{"id":264030,"date":"2026-08-12T16:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T16:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/264030\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T16:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T16:28:13","slug":"dr-ryan-hassler-recognized-for-engineering-ahead-program-at-penn-state-berks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/264030\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Ryan Hassler Recognized for Engineering Ahead Program at Penn State Berks"},"content":{"rendered":"

August 11, 2026August 11, 2026 \u2022 by Norman Benford <\/p>\n

\"Commonwealth <\/p>\n

Penn State Outreach is pleased to name Dr. Ryan Hassler as the inaugural recipient of the Commonwealth Commitment Preparing Students Award for his work with Engineering Ahead, a program he has coordinated since 2016 to prepare incoming first-year Penn State Berks engineering students\u2014particularly those from underrepresented and low-income populations\u2014for the demands of pursuing their college degree.<\/p>\n

Dr. Hassler, a teaching professor of mathematics at Penn State Berks, has been instrumental in the creation, development, and long-term sustainability of the Engineering Ahead program since its inception. The program emerged from the Penn State College of Engineering and was funded by a National Science Foundation grant in 2015.<\/p>\n

\"EngineeringEngineering Ahead students enjoy in-person visits, tours, and presentation from multiple industry firms, including this trip to Carpenter Technology, in Reading, PA.
\nPreparing Students for a Successful Future<\/p>\n

Engineering Ahead is an immersive four-week residential program that integrates preparation in mathematics and foundational engineering concepts with development of skills including time management, study strategies, and self-regulated learning. While participating in the free program, students engage in hands-on engineering labs, collaborate on community-based design projects with real nonprofit clients, and participate in industry site visits and career development opportunities.<\/p>\n

Alexander Maldonado, a senior industrial engineering major and former Engineering Ahead scholar who returned to mentor the 2025 cohort, had this to say about the program: \u201cEngineering Ahead creates the perfect environment for both students and mentors to learn from each other. The ability to network and find opportunities through this program is second to none. The program has produced great students because it understands and meets their needs. It will continue to do so because of the time and commitment that Dr. Hassler and his entire team put into running the program and giving these students the perfect foundation that they need to thrive in college and in the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dramatic Student Impact<\/p>\n

Recognizing the alarmingly low retention and graduation rates among students from historically underrepresented populations in engineering, Engineering Ahead at Penn State Berks was launched in 2016 to better support students during their transition to college. Since then, the program has served nearly 200 incoming engineering students through an intensive residential summer bridge experience focused on academic preparation, community building, and student success. And the results have proven to be both meaningful and lasting for many students.<\/p>\n

\u201cEngineering Ahead played a significant role in shaping my engineering journey by helping me develop technical skills, connect with students and faculty, and explore different engineering careers before starting college,\u201d said Jocelyn Espinoza, a 2026 Penn State aerospace engineering graduate. \u201cThe program sparked my interest in research and opened the door to undergraduate research opportunities, where I developed analytical and problem-solving skills that prepared me for my current role as an aerodynamics test engineer at Boeing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program\u2019s impact has been substantial. Most notably, Engineering Ahead has increased retention among its targeted engineering student population nearly fivefold and serves as a proven model for supporting future engineers.<\/p>\n

\"EngineeringEngineering Ahead students work with Dr. Cesar Martinez-Garza, associate professor of mathematics at Penn State Berks and a mentor from Boeing to launch rockets they designed and built after learning about aerospace engineering.
\nEngaging the Community<\/p>\n

Engineering Ahead integrates civic engagement and amplifies Penn State\u2019s impact through partnerships with organizations such as Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading (VOiCEup Berks). One example of this partnership is the annual Canstructure Open House, a design challenge Dr. Hassler and his Engineering Ahead students help plan and lead.<\/p>\n

At the event, K-12 students are tasked with using canned goods they have previously collected for eventual donation as the building blocks to create structures for design challenges. Engineering Ahead students help plan and implement the event, which, over the past eight years, has engaged hundreds of young volunteers annually and resulted in the donation of more than 55 tons of food to the Berks County community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are deeply grateful for Dr. Hassler\u2019s partnership and the countless ways [Engineering Ahead] helps expand opportunities for young people in Berks County,\u201d said Christi Terefenko, executive director of VOiCEup Berks. \u201c[This program] cultivates measurable growth in his students\u2019 confidence, technical abilities, and civic awareness, equipping them with the skills and perspective needed to succeed professionally while contributing meaningfully to their own communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ProgramProgram participants get the opportunity to share their love of engineering and inspire young learners through in-person mentoring and activities.
\nCreating a Lasting Legacy<\/p>\n

Engineering Ahead is supported by the dedicated volunteer efforts of more than 50 faculty, peer mentors, and alumni. The program is free for participating students\u2014removing a critical financial barrier for those who would benefit most.<\/p>\n

To sustain the program, Dr. Hassler has secured significant external funding, cultivated long-standing industry partnerships, generated philanthropic support, and obtained institutional funding. Notably, former Engineering Ahead students (now early in their professional careers) have begun contributing financially to ensure the program remains free for future participants.<\/p>\n

\u201cEngineering Ahead gave me the skills I needed to succeed outside of a classroom and taught me how to network and succeed in a collaborative environment. It helped me keep my current job when my company restructured. If it did all of that for me, it\u2019s worth donating back to Dr. Hassler and the program to help pass the torch to the next generation of students,\u201d said Matt Fredd, a 2022 nuclear engineering graduate and nuclear space systems engineer at Westinghouse.<\/p>\n

Demonstrating the program\u2019s scalability, following a successful pilot in 2025, Dr. Hassler launched a full four-week Biology Ahead program for Penn State Berks science students in the summer of 2026.<\/p>\n

\"EngineeringEngineering Ahead participants building a viewing platform they designed for the Nolde State Forest butterfly meadow.
\nLiving Our Commonwealth Commitments<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thrilled to honor Dr. Hassler and his Engineering Ahead program for exemplifying our Commonwealth Commitment to prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed,\u201d said Dr. Larry Terry, vice president for Outreach.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough this transformative work, Dr. Hassler has created an experiential learning opportunity that directly benefits students and the broader community. Engineering Ahead supports Penn State\u2019s land-grant mission and addresses commonwealth challenges through expanded access to a high-quality STEM education and meaningful community partnerships. Congratulations and sincere thanks to Dr. Hassler and his dedicated team of volunteers!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"August 11, 2026August 11, 2026 \u2022 by Norman Benford Penn State Outreach is pleased to name Dr. Ryan…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":264031,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[128,130,129],"class_list":["post-264030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=264030"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264030\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/264031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=264030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=264030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=264030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}