an
outdoor stadium filled to capacity with their family, friends, and faculty. It was
my first commencement ceremony as President, and I was awestruck at the
pride, the pride our graduates felt about their personal accomplishments, the
pride the family and friends of our graduates felt, and the pride of our faculty
and staff as they watched their students walk across the graduation stage.
In this issue of The Tower, you'll learn more about three of those graduates
who came forward to share their stories at the commencement ceremony as
our keynote speakers. What better way to share our story than through those
who personify our mission?
As we opened our campus more fully this fall, we welcomed more than
1,300 students to our 25 majors and our pre-major exploratory program.
This represents an increase of 3 percent in the freshman class over last fall,
an outstanding testament to the demand for a Thaddeus Stevens College
education in the midst of the pandemic. However, with 2,156 applications for
784 openings this fall, our capacity constraints meant we could not meet
the needs of many students whose first choice for a higher education was
Thaddeus Stevens College.
Since I joined the College, we have made great strides in advancing our
infrastructure and programming to support our mission.
Pedro Rivera
President
The new Transportation Center was completed this summer. The building is
the size of 3 football fields, and now is home to the Automotive Technology,
Collision Repair Technology, and the new Diesel Technology programs. This
new learning center was funded in part by our industry partners and state
grants, and further adds to our presence at the Greenfield industrial park.
We expanded our housing capacity by 109 beds with the completion of the renovation of the Orange Street building. Our
total bed capacity at double rooms is now 250 on Main Campus and 345 at Orange Street. Additional plans for infrastructure
are moving forward for the new dining hall/dorm building, which will add another 250 beds when it opens in fall 2024.
The division of College Advancement was launched early this summer. In this issue, you will meet Pam Smith, our new
Executive Director of College Advancement. Under Pam's leadership, this new division brings together our Foundation,
Development, Grants, Alumni Relations, the College store, and Career Services to collectively focus on engaging our alumni,
business and industry, and our community to support our mission and vision.
This fall, we expanded our programming by launching the new Diesel Technology program, and by bringing our skill-up
programs together under one umbrella, the new Workforce and Economic Development Center.
For students who want to continue their education after graduating we are exploring and expanding opportunities for our
students to seamlessly advance to 4-year colleges upon graduation from Thaddeus Stevens College. Most recently we are
finalizing an agreement with Drexel University that will launch with articulation agreements for our Business Administration
and Computer Software Engineering Technology.
We are beginning to formalize a vision for the future of Thaddeus Stevens College around a focus on our students, our
programs, and our infrastructure, with the ultimate goal to aggressively expand access to a greater number of Pennsylvania
residents and veterans.
I look forward to continuing to engage with our alumni and friends of the College as we advance our passionate commitment
to the mission of Thaddeus Stevens College. Have a safe and happy end of summer!
Summer 2021  3

The Tower Summer 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Tower Summer 2021