WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — For the second time in his career, an assistant professor of diesel equipment technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology has been honored with Caterpillar Inc.'s Pathfinder to Excellence Faculty Award.
A plaque was presented to Chris S. Weaver, a faculty member at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center, during this month's advisory committee meeting of Caterpillar dealer representatives at the college’s Thompson Professional Development Center.
Weaver — who also won the award in 2016 — has 13 years’ experience in the diesel and heavy equipment fields and holds multiple degrees from Penn College: a bachelor's in technology management (2013), associate degrees in diesel technology (2008) and heavy construction equipment technology: operator emphasis (2022), and a diesel technician certificate (1993).
He has been a full-time faculty member since 2006.
“Mr. Weaver is a great teacher and mentor both inside and outside the classroom,” said Justin W. Beishline, assistant dean of diesel technology and natural resources, who was awarded Pathfinder honors as a faculty member in 2011. “His teaching characteristics make him approachable by students and a pleasure to work with.”
Presented since 2003, the Pathfinder to Excellence award recognizes a faculty member who “develops effective teaching techniques, enhances learning materials, demonstrates a keen sensitivity to student needs and maintains high academic standards.”
Among comments from Weaver’s student nominators:
· “The extensive background and experience Mr. Weaver has being a technician works its way into his instruction in many ways. He can articulate the textbook content into real-life stories and experiences that he explains in both a classroom and lab environment.”
· “Mr. Weaver has genuinely challenged me to think about what kind of technician I want to be.”
· “Mr. Weaver has explained that he’s worked with people of various backgrounds. He’s emphasized that we’ll encounter people different from ourselves, and it’s important to be open-minded in these situations.”
· “He creates real-world scenarios in the classroom on a daily basis.”
· “Mr. Weaver is not just a college professor. He is a friend, a mentor and an all-around great individual.”
· “Mr. Weaver innovates teaching materials by bringing theory to life in lab and converting the labs into real-world situations.”
For information about Penn College's diesel, heavy equipment and power generation majors, visit www.pct.edu/diesel or call 570-327-4516.
For more about the college, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.