Animal and Health Science Programs’ Accomplishments

Johnson College is proud share accomplishments achieved in the past academic year by its Health and Animal Science programs.

The Physical Therapist Assistant program was granted accreditation affirmation for ten years from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

The Veterinary Technology program’s 2020 graduates received a 100% pass rate on the Veterinary Technology National Exam (VTNE).  This score places the program’s three-year pass rate at 94%.

The Radiologic Technology program’s 2020 graduates received a pass rate of 95% on the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist Radiography Exam. Johnson College graduates surpassed the 2019 national pass rate average by 6%.  

“This past year our faculty and students faced many challenges, but they persevered by sharpening their skills to advance to new levels,” said Barb Byrne M.Ed., RT (R)(MR), Johnson College Associate Vice President of Faculty. “As these pass rate scores demonstrate, our graduates’ are well prepared as they enter the workforce of many of our region’s essential industries.”

Johnson College provides real-world, hands-on learning in a caring environment and prepares graduates to enter into or advance in their careers. Johnson College degrees become essential careers. Johnson College was founded in 1912, and is the region’s premier technical college, offering associate degrees in 15 programs and 3 academic certificates. An emphasis on hands-on instruction is supported by a low student-to-teacher ratio. Located in Scranton on a 44-acre campus, the College is an accredited, private, non-profit, co-educational institution with a strong tradition of working with regional business and industry to ensure a skilled and qualified workforce. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.

Johnson College Fall 2020 Semester President’s List

Dr. Katie Pittelli, President & CEO of Johnson College, has announced the President’s List of students who have completed the 2020 Fall Semester with a grade point average of 3.90 or higher.

All students are from Pennsylvania.

Matthew Beavers, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Clifton Twp
Brittany Bethel, Veterinary Technology, Dallas
Frank Buono, Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning, Clarks Green
Philip Davitt, Electrical Construction and Maintenance Technology, Dickson City
Brittany Gilley, Physical Therapist Assistant, Pittston
Michael Hannah, Carpentry and Cabinetmaking Technology, Dunmore
John Lee, Computer Information Technology, Old Forge
Cody Mackin, Architectural Drafting & Design Technology, Taylor
Alexander Nallin, Veterinary Technology, Scranton
Matthew Rosengrant, Electrical Construction and Maintenance Technology, Lake Ariel
Michael Salansky, Computer Information Technology, Uniondale
Christopher Taylor, Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning, Waymart
David Weaver, Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning, Carbondale
Evan Wilcox, Architectural Drafting & Design Technology, Milanville

Johnson College provides real-world, hands-on learning in a caring environment and prepares graduates to enter into or advance in their careers. Johnson College degrees become essential careers. Johnson College was founded in 1912, and is the region’s premier technical college, offering associate degrees in 15 programs and 3 academic certificates. An emphasis on hands-on instruction is supported by a low student-to-teacher ratio. Located in Scranton on a 44-acre campus, the College is an accredited, private, non-profit, co-educational institution with a strong tradition of working with regional business and industry to ensure a skilled and qualified workforce. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.

Scranton Donates Fire Engine to Johnson College

The city of Scranton recently donated a Sutphen Fire Engine to Johnson College. This donation will assist the College in providing its students the hands-on training they need to enter the region’s essential workforce.

Johnson College’s Diesel Truck Technology, Automotive Technology, and Heavy Equipment Technology students will be trained on every system of the truck, from the front bumper to the rear bumper. Student training will include engine and driveline, electrical and lighting, and basic preventative maintenance. They will also be trained on systems that are unique to firefighting vehicles including the water pumping system, water storage system, and emergency vehicle lighting and warning systems.

The faculty, staff and, most of all, the students at Johnson College thank the City of Scranton for this donation.

More information on the City of Scranton can be found at https://www.scrantonpa.gov/.

Tickets Available for Designer Purse Lottery Fundraiser

Tickets are now available for Johnson College’s first ever Designer Purse Lottery to benefit the College’s Annual Fund. Only 500 tickets will be sold for this February 2021 fundraiser presented by ShopRite. For more details about the designer purses and purchasing tickets visit Johnson.edu/purselottery or contact the Johnson College Development team at 570-702-8991.

Each $25 ticket will list two, 3 digit numbers. Throughout February 2021, if one of the numbers on a ticket comes in during the evening Pennsylvania Pick 3 lottery, that ticket’s owner will win the designer purse of the day. The numbers on the tickets are valid throughout February, so participants can possibly win more than once. Purses being raffled off include Coach, Fossil, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, and Tori Burch. To celebrate Valentine’s Day the designer purse of the night, sponsored by ShopRite, will be a Louis Vuitton Never Full Classic Bag worth $1,500.

All money raised will benefit the Johnson College Annual Fund. The Annual Fund assists Johnson College in producing the best technicians and technologists for the future essential workforce.

Tech Talk with Johnson College Podcast Episode 7 Now Available.

Tech Talk with Johnson College Podcast Episode 7, “The Pandemic’s Influence on Healthcare and Mental Health” is now available.

In this episode of Tech Talk with Johnson College, Dr. Katie Pittelli talks with LaTida Smith, President and CEO of the Moses Taylor Foundation. LaTida shares her insights on the importance of normalizing and valuing mental health, the influence of the healthcare system during the coronavirus pandemic, and how people can seize opportunities in the healthcare field – especially locally. Dr. Katie and LaTida also discuss the partnership between Johnson College and the Moses Taylor Foundation. This partnership formed because of the myriad of healthcare opportunities Johnson College offers. Plus, the desire of both organizations to educate people in the healthcare industry.

To listen to all of the Tech Talk with Johnson College Podcast episodes and learn more visit https://johnsoncollegepodcast.com/. The podcasts are also available on iTunes and Spotify.

As President and CEO of Moses Taylor Foundation (https://mosestaylorfoundation.org/), LaTida Smith operationalizes the Foundation’s commitment to improve the health of people in Northeastern Pennsylvania. With over 17 years’ experience in health legacy foundations, LaTida is driven by the opportunity to engage diverse stakeholders in identifying, prioritizing, and addressing local community health needs.

Prior to joining Moses Taylor, LaTida was Vice President of Saint Luke’s Foundation of Cleveland, directed the City of Cleveland’s HIV/AIDS Unit and served as a community educator for Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland.

She currently serves on the board of directors of Playworks and Highlights Foundation, the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s Advisory Board, and the University of Scranton’s Institutional Review Board. LaTida considers it a privilege to lead the development of this new philanthropy and promote collaborative strategies to increase opportunities for people in Northeastern Pennsylvania to live healthier lives.

From Headlights to Taillights: The Dreaded Check Engine Light

By Mark Kozemko, Johnson College’s Automotive Technology Program Director

Original published in the November 27, 2020 edition of the Valley Advantage.

https://www.thevalleyadvantage.com/community-columns/from-headlights-to-taillights-the-dreaded-check-engine-light/article_edec944f-ae6a-5b97-8ea1-09f9de9997ad.html

We’ve all been there.

The check engine light illuminates on the dash and suddenly you panic a little and ask yourself, “What’s happened and how do I make it go out?” No one likes it when this warning light comes on.

Today, I’ll address some of the common questions concerning the dreaded check engine light. Hopefully, this will help you put your mind at ease and help decrease the amount of anxiety that may arise the next time it comes on.

Remember, your vehicle is very complicated — and smart. The engine and drivetrain management systems are constantly monitoring driver inputs and outputs from various sensors in the engine, transmission and drive line.

Our first question is, “What issues cause the check engine light to come on?”

The most common issue is a challenge with your fuel cap. The fuel systems on modern vehicles are sealed systems. This means the systems are not supposed to allow fuel vapors into the atmosphere. If the seal on the fuel cap is damaged or even just dirty, it may cause a leak in the fuel system pressure. A loose or missing cap will do the same.

A second issue can be a faulty or dirty Mass Air Flow sensor, or MAF. This sensor monitors the amount of air entering the intake system of the engine. All the other components react to this amount of air being sent to the Powertrain Control Module.

Your vehicle’s oxygen sensors that monitor the oxygen in the exhaust system can also cause the check engine light to pop on. If the sensors are not sending the correct information, or not sending any information at all, the control unit will attempt to compensate for the information received. Sometimes the control unit can make those compensations. Other times, it will turn on the check engine light.

The last common issue is old and worn out spark plugs. When spark plugs wear, the gap that the spark has to jump across becomes larger and makes it more difficult for it to make its jump. This creates a misfire in the cylinder and reduces engine performance.

“What do I do when the check engine light comes on?” is our second question.

The first thing to do is check if your gas cap is there. I know, it sounds funny, but how many times have you seen vehicles traveling down the road with their fuel door open and the cap blowing in the wind? Or, maybe you’ve done it yourself!

If the cap is there, remove it to check the seal. When you put it back on, make sure it’s tight. If the seal is dirty, clean it and then tighten it correctly when you put it back on. If this was the issue, the check engine light will go out after a few cold starts or key cycles. If the light stays on, it’s time to visit a repair shop.

This leads us to our third question, “If the check engine light is on, is it safe to drive my vehicle to a repair shop?”

Usually, when the check engine light comes on, it will stay on steady, and you may not notice a difference in your vehicle’s performance. However, when you fill up at the pump, you may notice you’re taking on more fuel than usual. If this is the case, you should be able to drive the vehicle to your repair shop to be diagnosed.

If your vehicle experiences major misfire conditions, the check engine light will flash. This indicates the problem is current and you should not drive it to the shop. In extreme cases, most vehicle systems are designed to either shut down or go into a limp mode. This is when it’s time to call a tow truck.

Our fourth and final question is, “Is there a tool I can buy that tells me why the check engine light came on?”

If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you can purchase an inexpensive code reader from your local parts store or online. These code readers will not repair your vehicle, but they can steer you in the right direction as to what caused the check engine light to come on. They can also ease your mind as to the seriousness of the problem.

When your check engine light comes on, please, don’t delay having it diagnosed and repaired as soon as possible. If you wait and continue to drive it, additional damage may cause repair costs to be a lot higher than if you had it diagnosed in a timely manner.

The check engine light is very helpful. Listen to it. Don’t fear it.