Conferences, Symposia, Workshops, and Short Courses
 

Introduction

Every year, the College of Engineering offers dozens of conferences, meetings, workshops, and short courses that serve the lifelong learning needs of engineers. These programs are typically offered in an intense, multi-day format, often with hands-on exercises. In addition to the technical content, the programs provide opportunities for networking with persons of similar interests.

Below, you will find a list this year's programs and the sites where they are offered. The list is constantly changing and being updated, so check back often.  We hope that you find something that meets your needs.  If you don't find what you're looking for, or if you have a need or suggestion for a program, please contact us and let us know.

Many of this year's programs will be repeated in future years with updated information.  If you have an interest in a particular program and would like more information about when it may be offered in the future, please contact the Engineering Continuing Education office.

In addition to the University Park and National conferences and short courses listed below, many Engineering continuing education courses are available to local audiences through Penn State Campus Continuing Education offices.

Other Penn State Colleges also offer Continuing Education programs that may be of interest to engineers. A select list of other colleges may be found below.

Local Information for State College and University Park

If you are coming to the State College or University Park area for a continuing education program, and would like information about travel, lodging, local attractions, and events at Penn State, click here for local information.

This Year's University Park and National Programs, listed by Month

The College of Engineering offers many continuing education programs in University Park conference facilities and at conference sites around Pennsylvania and the United States. Following is a list, sorted by month, of this year's programs. Click on the program to link to a brief description of the program and pointers to more information.

Future Programs

Many of the programs above will be repeated in the future.  A complete list of next year's programs will be posted on this site in December. Please check back then. If you need information sooner, please contact the Engineering Continuing Education office.

This year's programs

Wastewater Biology
Various times and locations in the United States and Canada

The Wastewater Biology program includes fifteen modules. These modules present a biological approach to the operation of wastewater treatment plants and teach participants to recognize and correct conditions that cause plant operational or upset problems. Workshops that include one or more modules are taught throughout the year at various locations in the United States and Canada. Wastewater Biology modules include:

 Click here for detailed information about the modules and a list of dates and places for upcoming workshops.

Facilities Engineering Institute Short Courses
Various times and locations throughout Pennsylvania

Founded in 1947 at the request of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Penn State Facilities Engineering Institute, FEI, provides facility engineering services to more than 70 customers throughout the Commonwealth. PSFEI's original mission was to provide engineering services on issues related to central plant steam generation in Commonwealth owned facilities. Over the past 50 years, PSFEI has expanded its services to include electrical, HVAC and water treatment specialties. As part of its mission, FEI conducts numerous short courses and on-site workshops throughout the year. Click here to go to FEI's Home page where current offerings are listed under the Education link.
 

Powder Technology Programs                         
The Center for Innovative Sintered Products, CISP, offers short courses, workshops, and conferences to disseminate information regarding sintering and powder technology.  Courses cover all aspects of the powder industry, including process inputs, characterization, processing methods, applications, and product evaluation.  Different courses cover material at various levels of understanding and experience to meet te needs of a wide audience that includes students, new employees in the field, technicians, managers, and researchers.
Click here for the latest list of CISP courses and events.

Reviews for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and Professional Engineer (PE) Exams
Penn State offers numerous review courses that prepare engineers to take the Fundamentals of Engineering, FE, and Principles and Practices of Engineering, PE, examinations. These reviews are conducted at sites throughout Pennsylvania, usually running from Fall to Spring. Click here to link to a page that lists our latest offerings, with times, locations, and contact information.

Housing Building Code Workshops
Various times and locations throughout Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Housing Research/Resource Center has developed a series of building code workshops to meet the varied needs and interests of home builders, remodelers and other contractors involved in the Pennsylvania housing industry. Click here for more information.

Pennsylvania Housing Conference and The Land Development Conference  
Every year, the Pennsylvania Housing Research/Resource Center hosts the Housing Conference which features information about construction issues, and the Land Development Conference features information on subdivision planning and design.

 Click here to go to the Housing Resource Center Home page for more information.

College of Engineering Research Symposium (CERS)

February - University Park

This event, sponsored by the Engineering Graduate Student Council, features presentations by graduate and undergraduate student researchers.  By providing an opportunity for interactions across engineering and scientific disciplines, the symposium will both inform participants and promote future interdisciplinary collaboration.  Participants will get to meet Penn State student researchers and faculty and learn about the latest student research projects.  Click here for registration information and program details.

Annual Airport Conference
March - Hershey, PA

Presented in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Eastern Region, this conference provides airport administrators and engineers an opportunity to network and to update their knowledge of the latest developments in airport engineering and operation. There will be an exhibit area where vendors will display a variety of products of interest to attendees. Click here to link to a copy of the current brochure, which contains information about the conference agenda, location and lodging, and registration.

An Airport Conference technical session .

View of the Airport Conference exhibit area.

Smoke School/Visible Emissions:

This lecture/laboratory course covers the regulation and behavior of visible emissions (plumes) from industrial processes, Fig. SMK1. Each individual's ability to evaluate plumes will be tested, using a smoke generator. Those who pass the tests will be certified in accordance with EPA Method 9. Click here for more information.

 
Figure SMK1 - Students reading smoke during a school at University Park.

Summer Graduate Program in Acoustics
University Park

Every summer, the Acoustics program offers an intense two-week program of selected graduate courses at the University Park campus.  For information on the current year's program, click here.

Computational Methods in Stormwater Management
May - University Park

The topics presented in this short course represent a comprehensive array of hydrologic and hydraulic tools for stormwater management design, detention facility design, and subdivision planning. The Virginia Tech/Penn State Urban Hydrology Model (VT/PSUHM) will be used to illustrate how these tools can assist in the design of stormwater management facilities. Special emphasis will be placed on the fundamental calculations for detention facility design, particularly outlet structure design. The Multiple Stage Routing Model (MSRM) in the VT/PSUHM will be used to assist in understanding the design process. Example analysis and design situations will be addressed and solved using the software. Participants will be guided through practice problems that deal with stormwater management design.

This course is intended for stormwater facility designers with previous exposure to urban runoff calculations involving NRCS (SCS) methods, channel and reservoir routing principles, and Rational methodologies. Because hands-on computer work is emphasized in the course, the fundamental concepts behind these methods will not be presented in great detail. However, specific details for each of the methods presented will be documented or referenced in the supplemental short-course notes.

Each attendee will receive course handout materials that include a set of notes documenting standard stormwater computational methods, speaker presentation notes, and a copy of the IBM-compatible VT/PSUHM program. Registration is limited to forty participants. In past years, this short course has filled very quickly; therefore, early registration is encouraged.

Click here for the latest brochure with information about the course, including: program details, a registration form, instructor information, price, etc.

Microbial Fuel Cells, First International Symposium

May - University Park

There is great interest in new ways to make renewable energy from biomass and organic waste matter. Electricity can be directly generated in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), and hydrogen can be produced in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). In both systems, bacteria break down organic matter and release electrons to a circuit, producing current.

This Microbial Fuel Cell Symposium will be the first time that researchers will gather from around the world to talk specifically about using MFCs and MECs for electricity and hydrogen production. At the symposium you can learn from and network with top researchers (and their teams) from around the world.

For details about the Symposium, including the program and registration information, go to: http://www.outreach.psu.edu/programs/microbial-fuel-cell/index.html 

Corrosion Short Course
June - University Park

The course will cover the fundamentals of corrosion and various electrochemical techniques. Lectures and laboratories will be used to illustrate how electrochemical techniques are applied, when they should be used, and how the various techniques can be integrated to solve complex problems. The course will be useful for people entering the corrosion field and for professionals looking for a refresher course.  For up-to-date information about this year's course, visit the course website.

13th International Congress of Biorheology and

6th International Conference on Clinical Hemorheology

July - University Park

The meeting will provide a forum for scientists, clinicians, students, and other interested professionals to present and exchange the latest information in bio- and hemorheology.

The program will include plenary lectures, symposia, poster and oral presentations, and technical exhibits, as well as ample time for informal discussions. Opportunities for discussions and interactions will be enhanced by attending the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts and by an evening barbecue and folk festival at a beautiful lake.

Click here to see the meeting web page.

HEC-RAS

August - University Park, PA

This course features a combination of lectures and hands-on exercises to teach attendees both the theory and the use of the HEC-RAS computer program. Topics covered will include:

 To view the program brochure, click here.

HEC-GeoRAS

August - University Park, PA

This course, which will immediately follow the HEC-RAS course above, features a combination of lectures and hands-on exercises to teach attendees both the theory and the use of the HEC-GeoRAS computer program. Topics covered will include: an overview of HEC-GeoRAS, data requirements, advantages and limitations of HEC-GeoRAS, and how to develop a HEC-RAS model using HEC-GeoRAS. To view the program brochure, click here.

Water Works Operators' Association of Pennsylvania
August - State College, PA

The WWOAP was established and organized in 1927 to improve and advance the public water supply industry across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Given their mutual interests, the WWOAP and the College of Engineering have developed a close relationship. Each year, the WWOAP holds a statewide conference, in August, at the University Park campus. Conference sessions feature outstanding speakers and presenters on a wide variety of subjects pertaining directly or indirectly to the profession. In addition, several educational and social events and activities are sponsored by the WWOAP for attendees, their spouses, and guests. For the latest conference information, click here to go to the WWOAP home page.
 

Advanced School in Power Engineering
August - December - Pittsburgh, PA

The Advanced School is a 13-week, graduate-level, credit program that includes core courses in electric power system analysis plus workshops, and special lectures on topics of current interest to utility engineers.  In addition to the classroom instruction, students may also participate in special tours and social activities. International students who attend will also find that It is an intense cultural experience.  Students who successfully complete the program receive twelve graduate credits.  The School is conducted at Penn State facilities in Monroeville, PA, near Pittsburgh.  Student housing is provided. Click here to see the latest brochure, with details of the program.

 Click here to access information about all our electric power engineering programs, including on-site training modules.

Rotary Wing Technology - a Comprehensive Short Course  
August - University Park

This course, designed for engineers, presents a comprehensive introduction to rotor craft technology. The lecturers, well recognized in their respective disciplines, will cover a range of major topics, including:

Click here to see a copy of the latest brochure for this course.
 

Annual Transportation Engineering and Safety Conference
December - University Park, PA

Presented in in cooperation with PennDOT, the Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center, and the Federal Highway Administration, this Pennsylvania Transportation Institute conference is aimed at improving the skills of the transportation professional through training workshops and presentations by transportation experts. The forum is designed to foster discussion and debate and to encourage questions, so that attendees can maximize their learning experience. Click here to see a copy of the latest brochure.

No programs listed at this time.

Campus Continuing Education Offices

Continuing Education at University Park

If you live in or near the Central Pennsylvania service area of the office of Continuing Education at University Park (Centre, Mifflin, and Lycoming counties), you can access a a variety of credit and non-credit engineering-related courses offered through that office.  These courses are typically offered during the day or in the evening.  Some of the topics covered are:

To find out more, click here to link to the Continuing Education at University Park web pages.

Continuing Education at Penn State Campuses

If you live in Pennsylvania, there's a Penn State campus near you. There are 23 Campus College, Commonwealth College, and Special Mission campuses located throughout the state. These campuses offer a wide variety of continuing education courses, including Engineering courses, for learners in their service areas. To find what courses are being offered in your area, contact the campus near you. To locate and learn more about a particular campus, click here for a list of campuses and links to their web pages.

Select Programs from other Colleges

Programs from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences - The College of Agricultural Sciences has a long tradition of extending its boundaries by offering educational programs and practical training. Conferences, short courses, and workshops provided by the College make the educational resources available to those who can benefit by further education or training in a particular area but who cannot afford the time required for longer periods of study. Short courses and conferences offered in the College of Agricultural Sciences provide instruction in the sciences that underlie Agriculture and Natural Resources, to include the Plant Sciences, Animal Sciences, Forestry, Food Science and the Social Sciences.  Click here for more information.

Programs from the Smeal College of Business - The Smeal College offers a variety of open-enrollment and custom leadership programs through its Executive Programs' office.  The Executive Program portfolio includes offerings in general and functional management for mid- to senior-level executives. Uniquely designed custom programs focus on an organization's specific challenges and opportunities. Click here for more information.
 

Programs from other colleges - Conferences and Institutes is the primary delivery unit for University Park conferences, workshops, and short courses. They offer programs from all the University Park colleges. Click here for more information.