Lackawanna College Celebrates Opening of Tunkhannock Center

Lackawanna College celebrated the opening of its Tunkhannock Center, 420 West Tioga Plaza, Suite 104, with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. The celebration was followed by a light lunch and a business card exchange sponsored by the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce. 

Students interested in enrolling for the Fall 2021 semester are invited to an Open House on Saturday, Aug. 7, from 9 a.m. to noon. 

“This is an amazing day for Lackawanna College and for students from Wyoming County and the surrounding areas,” Tunkhannock Center Director Kayla Guilford said. “We’re proud to continue the outstanding work of the School of Petroleum & Natural Gas in educating future workers, but we’re also thrilled to be able to offer more traditional degrees for local high school graduates and folks seeking new career opportunities.” 

The Tunkhannock Center serves as the new hub for the College’s School of Petroleum & Natural Gas (PNG), which was located in New Milford, Pa., since its foundation in 2009. Sue Gumble, program director, reports that the approximately 18,000 square feet facility “is more centralized and accessible to students in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties as well as Bradford, Sullivan, and Susquehanna.” The center is also nearer to most of the College’s PNG industry partners as well as the Tunkhannock and Lackawanna Trail school districts. 

“Students seeking careers in PNG will have the opportunity to utilize state-of-the-art laboratory and industry equipment,” Gumble added. 

The School of PNG offers associate degrees in Petroleum & Natural Gas Business Administration and Petroleum & Natural Gas Technology, as well as certificate programs in Petroleum & Natural Gas Compressor / Engine Mechanic and Petroleum & Natural Gas Technician. Graduates are ready to work as soon as they reach a job site, and 70 percent of Lackawanna alumni are hired by major E&P, Midstream, and Pipeline companies each year with an estimated median salary of $50,630 according to the 2020 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report. 

The Tunkhannock Center also offers a range of associate degree programs in Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Professional Studies. Students in Tunkhannock will continue to benefit from the College’s small class sizes, personalized attention from instructors, and the opportunity to transfer credits across the country or around the state through the Academic Passport program in collaboration with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.  

The ribbon cutting was celebrated by College staff, oil and gas industry partners, the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce, and elected officials including U.S. Rep. Fred Keller, Pa. Sen. Lisa Baker, Pa. Rep. Karen Boback, and Wyoming County Commissioners Thomas Henry and Ernie King.