Preconference Workshops for Higher Education Faculty | Thursday, October 12
Registration and Breakfast
8:30 - 9:15 a.m.
Concurrent Workshops
9:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
What is it? How did it get to where it is now? What will happen next? Hear from an expert in AI and gain an understanding of AI basics before the conference begins!
2. Introduction to Virtual and Augmented Reality and 360 Video XR
Room 1120/1121
Speaker: Karen Alexander
Here is your opportunity to wear a virtual reality headset and see what VR is all about. Come away with an idea of the differences and similarities between 360 video, AR, and VR, and be ready to learn more about the uses of these technologies in learning, teaching, and working.
Thursday, October 12
Registration
11 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Keynote and Lunch
12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Welcome
12:30 - 12:40 p.m.
Great Room
Speaker: Shirley Campbell
Opening: What do educators have to do with it? I4.0 and the Role of Education
12:40 - 1:00 p.m.
Great Room
Speaker: Kevin Snider
Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is a world filled with unbelievable potential and potentially devastating consequences. Accelerated by the pandemic, we now find ourselves in a world of AI, robotics, AR/VR, digital twins, automation, and other technologies that are fundamentally changing our functions, our lives, and our society.
Chancellor Snider recognized the impact that I4.0 would have on society and education. Together with campus faculty and staff, he conceived and built NextovationTM, which is an initiative aimed to bring a Rust Belt region into the “Digital Belt” by meeting I.40 needs across multiple stakeholders. The model includes various programs, including the creation of the Faculty Future Readiness Academy, which was held in Spring 2023, and this conference. In this introduction to I4.0, Dr. Snider answers the question of what education has to do with Industry 4.0 by attempting to show the answer should be “almost everything.”
Opening Panel: A New Age, A New Reality for All of Us: The Impact of the Digital Age Across Business Sectors
1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Great Room
Moderator: Kevin Snider
Panelists: Scott Bachik, CEO, The BI Collaborative; Chris Dolly, Director of Safety & Security, Eye-bot Aerial Solutions; Ned Laubacher, CEO, Health Spectrum Advisors; Melanie Spare, Academic Enablement Director, Siemens Digital Industries Software Division; Kirk Vogel, Director & President, Walnut Grill Holdings
Representatives across industries discuss how technology has, is, and will change their businesses and functions within them. They will also explore how these changes are impacting what they need in current and future high school, trade school, and college-educated workforces as they look to navigate their businesses through the Digital Age.
Break
2:30 - 2:45 p.m.
Making the Connections
2:30 - 2:45 p.m.
Partnerships Project Introduction
Remain in the Great Room for a quick chat to learn a bit more about the Partnerships Project. An overview of the project will be provided, along with some ideas of how it can work for you.
Concurrent Sessions 1
2:45 - 3:45 p.m.
1a. Robot Relics: The Art of a Digital Petting Zoo
2:45 - 3:15 p.m. (Followed immediately by Impactful Collaborative Partnerships)
Room 2119
Speaker: Jessica Queck, Library and Computer Science Teacher, South Buffalo Elementary, Freeport Area School District
Stop by this session to discover new possibilities for engaging students in computer science concepts of coding and robotics. Learn how 5th grade students used the MakeCode program and Hummingbird Bit Robotic Kits to design interactive robotic animals that respond to their audience and environment. Join this session to see what a Robot Petting Zoo has the potential to be! Experience, delight in, and get hands-on as you engage with student-designed animals in an interactive mini-version of the 5th grade robot petting zoo!
1b. Impactful Collaborative Partnerships
3:15 - 3:45 p.m. (Directly after Robot Relics)
Room 2119
Speaker: Colleen Smith
Cross-sector partnerships allow for extending impact beyond classrooms and into communities. With a vision to support learning happening everywhere, all the time, for everyone, ABC CREATE educators from 6 different school districts joined with community and workforce partners to offer a summer STEAM camp for elementary learners right in their neighborhood. We’ll share the story of how we kept 20 young learners joyfully engaged in CS/STEAM and gave their caring adults a glimpse of what’s possible for their young ones as they move forward in a Digital Age.
2. Exploring Reactions to Pollinators: A Psychologist Explores Virtual Reality
2:45 - 3:45 p.m.
Room 1120
Speaker: Rick Harnish, Professor of Psychology, Penn State New Kensington
In this session, Virtual Reality (VR) technology will be demonstrated in how participants can interact (virtually) with butterflies in a conservatory. This research is important because no existing research has been conducted that uses live (or virtually live) animals; all have used photographs (e.g., Wellsmith, 2011). Using VR technology, we seek to explore how the physical attractiveness of a species impacts support for the species. VR technology will allow participants to interact with a species rather than having participants simply watch a 360-degree video. Results will provide not only self-reports, but also behavioral data. An interdisciplinary team consisting of a social psychologist and an entomologist are working together on this project.
3. Fab Learning Academy: Preparing K-12 Educators to Teach with Digital Makerspace Technologies
2:45 - 3:45 p.m.
Room 2120
Speaker: Liz Whitewolf, Founding Director, eduFAB
Fab Learning Academy is a global distributed education program to certify K-12 teachers and other educators using digital makerspace technologies in their classrooms. Acknowledging that teaching with technology is so much more than knowing how technology works, Fab Learning Academy defines three domains of knowledge for participating teachers: technology, pedagogy, and innovative classroom practices. This hands-on, localized and global course, piloted in six countries earlier this year, is set to debut a full 7-month program in 2024. Learn how eduFAB is partnering with University of Oulu in Finland, Fab Lab Barcelona, Singapore Polytechnic Institute, and Fab Lab Armenia in curriculum development and continuing ed certification for teachers using 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, microprocessors, and CNC machines in formal education. Looking to expand our US footprint in 2024, eduFAB is seeking local learning nodes (Fab Labs or school-based makerspaces), and higher education institutions, to join our US Education Hub for the international Fab Learning Academy.
4a. Using zSpace XR Machines in Pre-Service Teacher Education
2:45 - 3:15 p.m. (Followed Immediately by Extractive vs. Reciprocal Communication)
Room 1121/1122
Speakers: Mary Hansen, Professor, Department of Education, Robert Morris University and Vicki Donne, Professor, Department of Education, Robert Morris University
Research suggests pre-service and in-service special education teachers struggle with incorporating technology into instruction, with challenges stemming from insufficient technology training and limited integration in field settings. As technology continues to advance, the need for pre-service teachers to be proficient with instruction and use of technologies and assistive technologies becomes even more pressing. At the same, newer categories of technologies such as extended reality (XR), which includes virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR), show great promise for increasing opportunities, access, and engagement for students with disabilities. This session serves dual purposes. One of the primary objectives of our exploratory pilot study was to provide training to pre-service teachers in the use of extended reality technology and offer them the opportunity to incorporate extended reality into instruction for students with disabilities while under the supervision of university and K-12 teachers. During the session, we describe an exploratory pilot study carried out during the 2022-23 school year. We also showcase the XR technology utilized in our pilot study, zSpace machines, allowing attendees to engage with the technology.
4b. Extractive vs. Reciprocal Communication
3:15 - 3:45 p.m. (Directly after Using zSpace XR Machines in Pre-Service Teacher Education )
Room 1121/1122
Speakers: Kasey Hudak, Associate Professor, Corporate Communication, Penn State New Kensington and Jordan Mroziak
The rise of digital media and social networks has meant a decline in the effectiveness of traditional marketing. This phenomenon isn’t new, but the consistent evolution of technology has placed a greater emphasis on authenticity and two-way communication between companies and their consumers. More specifically, consumers are calling for actionable marketing strategies that are culturally relevant and inclusive to a number of different communities. Teaching students about external communication and media marketing must now include discussions on the benefits of community engagement and seeing the value of long-term, reciprocal relationships. This presentation addresses a new approach to teaching upper-level external communication courses with a focus on collaboration between community partners and local businesses. We will begin with a talk on how emerging technologies may impact engagement strategies. We will then explain how to implement community engagement strategies that emphasize the importance of consistency and authenticity in marketing communications. The goal is for students to become directly involved in their local communities and to better understand the impact that listening to your audience and making direct connections can make on defining company goals, choosing the right communication platforms, creating valuable marketing content, and fostering meaningful interactions. We want students to learn that marketing is not just an extraction of information or money through a business transaction, but a reciprocal opportunity to learn and grow mutual interests within a community.
Break
3:45 - 4:00 p.m.
Plenary Session
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Immersive Technologies Across Industry and Education
Great Room
Introduction: Kevin Snider
Speaker: Karen Alexander
All sectors of society are faced with technological disruption at a dizzying pace and scale. The tools that are now available offer unprecedented possibilities to boost productivity, spawn opportunity, and open new avenues for creativity. To take advantage of the promise of technological advancement, education must embrace new ways of facilitating learning. Education must also understand and lean into the trends to prepare a workforce and populace that can activate their full potential and maintain national competitiveness.
This talk will provide a perspective from the inside of how XR and immersive technologies are developing and how they are being used in education and industry. It will also share a glimpse into future trends as indicated by the work of standards and regulatory bodies and will indicate how other emerging technologies such as Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet of Things will be intertwined with XR interfaces.
Soaring at 40,000 feet as well as diving into details of concrete examples will paint a clearer picture of where XR is now, some directions it is heading, and ways educators can prepare their students for a future in which immersive tech is pervasive.
Informal Gathering at Walnut Grill
Come and see the robots at work while sharing your thoughts on the day’s events! Also, enjoy 15% off your check at Walnut Grill when you show the conference handout or screenshot from the morning’s introductory session!
Friday, October 13
Registration Opens
7:30 a.m.
Keynote Panel and Breakfast
8:00 - 9:15 a.m.
Preparing K-12 Learners to Thrive
Great Room
Introduction: Kevin Snider
Panelists: Justin Aglio, Colleen Smith, ABC CREATE Educators
Privileged to get inside views into K-12 education regionally, statewide, and nationally, Justin and Colleen see how teaching and learning is being re-imagined and invigorated with an aim to empower a generation of socially conscious, globally aware, innovative, and technologically-fluent learners. Hear from them and from inspired ABC CREATE educators about paradigm shifts in education and about how the integration of computer science, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math), and future-ready skills into core K-12 curricula is providing meaningful, real-world, relevant, and joyful learning experiences – and preparing our youth to thrive.
Break
9:15 - 9:30 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions 2
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
1. Building Future Readiness: STEAM Integration in the World Language Classroom
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Room 1120
Speaker: Laura Fleischer Proano, Spanish Teacher, Highlands High School and Students
Explore how Highlands High School students are building their future-ready skills and exercising agency as a result of STEAM integration in the World Language classroom and a strong partnership with ABC CREATE. After an introduction to their partnership with ABC CREATE, Highlands students and their teacher will share their STEAM Spanish project. See the leveled progression where students not only grow their language skills, but use them to code Finch and Hummingbird robots in Spanish with more complex computational thinking skills, advanced coding, and design concepts. Learn also how students develop data fluency by working with huge data sets and interactive maps in EarthTime. Following the project overviews, see the data on the World Economic Forum future-ready skills that students feel they used during the projects, including creativity and originality, technology design and programming, problem solving, and ideation. Engage with a panel of the students, their teacher, and ABC CREATE while exploring this Content-Based Instruction Model.
2a. The Future of Teaching and Learning: Integrating AI Tools and Reshaping Assessments in Higher Education
9:30 - 10:00 a.m. (Followed immediately by 360 and VR So Students Can “See” Themselves in the Field)
Room 1121/1122
Speaker: Nader Kesserwan, Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Software Engineering, Robert Morris University
The advent and rise of AI technology have opened up new opportunities for enhancing education and learning, while simultaneously presenting new challenges. The AI tools hold significant potential in transforming the classroom experience by supplementing traditional teaching methods, promoting active learning, and providing personalized assistance to students. However, the integration of such AI tools also necessitates a rethinking of our assessment strategies to ensure they accurately measure student understanding. This proposal, therefore, is centered around the goal of incorporating AI into our classrooms, treating it as a collaborative partner in higher education, and also devises a strategy for reshaping our assessments while keeping in mind the strengths and challenges of AI tools.
2b. 360 and VR So Students Can “See” Themselves in the Field
10:00 - 10:30 a.m. (Directly after The Future of Teaching and Learning: Integrating AI Tools and Reshaping Assessments in Higher Education)
Room 1121/1122
Speaker: Joie Marhefka, Associate Teaching Professor and Program Coordinator, Biomedical Engineering Technology, Penn State New Kensington
The advent and rise of AI technology have opened up new opportunities for enhancing education and learning, while simultaneously presenting new challenges. The AI tools hold significant potential in transforming the classroom experience by supplementing traditional teaching methods, promoting active learning, and providing personalized assistance to students. However, the integration of such AI tools also necessitates a rethinking of our assessment strategies to ensure they accurately measure student understanding. This proposal, therefore, is centered around the goal of incorporating AI into our classrooms, treating it as a collaborative partner in higher education, and also devises a strategy for reshaping our assessments while keeping in mind the strengths and challenges of AI tools.
3. Striving for Equity through Community and Technology
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Room 2119
Speaker: Jordan Mroziak
In today's tech-centric world, higher education institutions stand at a pivotal juncture. They must prioritize two critical areas: community engagement and technology ethics. Both are vital to molding well-rounded, socially conscious graduates. Community engagement in higher education nurtures graduates who are not only knowledgeable but also empathetic and equipped to tackle global challenges. Such engagement bridges the gap between theoretical learning and real-world application, instilling a sense of responsibility in students to use their skills for the greater good.
Alongside, as technology permeates every academic discipline, addressing its ethical implications becomes paramount. Issues like AI misuse, data privacy, and the impacts of automation need attention. It's crucial that students not only acquire technical skills, but also an ethical compass to navigate these challenges. Integrating technology ethics in education ensures a generation that leverages technology for humanity's benefit, prioritizing welfare and equity over mere progress.
In essence, blending community engagement and technology ethics offers a comprehensive approach to higher education. This approach guarantees that graduates are experts in their domains and guardians of societal integrity amidst rapid tech advancements. This session will present strategies and global case studies, offering participants practical insights. Let's explore the future of education where community, ethics, and technology unite seamlessly.
Break
10:30 - 10:45 a.m.
Spotlight Panel
10:45 - 11:45 a.m.
Why Here, Why Now? The Changing Face of Manufacturing in Pittsburgh
MSA Auditorium
Moderator: Joe Cuiffi
Panelists: Jay Douglass, Mike Holtkamp, Haresh Malkani, Sherri McCleary, Matt Minner
From the first industrial revolution to the fourth, manufacturing has always been driven by innovation. In recent years, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and automation have rapidly transformed the advanced manufacturing sector, and Pittsburgh finds itself once again shaping the future of manufacturing. As manufacturing companies of today adopt advanced digital technologies, new quality will be created with an increasing demand for future-ready skill sets. In this panel discussion we’ll explore our region’s role in the changing face of manufacturing and how these changes are influencing expectations for the current and future workforce.
Concurrent Sessions 3
10:45 - 11:45 a.m.
1. i4.0: Accelerating Change across the Healthcare Industry
10:45 - 11:45 a.m.
Room 1121
Speaker: Ned Laubacher
i4.0 is the poster child for accelerating change within industries, schools, and social interactions. This session will explore the predictive changes of AI, IOT, and analytic insights across the complex healthcare industry, ranging from drug discovery, clinical trials, digital health, health insurance, medical care, payment models, and social determinants of health. Educators armed with these insights can then accelerate changes to their own teaching methods to rapidly prepare the next decade of healthcare talent.
2a. Global Goals, Local Impact: Project-Based Learning and Community Engagement
10:45 - 11:15 a.m. (Followed immediately by Rebranding the Internship: Collaborating with Faculty, Students, and Employers)
Room 2119
Speaker: Courtney Barbiaux, Personalized Learning Coach and Makerspace Facilitator, ABC CREATE Ambassador - Burrell School District
Using the 17 sustainable development goals as a foundation, this community-based project demonstrates how local businesses and members of the community can partner with students to plan an event and pitch a product or solution to a local issue. This project reinforces 21st century skills and fosters critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.
2b. Rebranding the Internship: Collaborating with Faculty, Students, and Employers
10:45 - 11:15 a.m. (Directly after Global Goals, Local Impact: Project-Based Learning and Community Engagement)
Room 2119
Speaker: Rosemary Martinelli, Business and Communications Lecturer, Internship Coordinator, Penn State Greater Allegheny
Internship is a key word in educational circles and chances are if you are reading this, you were an internship student at some point in your educational career. But internships have changed and so have the requirements and the processes for applying, searching for, and acquiring that special experience that caps off four years of studies. Come to this session to discover new things in the world of internships and how one school made changes to its internship program so that all students, regardless of major, had a fair and equitable experience and become career-ready for the "real world and Industry 4.0.”
Lunch and Keynote
11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
The maturation of artificial intelligence is transforming work and education at a rapid pace. How will the advances in human intelligence affect our lives in the future? How can machine learning and robotics be deployed to support, rather than detract from, student learning and human empowerment? Graduates of our educational institutions will shape our robot future and help us understand and manage the ethical implications of artificial intelligence. Promotion of technology fluency—the ability to be a developer and shaper, rather than merely a consumer, of these technologies—is the key to student success and personal fulfillment in the decades of change ahead. This talk will introduce a grammar for understanding the ways in which AI interrogates our identity as humans, and the ways in which we can prepare students for a challenging future.
Break
1:00 - 1:15 p.m.
Plenary Session
1:15 - 2:00 p.m.
Technology Alone is Not Enough: Why the Modern and Future Economies Need the Humanities
Great Room
Speaker: E. Michele Ramsey
Dr. Ramsey will talk about the core skills and knowledge learned in the humanities that employers want from all college graduates; discuss examples of how students with humanities backgrounds have succeeded in the technology sector; and explain why we cannot afford to ignore how the humanities speak to technology.
Break
2:00 - 2:15 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions 4
2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
1. Blid Cliq: A Project for Building Communication Skills through Play
2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
Room 1121
Speaker: John Balash
While there is already an exhaustive amount of hardware and software to be studied and tested (all important in their own right), there will always be the “next big thing” to be learned all over again. If that is indeed the cycle we’re headed for (think Moore’s Law), how might we approach building communications skills so that we can encourage lifelong learning where radical change in technology isn’t a hurdle, but an embraced opportunity for deeper learning? The Center for Transformational Play at Carnegie Mellon University is launching a play forward project to build cliques that strengthen communication, pride, and a sense of belonging, so the workforce is future ready. Join the session for an example of what play can do in creating meaningful relationships and deepen communication skills with a simple click (or few)!
2. AI-Powered Healthcare for People and Pets
2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
Room 2119
Speaker: Becky Morrow, Assistant Teaching Professor, Penn State New Kensington
The rise of artificial intelligence has brought breakthroughs in the healthcare of people and pets and has the potential to increase efficiency and accessibility and geographical challenges. In this session, we will look at how machine learning is leading to the ability to interpret data and can help in patient diagnosis and treatment.
3. Empowering Educators: Navigating the Coding and Innovation Frontier
2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
Room 2120
Speakers: Carmen Loughner and Addie Martz, Teachers, Franklin Regional School District
This session describes some of the tools that elementary school teachers use to seamlessly incorporate coding into their teaching, establish a student store, and unlock the potential of the Glowforge printer within their regular classrooms. We will describe the process by which educators gain a deep understanding of coding concepts and how to teach them effectively to young students, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills from an early age. In addition to coding, our program empowers teachers to create and manage a student store within their elementary schools. This hands-on experience not only teaches financial literacy, but also encourages entrepreneurial thinking among students, providing them with practical business skills that will serve them well in the future. Our training also delves into the innovative world of 3D printing with the Glowforge printer. Teachers harness this cutting-edge technology to enhance the learning experience, enabling students to design and create tangible projects that bring their ideas to life. By merging coding, entrepreneurship, and the power of the Glowforge printer, teachers are equipped with a holistic approach to 21st-century education, preparing students for success in an increasingly digital and creative world.
Break
3:15 - 3:30 p.m.
Roundtable Discussion
3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Defining Our Next Steps
2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
Great Room
Lead by: Allen Larsen, Interim Director of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Communications, Penn State New Kensington
Join us as we plan for the future of this project. Together we will determine the next steps and goals moving forward to address a collaborative approach to preparing the region for the future of leading-edge technology. We will look into what is needed and what we need to do together to help us make purposeful progress.
Saturday, October 14
Breakfast and Registration
7:45 - 8:15 a.m.
Deep Dive Sessions 1
8:15 - 9:30 a.m.
1. Incorporating Maker Technologies into Undergraduate Courses on Assistive Technology
8:15 - 9:30 a a.
Room 1122
Speaker: Richard Simpson, Associate Professor, Duquesne University
"Making" and "the Maker Movement" are central pillars of Duquesne's Assistive Technology Minor. Students in the minor complete a three-course sequence in which they learn to rapidly prototype assistive devices for people with disabilities. Students learn to develop smartphone apps using MIT AppInventor, design physical devices using Tinkercad, and build electronic devices using an Arduino microprocessor. In the third course of the sequence, students apply their skills by designing and building assistive technologies for children with disabilities at the Watson Institute campuses in Bridgeville and Sewickley. Examples of student projects from previous years include smartphone apps for teaching cause-and-effect, 3D-printed manipulation aids and a switch-activated device for putting items bought at the school store into a bag. In this breakout session, all three of these technologies will be discussed and examples of the students' work shown.
2. ChatGPT Integrations and Analytics for Beginners
8:15 - 9:30 a.m.
Room 2120
Speaker: Jay Burns, Associate Professor, Director of the Masters in Science for IT Management, and Chair of the Department of Technology, Analytics, and Mathematics at Seton Hill University
Navigating the world of AI can be daunting, especially for beginners. Enter ChatGPT, a friendly conversational tool equipped with powerful integrations designed to simplify analytics. This session is tailored for those new to the field, aiming to demystify the wonders of ChatGPT and its applications. Starting with the Data Interpreter, we'll explore how even those with minimal tech experience can effortlessly analyze databases and spreadsheets. Want to visualize data or run a basic query? We've got you covered! Next, we'll touch upon the Code Runner. Think of it as a supportive friend that lets you try out code in real-time, showing results instantly. Whether you've just started coding or are looking to understand a piece of code, this tool is your ally. We'll also introduce WolframAlpha, a digital genius that answers factual questions, does calculations, and even creates visual aids. When ChatGPT's conversational skills meet WolframAlpha's computational abilities, magic happens, even for beginners! A special segment of our talk will be dedicated to real-life examples. We'll share stories of how beginners, like many in our audience, used ChatGPT to solve basic analytics problems. But, as with all learning journeys, there are bumps along the way. We'll discuss moments when ChatGPT didn't have all the answers and, crucially, how to learn and move forward from such instances. If you're new to AI and analytics, this talk is your gateway. Join us as we embark on a beginner-friendly journey, unveiling the potential of ChatGPT integrations, celebrating small victories, and learning from challenges.
3. Equitable Future Readiness Requires Equity in the Classroom: Building DEI Practices into Your Teaching and Internships
8:15 - 9:30 a.m.
Room 2119
Speaker: Dawn Diehl, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Carlow University
Assuring equity in future readiness preparation requires assuring equity in teaching and learning. Participants in this collaborative workshop will learn strategies to integrate cultural humility and responsiveness in their classroom. Topics covered will include ensuring representation of diverse voices during course planning and curriculum building; navigating difficult conversations in the classroom; and integration of diversity in assignments and assessments.
Break
9:30 - 9:35 a.m.
Deep Dive Sessions 2
9:35 - 10:50 a.m.
1. Having Students Create Games to Learn, Teach, and Motivate
9:35 - 10:50 a.m.
Room 1121/1122
Speaker: Chad Wertley, Assistant Professor of Communication, Robert Morris University
Wish you could make learning geography as fun as “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” How about increasing patient adherence to the detailed treatment plan developed by healthcare providers? Improve the construction and management of security networks for enterprise assets? These are just some examples of what games can accomplish. While gaming is often thought of as entertainment, gaming is increasingly being used for more serious purposes in numerous fields, such as healthcare, education, sports, training, military, logistics, and cybersecurity. Game design integrates STEAM skills and socio-emotional skills, empowering students to create games that teach, persuade, and motivate. Game design endows students with numerous competencies that are transferable regardless of a student’s career path, including critical thinking, persuasive and motivational techniques, assessment and evaluation, and the iterative development process. This workshop session aims to teach attendees the basics of game design principles, and sample classroom project ideas to enable your students to create games that serve a purpose for their field of study/occupation, and the situations and needs specific to the field.
2. Growth Enabled Technology Integration: The Role of Mindset, Dialogue, Feedback, Strategies, and Support
9:35 - 10:50 a.m.
MSA Auditorium
Speaker: Ashley Orr, PhD Candidate, Carnegie Mellon University
When someone tells you, “I am not a tech person,” or “I don’t think we can improve our cognitive ability that much,” how do you respond? Do you notice similarity in these statements? Have you ever had a similar thought about yourself? This session confronts the challenge of holding and responding to fixed mindset statements. We review academic research which definitively shows cognitive abilities (and technological skills) change with effort. We discuss how statements like, “I am not a tech person,” reduce a person's willingness to engage with and innovate using new and potentially challenging technology. We describe an alternative mindset, a growth-oriented mindset, and show examples of its use in teaching and learning contexts. Finally, we discuss how to change the mindsets of ourselves, our peers, direct reports, and even our leadership. We practice responding to fixed mindset statements, designing growth-oriented training, lesson plans, assessments, and feedback. Attendees leave the session with concrete strategies of how to inspire and assess growth mindsets in their work and resources to implement these strategies.
Break
10:50 - 10:55 a.m.
Deep Dive Sessions 3
10:55 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.
1. Creativity with Arts & New Technologies
10:55 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.
Room 1121/1122
Speaker: Shana Simmons
This session is created to provide a few examples of new artistic practices and projects that have utilized filming in 360-degrees and volumetric capture technologies through choreographer, Shana Simmons', recent experiences. Simmons will detail the collaborative approaches to ways of using new technologies while addressing ways to think outside the box of our current practices. Participants will be taken through a short exercise of ways of physically viewing movement and how our perspective can change our interpretation and meaning. The creative possibilities of attaching meaning and understanding through the use of VR and immersive worlds will be discussed.
2. BotsIQ Cobot Challenge
10:55 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.
Room 1122
Speaker: Oula Ghani, BotsIQ Presenter
The BotsIQ Cobot Challenge introduces middle school students to in-demand advanced manufacturing and robotics careers in an exciting, hands-on program that challenges them to work together to identify and solve a problem using a collaborative robot. Participating students gain skills in four key areas: mechanical engineering and computer-aided design; electrical engineering and electronics; computer programming; and fabrication with machining and 3-D printing.
Informal Discussion Over Lunch
12:15 - 12:45 p.m.
Wrap up the day and the conference with this opportunity to share your thoughts and experiences over lunch. Discussion topics will be suggested by tables, or you can determine your own.
Meet Our Keynote and Plenary Session Speakers and Panelists (listed in alphabetical order)
Justin Aglio
AVP Penn State Outreach
Executive Director of the Readiness Institute at Penn State
Justin W. Aglio, Ed.D., serves as the associate vice president for Penn State Outreach and executive director of the Readiness Institute at Penn State. With more than twenty years of teaching and administrative experience in the public and higher education sectors, Aglio is dedicated to learner success through enabling education, industry, and community partners for future careers and civic contributions.
Prior to coming to Penn State, Aglio was an international award-winning educator, serving as a teacher, school/district leader, adjunct professor, and visiting scholar at Carnegie Mellon University. In his leadership roles, Aglio led several new initiatives, including the first K–12 artificial intelligence program in America, and was selected as a participant in the 2015 Presidential Maker Roundtable discussion at the White House.
His thoughts on academic achievement, equity, leadership, STEM, artificial intelligence, personalized learning, and innovation have been featured in such publications as Forbes, EdSurge, Education Week, the American School Board Journal, and School Administrator. Aglio has been a keynote speaker and presenter at a variety of national conferences, including ASCD, ISTE, FETC, the Mid-Atlantic Personalized Learning Conference, and OETC.
Aglio earned his doctoral degree in leadership and administration in education from Point Park University, his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from McDaniel College, a superintendent letter of eligibility from the California University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education from Waynesburg University.
Karen Alexander
Director, XRconnectED
After 11 years at Rutgers University, Karen Alexander leapt enthusiastically into the field of immersive technologies in 2016 and has remained there ever since. Her current work includes serving as a consultant for higher education institutions seeking to adopt XR (virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, and 360-degree video) for learning. She is a member of the Immersive Learning Research Network (iLRN) and has served on the expert panel for iLRN’s State of XR and Immersive Learning Report since 2020.
She is an expert advisor for the BFI Vienna University of Applied Sciences Virtual Worlds in Higher Education (VIWO) Project. Dr. Alexander curated and hosted the day-long WebXR Education Summit, featuring 54 academic and XR industry experts and with more than 550 registrants, on July 21, 2022. She has given dozens of talks on XR technologies and their applications across education and industry. Dr. Alexander also serves as Immersive Learning Consultant for MetaVRse, a Toronto-based XR startup, where she has had direct experience working with enterprise clients to develop 3D-on-web experiences. This includes developing training for service technicians to maintain complex medical machinery.
As part of the Virtual Dance Exchange Project (VDEP) in 2021, Dr. Alexander helped 3 choreographers conceptualize dance for 360-degree video and subsequently film site-specific 360 performances in the Pittsburgh area. Prior to the onset of the pandemic, Dr. Alexander worked with a number of community organizations in Pittsburgh to help children and youth learn to create with XR tools and to provide local residents with the opportunity to experience virtual and augmented reality for free.
Dr. Alexander earned her Ph.D. in English Literature from University College London in 2005 and holds master’s degrees in English, Philosophy, and Issues in Modern Culture.
Scott Bachik
CEO, The BI Collaborative
Scott has 30+ years of experience in healthcare, with a focus on strategic planning, organizational performance improvement, business intelligence (BI), and decision intelligence systems (DIS). He is an entrepreneur and senior executive with a strong history in leading healthcare, IT, and consulting businesses. Scott’s background has been focused on creating data-driven organizations to enhance decision making, improve innovation, and develop infrastructures to drive overall organizational performance. He has designed and implemented BI and DIS in over 300 healthcare organizations across the U.S. Scott is the co-founder and lead in delivering BI for behavioral health and human service providers through the creation of The BI Collaborative. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management from Carnegie Mellon University and his Master of Administrative Sciences from Johns Hopkins University.
John Balash
Head of Partnerships – Center for Transformational Play
Director of Educational Engagement, Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University
John Balash serves as the Director of Educational Engagement at the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) and Head of Partnerships at the newly founded Center for Transformational Play at Carnegie Mellon University, his alma mater. John’s work has led to the creation of numerous student and teacher initiatives incorporating experiences exploring the creative chaos of design and development, whether it be for hardware, software, or location based interactions. Beyond establishing in and out of school experiences, he focuses on the design and deployment of award-winning transformational technology innovations created at the ETC. John has near a decade’s experience in the classroom and has presented on the national and international stage on topics related to educational technology. John's most recent work revolves around using building toys to bolster social emotional learning through play. John holds a Ph.D. in Educational/Instructional Technology from Ohio University, a master’s degree in Entertainment Technology from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from Notre Dame College.
Joe Cuiffi
Associate Teaching Professorand EMET Program Coordinator, Penn State New Kensington
Dr. Joseph Cuiffi has served as the Program Coordinator for the Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology program at Penn State New Kensington since 2017. Starting his academic journey at Penn State New Kensington, he completed his B.S. and Ph.D. in Engineering Science in 2004, focusing on semiconductor devices and materials. His graduate work evolved into uses of nanotechnology for biomedical applications, which led to the founding and his serving as the VP of Engineering at NanoHorizons Inc. He then spent five years with Draper Laboratory developing devices for military medical applications and infectious disease study. Dr. Cuiffi began his teaching career at Florida Gulf Coast University in 2014 as an Assistant Professor of Renewable Energy, studying solar cell grid integration and promoting entrepreneurial activities campus-wide. Excited to return to Penn State New Kensington, his research now focuses on smart manufacturing and workforce development, taking pride in the continued evolution of Pittsburgh’s industrial roots.
Camille Dempsey
Coordinator - M.Ed. Advanced Study Program in Educational Technology and Online Teaching and
Associate Professor of Middle and Secondary Education,
Pennsylvania Western University
Dr. Camille Dempsey is an award-winning educator, scholar, and a cultural theorist who has been recognized for her work in the field of educational technology. She is an Associate Professor and the Coordinator for the M.Ed. Specialty Degree Program in Educational Technology and Online Teaching at PennWest University, teaching Edinboro, Clarion, and CalU graduate and undergraduate students.
Recently, Camille was selected as a Faculty Research Fellow in AI for the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and served as faculty in the ISTE K-12 Artificial Explorations program. She received a “20 to Watch” award from the ISTE and was a recipient of the Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications and Technology Association’s “Educational Technology Impact Award,” for her article, “The spirit of the times: Virtuality culture and technology-mediated human presence.”
Camille presents and publishes widely related to her research focused on founding the Theory of Virtuality Culture, as well as educational technology. Her work focuses on the ways society is connecting, exploring, and communicating through contemporary technologies, as well as how they restructure human consciousness and mediate human presence and connection. This is what grounds her research in artificial intelligence in education. Most recently Camille has been investigating intersections between generative AI, education, and contemporary virtuality culture. Her book, Once Upon a Chatbot: Fairy Tales about Artificial Intelligence is forthcoming, as well as several recent articles Camille contributed to on AI.
Chris Dolly
Director of Safety & Security, Eye-bot Aerial Solutions
Chris serves as the Director of Safety and Security and is responsible for maintaining Eye-bot’s compliance with regulatory and customer requirements, including drone safety in the field and with data security throughout the reality data processing pipeline. After graduation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Chris’ experience in aviation translated well into the field of UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) where he is able to apply the same safety and standardization practices to both field operations and data processing workflows.
In addition to these duties, Chris also manages photogrammetric data processing for Eye-bot, turning UAS imagery into highly-detailed 3D models that provide customers with actionable reality data of their assets. Chris’ experience in data capture and processing has been used to deploy Eye-bot’s methods to international subcontractors, creating a training curriculum that has been delivered to UAS pilots in 13 different countries in 2023. This effort has enabled Eye-bot to deliver Digital Twin models of 80 different terminal facilities worldwide for an oil & gas supermajor client.
Jay Douglass
Chief Operating Officer, ARM Institute
Prior to his time with ARM, Jay worked at the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. There, his focus was on developing business opportunities for technology development and technology transfer with commercial organizations. He most recently managed the SEI’s business in Europe. Jay has worked with a wide variety of software development and quality technologies.
Jay's educational background includes a B.S. in Business Administration from Miami University and an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh.
Mike Holtkamp
Enterprise Account Executive, Siemens Digital Industries
Mike Holtkamp is an Enterprise Account Executive for Siemens Digital Industries. He has been with Siemens over 30 years in various sales, marketing and management positions before devoting his energies exclusively to helping companies of all sizes embrace the opportunities of digitalization and Industry 4.0. Mike has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from WVU, advanced studies in International Business Policy from SUNY, and certificates in Digital Transformation and Smart Manufacturing from MIT. Most recently, Mike has been closely engaged with several manufacturing companies, helping them to integrate shop floor automation, OT communication networking, motion control and cloud based solutions. He is a founding committee member and Technology Advisory Board member for the Digital Foundry at New Kensington and a Technology Advisory Board member at PennWest University.
Ned Laubacher
CEO, Health Spectrum Advisors
Ned Laubacher has served the healthcare industry for over 30 years as regional CEO for acute hospitals, CAO for a Big 4 healthcare consulting practice, CEO for a 10-state region diagnostic imaging network, COO and M&A lead for a medical practice foundation, and CEO of a multi-industry consulting firm. He has also served as CEO for a start-up medical device, wound care product, private investment group, and healthcare consulting firm. He has led growth strategies and financial turnarounds throughout his career as both a chief executive and strategic advisor to health networks and major employers.
After implementing Medicare’s bundled payment initiative, Ned has advised both health systems and employers to implement value-based care programs, including direct contracts and health technology solutions.
Ned holds dual masters’ degrees from the Anderson School of Management and the Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. He also holds a Healthcare Leadership certificate from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and teaches consulting and change management through the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University.
Sherri McCleary
Executive Director, Penn StateNew Kensington’s Digital Foundry at New Kensington
Sherri McCleary joined the Penn State New Kensington team in late 2020 as the inaugural Executive Director of the Digital Foundry at New Kensington. Sherri comes to this role as an experienced executive leader with a strong passion for connecting people and technology to deliver real value. Her career spans more than 30 years of technology and business development experience driving strategy, technology transfer, and the launch of new business opportunities across markets including automotive, commercial transportation, aerospace, defense, energy/oil & gas, architectural products, and consumer electronics.
Prior to her current role, Sherri served as Director of the Additive Manufacturing Business at Kennametal. In this role she was responsible for launching a new “start-up” for the company based on 3D printing technologies for high-performance metallic materials in demanding industrial and energy applications. Prior to joining Kennametal, Sherri spent over 30 years with Alcoa, then Arconic. Her roles there included Director of Research & Development, leading a large R&D organization responsible for advanced materials, computational materials and process modeling, smart manufacturing, advanced analytics, automation, and additive manufacturing, and Vice President of Technologies & Operations for Alcoa Defense Inc., responsible for the capture and execution of defense technology contracts. Earlier in her career, she led aerospace materials and process development projects, led the development and implementation new material and manufacturing technologies with major automotive and commercial transportation OEMs, and managed an advanced manufacturing development group. Sherri’s accomplishments have been recognized through the award of U.S. and foreign patents, publications, corporate achievement awards, and an R&D Magazine Top 100 Award.
Sherri holds a B.S. in chemistry from Gannon University and an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, along with certifications in MBA essentials, Intellectual Property and Contract Law, and Technology Leadership.
Haresh Malkani
CTO, CESMII
Haresh Malkani was appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII) in March of 2018. In his role as CTO for CESMII, Haresh oversees the technology mission, road map and objectives of the organization. He will spearhead development of technologies spanning advanced sensors, controls, platforms, data analytics, modeling for manufacturing, and smart manufacturing standards and protocols. He will oversee the development and application of the nation’s first open, collaborative smart manufacturing technology platform for industrial applications. In addition, he will provide guidance on the institute’s technical program content for training and workforce development.
Haresh brings over 29 years of experience in an industrial RD&E environment covering development and deployment of smart manufacturing technologies including sensing, automation, control, modeling, simulation and analytics for applications in continuous, hybrid and discrete manufacturing operations. He comes to CESMII from a successful career at Alcoa/Arconic, most recently as Director, Digital Manufacturing & Automation Technologies. In this role, he was responsible for developing the strategy for smart manufacturing and deploying solutions that drove productivity in excess of $40M/year. His expertise in modeling, simulation, advanced sensing, automation, analytics, and visualization were key to developing the technical strategy, architecture, and approach. Haresh has a successful history of projects developing model-based control for several unit operations at Alcoa.
In addition, Haresh has been involved with the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition (SMLC) for over 8 years and most recently held the position of Vice Chairman. Haresh holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from Northwestern University and a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the Maharaja Sayajirao University (India).
Matt Minner
Director of Technical Services, Catalyst Connection
Matt leads the technology efforts at Catalyst Connection to support small and medium manufacturers across the region in exploring and implementing advanced technologies in their operations. He also is a project manager on several related grant programs with technology aspects such as AIM Higher and Digital Bridge. Prior to joining Catalyst Connection in 2017, Matt spent 15 years in the heavy equipment and mining industry, working and living in the Western U.S, and South America. Matt has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.B.A. and is fluent in Spanish.
Jordan Mroziak
Faculty & Senior Community Engagement Specialist, Center for Shared Prosperity, Carnegie Mellon University
Jordan Mroziak is a boundary spanning educator, who has worked equally in community engagement and education. Jordan is inspired by scholar-practitioners as divergent as Paulo Freire, Fred Rogers, Maxine Greene, and Bettina Love. Having earned his doctorate in Instructional Technology with an emphasis on creative applications of learning technologies and critical aesthetic pedagogy, his work emphasizes the thoughtful reimagining of teacher professional learning in order to best build habits around curiosity, empathy, equity, and joy. Jordan has presented at various national conferences including SXSWEdu, New Media Consortium, and the Connected Learning Summit. Most recently, his work for Carnegie Mellon University at CREATE Lab has deepened his passion for fostering community through relationships oriented towards dreaming a more just and equitable future into existence.
Illah Nourbakhsh
Executive Director, Center for Shared Prosperity; Create Lab Director, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
Illah R. Nourbakhsh is K&L Gates Professor of Ethics and Computational Technologies at Carnegie Mellon University, inaugural Executive Director of the Center for Shared Prosperity, and co-director of the Community Robotics, Education and Technology Empowerment Lab. He obtained his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University. In 2009, the National Academy of Sciences named him a Kavli Fellow and in 2013, he was inducted into the June Harless West Virginia Hall of Fame. He was previously Robotics Group Lead for NASA/Ames during the MER landings. In 2019, he was named a Hastings Fellow. He has co-authored textbooks and popular literature, including Robot Futures. He is a trustee of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, Winchester Thurston School, and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project. He is also a Director at Open Planet, a London-based Community Interest Corporation.
E. Michele Ramsey
Associate Professor, Communication Art & Sciences and Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, Penn State Berks
Dr. E. Michele Ramsey is an associate professor of Communication Arts & Sciences and Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies at Penn State Berks. She founded the Communication Arts & Sciences minor and major at the college, as well as co-founding a minor in Women’s Studies, a certificate in social justice, and the Keystone Certificate for Integrative Humanities. She earned her baccalaureate degree in political science and her Master’s in communication studies, both at the University of North Texas. She earned her Ph.D. in communication studies at the University of Georgia.
Her research foci are political communication, social movements, women’s public address, and advocation for the humanities. She was recently awarded a $375,000 grant from the Teagle Foundation and the NEH for her work on integrating the humanities into non-humanities degree programs and co-authored a book in 2020 called Major Decisions: College, Career, and the Case for the Humanities. She’s taught courses in: public speaking; conflict management; Identity, Citizenship, and the Rhetoric of American Horror Film; First Amendment law; women’s public address; feminist theory; gender and communication; political communication; communication and information technology; interpersonal communication; media literacy; methods of rhetorical criticism; and Black American political communication.
She's won a number of awards for her research, teaching, and service including: the 2001 Cheris Kramarae Dissertation Award from the Organization for the Study of Communication, Language, and Gender; the 2006 Penn State Berks Outstanding Faculty Advising Award; the 2009 Curricular Integration Award from the President's Commission on LGBTQ Equity at Penn State University; the 2010 Achieving Woman Award (faculty category) and the 2015 Rosemary Schraer Mentoring Award from the President's Commission on Women at Penn State University; the 2016 Junior League of Reading Community Partnership Award; the 2017 Feminist Teacher/Mentor Award from the Organization for the Study of Communication, Language, and Gender; the 2023 Anti-Racism, Intersectionality, and De-colonialism Teaching and Service Award, Penn State Berks; and the 2023 Penn State Berks Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award. She is also currently the Vice-President of the Reading Film Office Board of Directors.
Shana Simmons
Choreographer/Performer/Teacher
Adjunct Faculty, Point Park University, Part-Time Faculty, Seton Hill University
Shana Simmons holds a B.A. in Dance from Point Park University and an M.A. in Choreography from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Dance and Music. Simmons’ choreography has been seen in New York City, London, Belgium, Chicago, Boston, and Pittsburgh. She taught for the Internationally acclaimed National Dance Institute, founded by Jacques D’Amboise, for three years in New York City and is an independent teacher within the community along with being Adjunct Faculty at Point Park University and Seton Hill University. Simmons has typically performed in her own works since 2009 and was a nominee for the Carol R Brown Award (2016) and received Pittsburgh's Best Dance listings (2014/2015/2018).
Outside Performance Credits: NYC: Noemie Lafrance “Agora,” Alexandra Beller, Tomé Cousin, white road dance media. London: Flat Feet Dance Co, Stacy Abalogun, Nadine Doran-Holder Pittsburgh: Staycee Pearl Dance Project, Pittsburgh Opera, Atlanta Opera, Jamie Erin Murphy, Brady Sanders
Festivals: Revêrie Dance Festival, PEARLpresents Dance Festival, Spring Up Dance Festival, New Moves Festival, Three Rivers Arts Festival, APAP
Simmons is the Artistic Director of Shana Simmons Dance (SSD), a professional nonprofit organization based in Pittsburgh, PA. SSD aims to draw audiences into modern dance through immersive environments that highlight current societal topics. The company’s mission is to seek the advancement of quality dance performance and increased engagement with audiences through financially accessible interactive productions. The work relies heavily on partnerships and outreach to explore topics relevant to our community at large with a heavy focus on the integration of movement in education.
Colleen Smith
ABC CREATE Lead and STEAM Outreach Coordinator, Penn State New Kensington
As the STEAM Outreach Coordinator for Penn State New Kensington, Colleen Smith is currently focused on projects aimed at invigorating educational systems, empowering learners of all ages, and establishing partnerships. Guiding ABC CREATE (a collaborative of 14 school districts and a range of cross-sector partners invested in the next generation of learners through innovative STEAM education) and the GREAT Program (a unique Penn State New Kensington learning initiative), Colleen is grateful for growth opportunities through her involvements with Remake Learning, AAUW, PA Statewide STEM Ecosystem (PSSE), National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP), PA STEM Ambassadors, and the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT). At work, at home, and at play, Colleen desires to address inequities and to add humor and a bit of fun to daily interactions.
Kevin Snider
Chancellor, Penn State New Kensington
Dr. Kevin Snider has proudly served as Chancellor of Penn State New Kensington, a Commonwealth Campus of the Pennsylvania State University, since 2008. Under his leadership, the campus has become known for embracing innovation, creating a student-centered environment, engaging the local community and continuing its history of excellence. Putting the University’s land-grant mission at the forefront, the New Kensington campus has been the driver of major initiatives in K-12 education, economic development and entrepreneurship by leveraging partnerships and enhancing community revitalization, while also creating exciting and meaningful learning opportunities for students. Currently, Penn State New Kensington is at the forefront of creating a transferable model to prepare a Rust Belt community for the rapidly changing world, known by some as the fourth industrial revolution or Digital Age. Through the development of Nextovation™, an inclusive and collaborative initiative focused on real change and revitalization of the city of New Kensington in the new digital economy, Dr. Snider has engaged more than 30 corporate, government, educational, foundation and community partners. The goal of Nextovation™ is to build future sustainability by embracing and fostering innovation in every sector of business, education level, government and throughout the entire community.
Dr. Snider’s rise in administration and higher education began at American University where he was an adjunct faculty member and institutional research analyst. He then moved to Indiana State University where he served in multiple roles including director of institutional research and testing, assistant vice president of institutional research and assessment, and interim associate vice president for enrollment management before becoming chief of staff and executive assistant to the president for strategic planning, institutional research and effectiveness.
Dr. Snider received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in international relations from San Francisco State University and a Ph.D. in political science from American University.
Melanie Spare
Academic Enablement Director, Siemens Digital Industries Software Division
Melanie Spare is the Academic Enablement Director at Siemens Digital Industries Software Division which offers an integrated portfolio of software and services for electronic and mechanical design, systems simulation, manufacturing, operations, and lifecycle analytics across a broad spectrum of industry domains. Ms. Spare holds an M.B.A. in Finance and brings 25+ years of sales, marketing, and business development experience in the world of digitalization and automation to her current role in which she is responsible for empowering the next generation of digital talent through collaborative and innovative partnerships that help bridge the gap between technology, academia, and industry.
As an Academic Enabler, her current role allows her to pair her passion for education with her knowledge of industry to accelerate industry-academic partnerships resulting in a talent rich community of students ready for Industry 4.0.
Kirk Vogel
Director and President, Walnut Grill Holdings
Mr. Vogel brings over 23 years of restaurant and hospitality experience. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.S. in Neuroscience. He began his professional career in 1998 in New Orleans with a large coffee company opening cafes in the southeast. Mr. Vogel is currently a Shareholder, Director and President of Walnut Grill Holdings. He dedicates his time to Walnut Grill Holdings and is responsible for overseeing the operation of the ten Walnut Grill locations, managing the corporate office, and leading six members of the executive leadership team. In addition, Mr. Vogel oversees the expansion/leasing/financing and project management of new Walnut Grill locations. He is also a Shareholder of three sister restaurants to Walnut Grill: Shady Grove, Blue Sky, and Pizzaiolo Primo. Since 2001, he’s opened 18 restaurants, including one in April 2023. He lives in Wexford, PA, is married and has two children in the Pine Richland School District.
Sponsor
This program was prepared by SWPA New Economy Collaborative using Federal funds under award 01-79-15316 URI 121596 from U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.