Penn State New Kensington Chancellor Kevin Snider, right, talks with Michael Pusateri, director of integrated design services in the College of Engineering at Penn State, at the conclusion of the engineering summit.
Partnership forming between
higher education and industry
UPPER BURRELL, Pa. --- Forging stronger bonds between higher education and the business community was the focus of the first Engineering Summit Nov. 13 at Penn State New Kensington.
More than 50 people, including representatives from local engineering firms and Penn State faculty, administrators and campus chancellors, turned out to for the “Bridge the Engineering Gap” summit. Hosted by Kevin Snider, chancellor of the New Kensington campus, the event featured guest speakers Dennis Yablonsky, chief executive officer for the Allegheny Conference, and Amr Elnashai, The Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of the College of Engineering at Penn State.
A panel of business leaders, moderated by Bill Flanagan, executive vice president of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the economy and the quality of life in southwestern Pennsylvania, discussed the region's engineering needs and how Penn State can help companies in the region become a stronger force in the marketplace. The panel talked about how Penn State’s western campuses can bridge the gap between business and higher education to give businesses the engineering advantages needed to succeed.
“Companies want to see more practical and applied skills," Snider said, “We are producing good engineers, but they need more hands-on experience.”
The campus’ GREAT (Growing Regional Engineering through Academics and Training) program was highlighted throughout the summit. A collaboration of the New Kensington campus, Penn State's Electro-Optics Center and industries in the region, GREAT establishes internships at local companies for engineering students. Whereas most internships are geared to juniors and seniors, GREAT interns can begin as soon as their first year in college.
Partnering with industry is a major component of Snider’s strategic plan for the New Kensington campus. The plan features seven paths to the future, and the first path is strengthening the educational experience for students. Working with the public and private sector expands opportunities for student learning and discovery.
Elnashai talked about the advances Penn State is making in energy and manufacturing, and shared some new initiatives he is spearheading to help the industry. The University is training its engineering students in areas such as the gas and oil industries, where talented engineers are in short supply.
Yablonsky gave an overview of the regional economy and demographic projections. As older workers retire, there is a need to develop a pipeline of younger workers, trained in high-skilled jobs. A joint effort between business and education will help ameliorate the situation.
Snider concluded the session by saying that the summit was the first step in developing relationships between Penn State and engineering firms in the region. The campuses in western Pennsylvania -- Beaver; DuBois; Erie, The Behrend College; Fayette, The Eberly campus; Greater Allegheny; and New Kensington -- are committed to preparing students for the next generation of engineering technology.
For more information, contact Patricia Hollinger, co-director of continuing education at the New Kensington campus, at 724-334-6053 or pdh5@psu.edu.
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Penn State New Kensington's Engineering Summit featured a panel discussion on the need for hands-on training for engineering students.