Immaculata (who went by Mackey) Comitz, of Sugar Notch, PA was the first women graduated from Penn State Wilkes-Barre with an associate degree in engineering. She majored in drafting and design technology.

She followed in her father, Joseph J. Comitz, footsteps. He was an auto mechanic. Sadly he didn’t get to see his influence. He died the spring before Immaculata started classes at PSU Wilkes-Barre.

Even though Immaculata was celebrated by PSU Wilkes-Barre, she was entering a field that was not all together welcoming of women. Engineering was still seen as a man’s job. The year after Immaculata graduated from Penn State Wilkes-Barre, the President of Penn State, Eric Walker, featured an opinion piece in the official Penn State engineering department magazine Penn State Engineer titled, “Women Are Not For ENGINEERING.” Walker had originally published this article in Penn State Engineer three years before, when he was Dean of the College of Engineering and Architecture. The article was alongside the monthly pin up girl (with measurements), and the “Chemical Analysis of Women.”

Despite the grim view of female engineers by their male counterparts, Immaculata succeeded in being one of 39 out of the 56 graduates of the class of 1959 with a 2 year degree in engineering to get a job by August of that year. Her first job was at the Troyler Corporation in Scranton as a project draftsman engineer. She was a key member of the team who helped design the first 6 car haul away trailer.

Later she also worked as an industrial and electronic engineer at GET Sylvania, and Primus Technology, which she retired from.