Summer 2022 - 20

New Kid on the
(DIESEL
ENGINE)
BLOCK
Year one is in the books and
faculty member Matthew Herr
is pumped for year two.
H
err, who joined Thaddeus Stevens College's
Diesel Technology program in its inaugural
year in fall 2021, was tasked with teaching - and
building - a new two-year degree program in Diesel
Technology. It is designed to give students a basic
understanding of diesel equipment and prepare
them for diesel mechanical and technician jobs.
" It was a brand-new program in a brand-new
building, " said Herr, who comes to the teaching post
with a long industry background. He worked 18 years
for a heavy-duty truck company followed by 11 more
years in the motor coach industry.
" I was born and raised here in Lancaster County. I
started to work on mechanical things when I was 12
or 13. My Dad was a milk truck driver and I spent my
summers riding with him. I like to say I grew up in
a Mack truck, " said Herr, who still lives in southern
Lancaster County with his wife and two daughters.
His hobby is tinkering with tractors and tractor
pulling, and his students got to have some fun too
when he brought in one of his diesel tractors for
them to see and work on.
20  The Tower
The program is located in the College's newest
facility, The Transportation Center, located at the
Greenfield Industrial Center. The Transportation
Center houses the Diesel, Automotive, and Collision
Technology programs. Construction on the building
began in 2020, and was open to students in the fall
of 2021.
" It's amazing. This position is just incredible.
Everyone knows the reputation of Thaddeus Stevens
College and I thought, this could be the opportunity
of a lifetime to get this program rolling and be part
of the legacy. "
" I've always been interested in teaching and I think
it goes back to Dan Frey being my teacher when I
studied diesel mechanics at Brownstown Vo-Tech, "
said Herr who spent a year teaching in a vo-tech
Summer 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Summer 2022
