Educating Students for Tomorrow's World Today

THE LATEST NEWS BYTES

SOUTHWESTERN PA NEW ECONOMY COLLABORATIVE

Autonomy Cluster

Aurora Innovation, Inc. is an innovative software company focused on the future of autonomous transportation and located in Pittsburgh as part of the SWPA New Economy Collaborative Robotics and Autonomy cluster.

Aurora utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) for their self-driving technology and addresses challenges such as driving in a humanistic way, ‘control theory’, and adjusting to dynamic roadway environments.

Within the Pittsburgh region, and under the auspices of PennDot as the managing authority for autonomous vehicles in Pennsylvania, Aurora has participated in testing for autonomous delivery vehicle (freight) connectivity, tunnels and snow mobility, and the possibility of a common ‘Aurora Driver’ that can drive both trucks and cars safely.

The Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC) and another BBB project partner are staunch supporters of autonomy progression in SWPA. RIDC sees autonomy in this region as “…an unprecedented and transformational opportunity.”

Take a look at the regional opportunities presented by autonomy. Massive! An exciting renaissance in advanced technologies and economic growth in our region.

INDUSTRY

Let's Talk Smart Manufacturing

What is smart manufacturing? Smart manufacturing is the utilization of Industry 4.0 technologies to help manage and optimize all aspects of manufacturing processes and the supply chain. Within the SWPA region, our manufacturers are working hard to harness emergent technologies, maximize their workforce potential, reduce risk, increase quality and deliver sustainable growth to the region. This aligns with the research and outcomes listed in the State of Smart Manufacturing Report provided by Rockwell Automation for 2024.

The combination of all the Industry 4.0 technologies is being referred to as the ‘new industrialism’. A keynote speaker, Dr. David Mindell of MIT, will be speaking on this topic and the future of work at the Education Vanguard Conference in November 2024. The key is advanced technologies for Industry 4.0, which include: cyber-physical systems; industrial Internet of Things (IIoT); cloud computing; artificial intelligence; connectivity; data; computational power; analytics and intelligence; human-machine interaction; and advanced engineering.

The Digital Foundry at New Kensington is a collaboration effort between Penn State New Kensington and the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland to work with SWPA industry and Industry 4.0 advanced manufacturing technologies to evolve workforce needs, foster K-16 education learning initiatives, lead new skills development, and assist industry in the advancement of production and operational planning for new tech.

Have you considered bringing your students to the Digital Foundry or scheduling some time for yourself and faculty colleagues for an information partnership tour and a chance to explore Industry 4.0 technologies and smart manufacturing understanding?

FACULTY

Human Conscious Citizenship: A Series of Understanding

Have you considered what each of the Faculty Academy future readiness values within the human-conscious citizenship model might really mean when translated into action and representation in today’s rapidly changing world?

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
• Global Competency
• Financial Literacy
• Sustainability
• Conscious Capitalism
• Conscious Consumerism
• Values and Ethics

While some of these, such as values and ethics or diversity, equity inclusion and belonging might readily resolve themselves and are addressed at Faculty Future Readiness events, we are going to explore some of the less relatable – maybe, not fully featured – values from this list each month for this column.

Today’s topic: Sustainability.

Sustainability has quickly become an expectation of future employers for today’s 18 – 34-year-old workforce. In fact, this has become a key factor for evaluating one possible employer against another.

Sustainability expectations for employers today include addressment and/or action for climate change and environment, investments in greener futures, sustainable and recyclable materials, increased energy efficiency, decarbonization, climate-friendly machinery, verified social and environmental performance, and public transparency to name a few.

Do you feel comfortable addressing this topic with your students and furthering possible actionable understandings with your academic colleagues?

Graphic Credit: Penn State New Kensington model of Human Conscious Citizenship

OUR REGION'S HIGHER EDUCATION LANDSCAPE IS STRONG

Thanks to support from the Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative for supporting higher education engagement opportunities across the region. Consider being part of the region’s amazing higher education faculty activities.

• At the Future Readiness Academy in May, you may have heard from faculty involved in the Penn State AI Community of Practice. Many of you indicated interest in joining a faculty collaborative of this nature. Visit the CoP website to learn more. If you are interested in joining, contact Tiffany Petricini, the AICoP Coordinator, at tzr106@psu.edu.

• The Future Readiness Faculty Academy was held at the Penn State New Kensington campus on May 15-17. If you would like to review some of the content provided by speakers and workshop facilitators, you may find that here.

• The 2024 Block Center Build Back Better Request for Proposals (RFP) as part of the Southwest Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative was extended and then closed on July 31. The Block Center hopes to announce awardees by September 2024. Carnegie Mellon expects most allocations to be between $60,000 and $100,000 for project cycles completed within a 12-month timeframe. Projects that serve covered populations, including BIPOC, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and/or individuals with a language barrier were encouraged to apply. Eligible recipients included educators at institutes of higher education; public or private non-profit organizations; and labor unions registered as non-profit organizations. Good luck, applicants! We hope to see some of our regional higher education partners represented in the awards.

THE BOOKSHELF

The Bookshelf is an opportunity to exchange information on important, timely, and relevant reads on current high-tech and future-fit explorations. We will list recommended reads that have been reviewed by faculty, administrative leadership, and industry partners.

Here are a few recommended selections:

• Leading in a Changing World by Graeme Codrington and Keith Coats. “…explores the type of thinking, behavior and habits that leaders will need in order to successfully navigate the unfolding future."

• Future Proof Your Child: For the 2020s and beyond by Graeme Codrington. “Learn about the future world of work and the implications for the young people who will only enter it in the next decade.”

• The Work of the Future: Building Better Jobs in an Age of Intelligent Machines by David Mindell. “…shows that technology is neither the problem nor the solution. We can build better jobs if we create institutions that leverage technological innovation and also support works through long cycles of technological transformation.”

• The New Industrialism: Lessons from the Lunar Society by David Mindell. “What does industry look like when it strives to optimize for the lowest carbon footprint as well as the greatest profit? When it values resilience as much as efficiency? When it upholds dignified, inclusive, sustainable work?”

• Digital Wellbeing: Recharge Your Focus and Reboot Your Life by Petra Velzeboer. “Digital detoxes don’t work. Our wellbeing relies on finding a balance. Improve your focus and create healthy habits that will enrich your life…”

• The Smart Student’s Guide to Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 by Mike Nager. “Are you ready to explore a world where manufacturing meets cutting-edge technology? …Forget about your grandparents’ factories; this is the era of innovation, automation, and Industry 4.0!”

If you have a good read to recommend that you believe fits the intent of the bookshelf, please send the title and author to gls5530@psu.edu.

ARE YOUR STUDENTS FUTURE-READY?

Check out these upcoming events in the Pittsburgh region!

Being future-ready in industry means developing three areas: technical skills, human-conscious citizenship, and leadership skills.

Community Impact Report 2023 by Innovation Works.

The Innovation Works 2023 Community Impact Report is now here! Click the link below to learn about Innovation Works’ Impact on Southwestern PA in 2023. Read the full report here.

Develop a shared understanding of what students need most during their journeys through the system.

Ideas that Matter: Why ‘the future of AI is the future of work’ - Dr. David A. Mindell, professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT.

Join Dr. Mindell at the Education Vanguard Conference in November 2024. Dr. Mindell will explore this topic and more. Expand your understanding of the AI world in which your students will find themselves in the future.

Join local associations and build relationships with area employers.

Robotics and Tech Happy Hour, Tuesday, August 27th, 6 – 8 p.m. at Bakery Square in the East End. Register Here.

Join 300+ attendees for an evening of networking with Pittsburgh's top robotics and tech professionals in Bakery Square. Located near Robotics Row in the heart of the East End, this event on AI Avenue is where technology and creativity converge.

Come hang out, have a drink, and chat with technology enthusiasts. Learn about exciting tech companies, cutting-edge innovations, new job opportunities, and more. Connect with others in this thriving tech ecosystem, forge impactful relationships, and enjoy food and drinks from Tako Torta.

“If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied.”

Alfred Nobel

Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman.Established the Nobel Prize and held 355 patents in his lifetime.

GET READY FOR EVEN MORE CONVERSATION AND COLLABORATION

SWPA Consortium of Higher Education Professionals

We value your ideas about how we can continue to shape and grow this SWPA Consortium of Higher Education Professionals.

In Fall of 2024, we will host the first event and conversation about a possible SWPA Consortium of Higher Education Professionals to include faculty and administrative leadership. Keep an eye out for details to come!

For now, we want to know what you would want to address and discuss if we were a formalized consortium of 29 SWPA schools. Some questions we might approach could be:

• What is the benefit of having a SWPA Consortium of Higher Education Professionals?
• What goals might we set for a consortium to support the achievement of the collective work through the SWPA New Economy Collaborative?
• How do we adequately and strongly address high-tech industry workforce needs while protecting the integrity of higher education values?

What questions would you like to see a consortium discuss and address?

Send your thoughts and ideas to Ginger Shaw at gls5530@psu.edu for the fall kick-off conversation so that we can set common goals and objectives for our region through the Future Readiness Events and the work through the SWPA New Economy Collaborative.

Industry Advisory Board

Penn State New Kensington is organizing an Industry Advisory Board to support the Future Readiness Academy. Representatives from different industry sectors, business technologists, as well as academy faculty from different disciplines, will be invited to attend.

If you are interested in sitting on the board, please email Ginger Shaw at gls5530@psu.edu of your interest. The purpose of the board: to collaborate, offer advice and guidance to the Future Readiness Academy and assist in reaching our goals; and to equip the Build Back Better organizations with the necessary understanding of future fit skills and technologies needed for a qualified workforce that builds upon the collaborative understanding between higher education faculty, business and industry throughout our region.

The first organizational meeting will kick off in Fall 2024.

Faculty and Industry Partnerships

We are planning a kick-off event for the inaugural Faculty and Industry Partnership activity in late Fall 2024. The event will include a bus tour of the primary advanced technology sectors of Pittsburgh with some of our industry partners acting as the tour guides.

The tour may include Robotics Row, the Innovation District, the advanced manufacturing neighborhood, and the new biomanufacturing facility featured in the last Newsletter. Note: Visit locations may change as the activity is finalized.

Faculty will be able to converse with some of the industry partners while traveling to and from the different advanced technology regions of greater Pittsburgh and find opportunities to explore and expose the many different possibilities for business partnerships.

The event will culminate with an early evening social sponsored by one of the industry partners.

We hope you are excited about this opportunity and will plan to attend. Please sign up today and be part of this exciting and fun initiative! More details to come as days, times and departure points are confirmed.

Join the planning team!

We are looking for faculty who want to be part of a team that assists with planning future Faculty Academy events.

Join the team here!

If this email was forwarded to you and you want to sign up for future newsletters and event registration emails, please sign up here.

This resource and the Future Ready Events for Faculty series are made possible thanks to support from the SWPA New Economy Collaborative, an 11-county coalition formed to apply for the Build Back Better Regional Challenge. The educational focus is part of a federal, multi-state investment initiative to help develop local technology workforce and diverse talent pools.