In an interview with Invest:, Scott Fech, head of school at Winchester Thurston, emphasized the school’s focus on thoughtful AI adoption and deep community ties through its City as Our Campus program. “We recognize that our job is to prepare students not just for college but for life beyond school, and that includes navigating a future where AI will play a key role,” Fech added.

What changes in Pittsburgh’s educational landscape have had the greatest impact on Winchester Thurston School this past year?

There are two major developments that come to mind. First, Pittsburgh Public Schools are working on a plan to restructure and reconfigure their system, set to roll out in fall 2026. Some preliminary information has been released, but the details and final timeline remain unclear. Depending on how families respond to that reconfiguration, it could significantly impact the broader educational landscape. Should the reconfiguration proceed, independent schools may see a surge in demand for admissions. 

Second, artificial intelligence is a major focus for us. While there’s still so much we don’t know about it, our faculty and staff are embracing AI through professional development and policy creation. We’ve implemented an AI policy to guide its use, keeping in mind both its benefits and the ethical implications. For several years, our Upper School has taught a course titled Machine Learning and the Ethical Implications for AI and so we have been ahead of the game in integrating this into our curriculum. 

We recognize that our job is to prepare students not just for college but for life beyond school, and that includes navigating a future where AI will play a key role. We want them to understand when and how to use it responsibly.

What makes Pittsburgh an ideal location for your school, and how does it stand out from other educational markets?

We have a signature program called “City as Our Campus™,” which was created out of necessity. Our school is located in a residential area of Pittsburgh, and we’re landlocked — we don’t have large athletic fields or room to expand. Rather than see that as a limitation, we turned it into an opportunity.

Because we’re so close to incredible resources — museums, tech companies like Google and Apple, and higher ed institutions like Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, Chatham, and Duquesne — we’ve built partnerships that are essential to our curriculum. This isn’t about occasional field trips or guest speakers; our faculty design curricula that depend on those city-based experiences to meet academic goals. These experiences begin in junior pre-K and continue through upper school. If we weren’t located in a city with such a rich cultural, academic, and technological ecosystem, City as Our Campus simply wouldn’t be possible at the scale and depth we’ve achieved.

How are you leveraging increased recognition and demand to remain focused on excellence?

We remain deeply mission-focused. We’re not chasing trends that don’t align with who we are. That focus includes thoughtful admissions, looking for mission-appropriate students who want to think deeply about learning, the future, and their communities.

Several years ago, we made the decision to transition away from the Advanced Placement curriculum. It didn’t align with our mission or allow for the kind of experiential learning we value. For example, AP courses don’t account for our City as Our Campus model, which integrates real-world, community-based projects.

Our students’ academic profiles may look a bit different from traditional college prep schools, but they stand out in the college admissions process because of their research projects and unique experiences. We’re committed to reimagining learning and rethinking time and space — two pillars of our strategic vision.

We’ve also received two educational leadership grants from the EE Ford Foundation, becoming only the second school to be awarded twice. Our most recent grant supported the launch of Access Innovation, a summer program bringing together WT students and Pittsburgh Public School students to explore accessibility issues in the city for young people with physical disabilities. This is how we scale our program and give back to the community that supports us.

What does the teacher and staff talent pool look like in Pittsburgh, and how are you attracting and retaining top educators?

Our goal as administrators is to remove obstacles so teachers can do their best work, even before they recognize those obstacles themselves. We’re fortunate to have extremely low faculty attrition. Out of roughly 95 to 100 faculty members, we hired only four this year — two of those were new positions due to program growth. Our teachers have the freedom to be creative, pursue professional development, and get the support they need for their courses. They may sacrifice a bit in salary compared to public schools, but they gain professional autonomy and get to work with remarkable students.

We’re finalizing a comprehensive workload and compensation study to ensure our faculty have balanced responsibilities and are market-competitive in compensation and benefits. We want them to feel valued and fully supported in their work.

How is technology being integrated into teaching and administration at Winchester Thurston?

This is still evolving. There’s a lot coming at us, and we’re learning how to leverage technology without compromising our core values, especially the personalized relationships we build with students and families.

We’re not using AI to grade student work, make hiring decisions, or evaluate admissions. Those are areas that require a human touch. However, we are exploring automation to improve efficiencies in processes like onboarding, communications, and admissions follow-ups.

In the classroom, we’re supporting faculty in using AI to enhance differentiated instruction. For example, rather than creating all supplemental materials from scratch, a teacher might use AI to generate a framework they can customize. This saves time and allows more focus on assessing student work and providing meaningful feedback.

What are your top strategic priorities for the next two to three years?

One major focus is strengthening our internal community. We’re still navigating the aftereffects of the pandemic, and we want to build even stronger connections across all parts of the school. This year, we’re starting with a unique kickoff for faculty and staff that involves City as Our Campus experiences to break down departmental silos and foster cross-campus relationships.

Second, we’re nearing the completion of our $21.5 million capital campaign. This has helped fund our new building, a kitchen and dining renovation, middle school upgrades, and an expanded endowment — now exceeding our $7 million goal. The endowment is critical to our long-term sustainability.

Finally, we want to grow the Access Innovation program. The pilot was a success, and now we’re exploring how to expand it to middle and upper school students, potentially beyond summer into evenings or weekends. It’s a powerful way to make our program more accessible and impactful.

Finishing our compensation study is another priority. Ensuring our faculty and staff are appropriately compensated and supported is key to attracting and retaining the talent our students deserve.

Matthew Stoessel, president of Central Catholic High School, spoke with Invest: about holding the school and its students to a higher standard of learning. “Families from all over Western Pennsylvania, and from many different backgrounds, send their sons here.”

What changes have significantly impacted Central Catholic over the past year?

The most significant recent change has been the restructuring of our school’s administrative model. For the first time in 13 years, we have moved away from the traditional single-principal structure and reinstated a president/principal leadership model. Given the size and complexity of our operation, having only a principal is no longer sufficient. As president and chief executive of the school, my primary role is to ensure that the principal can focus entirely on the academic mission, specifically education, curriculum, and faculty development. I oversee other critical areas such as finance, facilities, admissions, marketing, and alumni relations.

We are proud to be the largest Catholic high school in our diocese and the only all-boys school in Western Pennsylvania. Just down the road is Oakland Catholic High School, our all-girls counterpart.

In the private school sector, one of our ongoing challenges is enrollment, especially given the strength of the local public school districts. Communicating and demonstrating our unique value proposition is essential to our continued success.

Additionally, as some of our long-serving faculty members have recently retired, we are actively bringing in new, younger educators to carry our mission forward and bring fresh energy to our classrooms.

As Western Pennsylvania’s only all-boys school, what unique advantages does that distinction bring to your mission and student development? 

At an all-boys school, there are leadership opportunities that may not be available at other schools. It allows us to focus on what it means to be a man who is responsible to the world. In some cases, we have unrealistic expectations because we demand a lot of them from an academic and service standpoint. The Christian Brothers, who have overseen the school for almost 100 years, say that students enter to learn and leave to serve. An all-boys setting is unique for that approach. Families from all over Western Pennsylvania, and from many different backgrounds, send their sons here. 

Are there any current or planned collaborations with nearby higher education institutions in place?

We have very strong, neighborly relations with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Duquesne University, and the University of Pittsburgh. The faculty in our STEM programs has friends at CMU who allow us to utilize their facilities. The University of Pittsburgh has been working with our robotics program. We are constantly seeking opportunities for additional collaboration. Duquesne is the largest Catholic higher education institution in Western Pennsylvania, and over 20 of our graduates enroll there every year, more so than any other institution. There are programs and buildings at Duquesne named after our alumni, and many of our alumni have become faculty members there. We have alumni who have established scholarships at Duquesne specifically for Central Catholic students. It is a very special relationship.

What trends or challenges are you seeing in education, and how is the school’s leadership team addressing them?

Many schools are undergoing consolidation because there is a lower number of school-aged children. We are seeing growth in young professionals, but not a lot of families. It’s important to help people understand our value proposition. When they pay tuition to send their son here, we establish high expectations. When boys leave here, whether it’s to go to a public school or another private school, they say it’s much harder at Central Catholic. We wear that sentiment as a badge of honor. Many schools are challenged to lower their standards and expectations to fit within social norms. We hold true to our higher standards and develop men of faith, scholarship, and service. 

What are your main priorities over the next three to five years?

I take pride in being the first layperson and alumnus to serve as president of the school, and I understand the weight that my position carries. We are in an exciting time in the history of our school as we approach our 100-year anniversary. We have an opportunity to set ourselves up for the next 100 years. Our intention is to send boys to college, and more than 97% of our graduates enroll in higher education. In many cases, we are sending young men to institutions around the United States, but 75% of them return to the Pittsburgh area. Pittsburgh people love Pittsburgh, and Central Catholic graduates love it more and want to come home to make a difference in the community. Our hope is that alumni come back and continue the Central Catholic tradition by sending their sons here.

Megan Nagel, Regional Chancellor at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, Penn State Greater Allegheny, and Penn State New Kensington spoke with Invest: about developing career-ready students for local and regional employment opportunities. “We are committed to high-quality internships, allowing students to build social capital, workplace experience and connections with professionals in their fields of interest,” Nagel said. “Given the high demand for workforce in the area, it’s a win for everyone involved.”

How is Penn State Greater Allegheny preparing to play a larger regional role with the closures of nearby campuses like New Kensington and Fayette?

We are taking our location seriously and thinking deeply about how we are aligning the needs of learners, of all ages, with the workforce needs of this region. The Commonwealth campus’ bread and butter is educating the workforce in the region. With the closure of New Kensington and Fayette, we are focusing on expanding within our neighborhood to capture a wider footprint and ensuring our curricular suite aligns with the needs of learners and employers.  

What steps are being taken to evaluate and potentially expand academic offerings to meet future demand from students and regional employers?

Penn State has completed a years-long, deep dive academic portfolio and program review and is starting to benefit from the tremendous data set that was delivered. We are analyzing future growth, student demand, and current program enrollments, among other things. We are creating a comprehensive view of what works at each location, what could benefit from an update, and what our portfolio might be missing. Penn State is a large, complicated system, and we benefit from integrating our local Pittsburgh portfolio with other regions in the state. Our goal is to deliver programming across multiple locations to serve the needs of the Commonwealth. 

How will you balance growth opportunities at Greater Allegheny with the need to maintain strong morale and mission-focus during this broader transition?

Greater Allegheny is small, and we can’t be everything to everyone. We work as a team to identify priority areas. There are sectors in the  Pittsburgh region that are poised for growth.. It’s not just about having academic programs, in these emergent areas, it’s also important to know who our learners are. At our campuses, more than 50% of the students are first-generation students, many of whom are from low-income backgrounds. We have to ensure the education we are providing is one that is a strong return on investment, because for many of them it is a tremendous sacrifice to pay for their education.  It’s important that our degree offerings lead to a life-sustaining wage after the completion of their two- or four-year degree. 

How is the university engaging with local leaders and communities to reimagine the future use of closed campus sites in ways that benefit the region?

For each community losing a campus, the needs of those communities are unique. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. There will be conversations between Penn State leaders and community leaders to brainstorm ideas and find alignment, to ensure that what remains after Penn State is serving the needs of the community. 

Taking a broader look at the economy, how have ongoing changes in the market impacted your campus?

Everything is evolving quickly, and was accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online and hybrid programs became a natural choice for many people. The big university experience is currently quite  attractive to students, therefore smaller, comprehensive institutions have to fight for their future. We are listening to both our learners and our employers. If we aren’t a conduit between those two audiences we are missing the mark. A four-year commitment can feel like a long time to young people, and we are looking for ways to get students educated and into the workforce.  But we also want to provide a smooth transition back into education, when needed. We want our campus to be the place students return to when new credentials or skills are required.   

In what ways are you positioning Greater Allegheny to be a hub for innovation, student success, and economic mobility in Southwest Pennsylvania?

The campus is engaged in a robust student success initiative, defined by more than graduation rates and GPAs. We are also tracking, from day one, how we help students find their trajectory beyond college. Many of our students don’t have parents who attended college and are not working in professional settings. We see it as a mandate to educate more than just within the classroom by giving them social capital and the means for upward financial mobility. The final component is students’ sense of belonging in higher education. We track how students feel connected to their peers, faculty, and staff on campus. It’s vital to know who we are serving and ensure we are meeting the basic needs of our students. As far as career planning, we go all-in on high-quality internships, allowing students to build social capital and connect with professionals in their fields of interest. We have a large alumni network in many fields throughout Pittsburgh. Given the high demand for workforce in the area, it’s an easy conversation to have with employers.

What is your outlook for the second half of the decade, and what would you like to see accomplished on campus over that period?

The last five years have been marked with instability and pressure from many different directions, in higher education. In the next five years, I want to see adaptation leading to a level of stability and enrollment growth. With all of the changes that have happened at Penn State we have the opportunity to fill out our academic portfolio to best meet the evolving workforce needs of our region. I want potential students to recognize that our campus is aligned with the needs of local employers. We must stay laser focused on meeting the needs of our community to ensure it is poised to thrive into the future.

In an interview with Invest:, Father Paul Taylor, president of Saint Vincent College, discussed the institution’s regional and global influence, and emphasized its role in fostering cultural and educational exchange. He also highlighted the college’s commitment to balancing modern academic programs with traditional liberal arts to develop well-rounded thinkers. “We are engaging the best of these emerging fields while maintaining the foundation necessary for a bright, critical thinker to engage the world and have a successful and meaningful life,” he said.

How do you assess Saint Vincent’s overall economic and cultural impact on the region?

Saint Vincent is a regional, national, and international institution that has monks, faculty, and students from around the world, and yet most of them are from our region here. It is important that we maintain an international perspective so that our students have the opportunity to learn about the entire world.

We are a strong destination for cultural, sporting, and educational events. A survey done a few years ago showed the number of guests who come to visit Saint Vincent totals 294,000 per year. People come from all over to be a part of our campus and to visit. That is important to us, both because our mission and Benedictine values are built on hospitality and community, and because it shows how Saint Vincent and our region mutually support each other economically. 

How we welcome our guests and the quality of events they experience also matter. We strive to make every experience the best we possibly can so that the welcome and engagement with our guests is at the highest level.

What have been some of the significant milestones and achievements for the college over the past year?

We provide an education that is not swayed by fads. Our strong mission and Benedictine stability mean that people can trust us to deliver the highest possible quality according to the needs around us. For instance, we recently established new majors and expanded existing academic programs in nursing, engineering, aviation management, data science, business data analytics, and cybersecurity because those are what is needed by our society and our world. Yet, we refuse to eliminate the most crucial, centuries-old, tried-and-true humanities, liberal arts, philosophy, and theology programs that are so important for critical thinking among our students.

Additionally, we engage the world positively with growth that is based on centuries of stability, allowing us to provide the best possible service to our students. In both our students and our faculty, we are attracting the best of these emerging fields while maintaining the foundation necessary for a bright, critical thinker to have a successful and meaningful life. That is what is important to us.

We are also very grateful for the many people and organizations that support us. With their help, we will soon have three new buildings under construction: the Dunlap Family Athletic and Recreation Center, Rhodora and John Donahue Hall for our nursing program, and a project to expand our library and media center. With the help of our alumni and friends, we continually strive to provide opportunities for our students to grow.

What makes Western Pennsylvania’s academic environment different from other parts of the country?

There are many colleges and universities throughout Pennsylvania, and there are many independent colleges and universities in southwestern Pennsylvania. This reflects the broader landscape across the state, so there are many choices for students. What is important about all these institutions, including Saint Vincent, is that each has a unique mission and approaches student engagement differently. At Saint Vincent, we believe in the strength of our stability, community, and academic quality. Students will appreciate what they can find here amid the choices available in our region.

We believe the quality of education and the combination of our academic majors with a strong core curriculum in the humanities are critically important for student success. As we look at the region and higher education as a sector, we believe Saint Vincent stands out among others because of our unique mission and the way we care for our students.

As a faith-based institution, how are you integrating Catholic identity into the student experience and institutional mission?

In faith, religion seeks the truth, and in education, study and the scientific methods also seek the truth. Because both faith and reason seek the truth, their purposes and goals cannot be in conflict. At Saint Vincent, we ensure faith and reason walk hand in hand with our students, guiding them in their pursuit of truth.

We encourage them to ask every possible question, even questions they never thought they would ask, and to keep working toward the truth: the truth about their academic subject, the world, themselves, and God. Discovering all the good things before them is the truth that matters.

Are there specific partnerships with regional employers or new collaborations that enhance career readiness and experiential learning?

Saint Vincent College engages numerous partnerships that benefit our students, faculty, and community. These collaborations are mutually beneficial. For example, our long-standing partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have held their annual summer training camp on our campus since 1966, has positively impacted the region economically and culturally. We also partner with the city of Latrobe and surrounding areas for economic development, employment, and student engagement. Additionally, I am proud of our new partnership with Pepperdine University. They approached us due to our strong programs in political science, public policy, and business. This partnership allows our students to more easily pursue master’s degrees at a top-ranked national university in Pepperdine University, broadening their perspectives.

Our international partnerships, including those with Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan, Sogang University in South Korea, and monasteries worldwide, connect our community globally, advancing education and society for both our students and the world around them.

What is your outlook for higher education in the region, and what are Saint Vincent’s top priorities for the next few years?

We will continue to push back against the idea that liberal arts are not valuable. On the contrary, liberal arts prepare students for better jobs and advancement, due to skills in reading, writing, communication, and critical thinking. Misconceptions in media and public opinion can hurt students’ choices, but Saint Vincent College stays focused on its core purpose.

The higher education landscape is changing, and institutions face many challenges. Colleges swayed by trends risk instability, which is why a strong mission is essential, l and we will continue to work together to overcome these challenges. The higher education sector is best served when institutions clearly articulate their mission, educational value, and student outcomes. At Saint Vincent, we believe our community, degree programs, and holistic education provide students with successful careers and meaningful lives.

In an interview with Invest:, Karen Riley, president of Slippery Rock University, discussed the university’s strategic growth, student success initiatives, and industry partnerships. She highlighted how Slippery Rock’s focus on retention, academic innovation, and community engagement has positioned it as a leading regional institution. “Our strategic plan goal was to increase retention by 0.5% year over year for five years. In our first two years, we have increased retention 4.8%, from 81.6% to 86.4%, far exceeding our goals and achieving university records each year,” said Riley.

What specific changes have taken place at Slippery Rock University over the past year, and how have they impacted the university or community?

This was the first full year of our new strategic plan, “Slippery Rock University, The First Choice.” The plan helped us focus and lean further into improving the experience for our students, faculty, and staff, while also changing how we engage with the community and position the university for the long-term future.

A core component of our strategic plan is focusing on the student experience, with a commitment to excellence and academic innovation. This includes increasing our retention. The most expensive degree is one that is not finished. If you come to Slippery Rock, we expect you to graduate. 

Our strategic plan goal was to increase retention by 0.5% year over year for five years. In our first two years, we have increased retention 4.8%, from 81.6% to 86.4%, far exceeding our goals and achieving university records each year, and far exceeding the national average of 77%. This transformative growth is a testament to our culture and our deep commitment to student success from faculty and staff. We achieved this growth by investing in our students––increasing our number of student success coaches, consolidating student support activities, and tracking students’ progress to ensure their success. This was a culture shift and area for celebration.

How has the university evolved the profile of its student body?

We are ranked No. 2 for selectivity in the Pittsburgh region, behind Carnegie Mellon, which reflects our focus as a regional public university on student experience and teaching. Our mission isn’t about exclusivity and worldly status like you might find at an Ivy League school. We aim to enroll first-generation and local students so that they can become engaged citizens in their communities and contribute to economic growth in our region and state.

A key factor in our ranking was our exceedingly high conversion rate, meaning that if you are accepted to Slippery Rock, you’ll likely attend. This aligns with our strong retention rate. We ensure students can thrive here and can actually attend. We have top financial aid experts who help optimize aid. For students not meeting initial academic criteria, we partner with Butler County Community College, providing a pathway back to Slippery Rock and a four-year degree. It’s not “Sorry, you’re out,” but “We want you; we’ll find a path.” This speaks to our culture of providing great service for students and families and investing in their future.

What do these success stories suggest about Slippery Rock University’s position within the broader landscape of higher education in Pennsylvania?

Our strategic plan aims for us to be a first-choice institution, beyond just a university. We want students and families to feel they can get a great education and receive care that empowers them to succeed. As a large employer in Butler County, we also want to be a first choice for our faculty and staff, recognizing their crucial role.

We strive to be a first choice for employers; they praise our graduates, confirming our students are well-prepared. We are mutually committed to creating a great workforce. This cycle leads students to choose us, knowing they’ll secure great jobs.

Higher education’s future depends on industry partnerships. Our “third arm” of academic enterprise focuses on certificates and professional development, offering non-traditional paths to credentials. Despite the “enrollment cliff” of fewer traditionally-aged college students available, we recognize that people at all stages in their careers require continuous learning. We enable this dynamic by partnering with organizations like the Carpenters Union for member development. We are fortunate to be on an upward trajectory in a challenging market.

What partnerships with local businesses or economic development initiatives have made the biggest difference in the community?

Our developing project with the Carpenters Union is amazing. It’s a new area highlighting the importance of collaboration and preparing their members for career advancement and continued success. Several other industry partners have also supported and shaped our instruction. For instance, our top-tier safety program benefits from our corporate partner MSA Safety, which provides equipment and guides curriculum. Industry changes rapidly, and we must listen more than dictate. Leaders now approach us, asking us to train students on new technologies and methods.

Another example is University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Health System, which is a great partner. For our physician assistant, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and healthcare administration programs, UMPC has helped identify needed skills and technologies. They allow students to practice hands-on in their facilities and their members teach on our campus, ensuring graduates are well-prepared. These strategic partnerships are the future of higher education, and we are excited to be leading in that space.

Which of these projects have had the most immediate impact on student recruitment, retention, or even just their overall experience and enjoyment of campus life?

All these efforts had a profound impact in the past year. Slippery Rock is investing in facilities in a two- or threefold way. Many higher education institutions have underinvested in infrastructure. We are delving into that because students need reliable internet, HVAC, heat, and water. Contrary to past criticisms of higher education as a luxury environment with “lazy rivers,” we see campus improvements as investments in the student experience. For example, turfing fields and building a new women’s softball facility on par with the men’s baseball field was important for equitable, comparable spaces. Given Pennsylvania’s unpredictable weather, turfing fields allows more consistent practice time and less field maintenance. Our strategic plan’s Pillar 3, community engagement, means our fields are also used by young people in the community who are not yet Slippery Rock students. We serve as a community hub, offering high schoolers and travel teams a first-choice university campus experience. We want them to think, “Wow, higher ed could be for me, and I want it to be Slippery Rock.” Investing in contemporary labs also ensures students are well-prepared. The collective impact is about investing in our student, faculty, and staff experience.

As the university plans for its next phase of growth, which areas — graduate education, online learning, or applied research — are emerging as top strategic priorities?

We’re expanding and adding new programs this fall, including a 1+2+1 nursing program. Students spend their first year at Slippery Rock. Years two and three involve getting their RN degree through community college as joint students. After the third year, they can work as a registered nurse or return to Slippery Rock to finish their BSN online, either immediately or over time. This reflects that not everyone is on the same timetable, offering flexibility and faster workforce entry. This partnership involves the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and the Community College of Beaver County (CCBC).

We’re also excited about two new engineering programs: electrical engineering and construction management, which is new to the region. Construction management combines safety, civil engineering, business, and new courses into a new degree. The market suggests this will be a thriving program, as students previously had to go out of state for this credential.

Looking ahead, what are your key goals and strategic priorities for Slippery Rock University over the next two to three years?

We have a five-year strategic plan to increase retention, ensure market-responsive and contemporary degree offerings, and remove student barriers to success. We also need varied revenue streams for financial independence in a tough market. We have launched the quiet phase of a comprehensive campaign, the university’s first in 30 years, to foster a culture of philanthropy through gifts and grants.

The most exciting part is the third arm of our academic enterprise, where we’re exploring new programs like a referee certificate program to address shortages in youth sports. This offers students an additional credential and work opportunities, building capacity where needed.

Another exciting initiative is an apprenticeship program in the College of Education to address teacher shortages. This model allows individuals to become classroom teachers through on-the-job learning. We received an almost $600,000 grant to initiate this program, part of a national apprenticeship model for teachers. We aim to facilitate human development, providing consistent, nimble structures for lifelong learning, changing the university’s trajectory.

Carey McDougall, regional chancellor of both Penn State Beaver and Penn State Shenango, spoke with Invest: about the campuses becoming integral partners in the growth of Western Pennsylvania. “We are entering a new phase in Beaver County where we will see significant and transformative development . Penn State Beaver will be offering degrees connected to the industrial growth in the region and will help feed the workforce with our internship students and graduates,” McDougall said.

What key changes over the past year have impacted Penn State and higher education, and in what ways?

Higher education is going through significant and unprecedented changes, specifically in relation to how the demographics related to high-school graduates are declining. In addition, the pandemic and our current polarized political atmosphere, have greatly influenced how people make decisions about the future of their lives. 

These are exciting challenges to face because we have an opportunity to make paradigmatic changes in higher education. Higher education needs to do a better job of clearly articulating the return on investment that a college degree provides., bringing more clarity to the advantages of obtaining a degree and how it changes the trajectory of one’s life, both in terms of career opportunities and personal growth. Given the rapid changes of technology and globalization, our day-to-day jobs are changing faster than ever before. Higher ed is in a unique position to set up our students to thrive as agile employees who can teach and apply themselves to any task through creative and critical thinking, particularly as jobs adapt to changes so quickly. Articulating attractive career paths for graduates is a major focus for Penn State Beaver, especially in relation to industry growth in the region. The access to different types of in-demand degrees and professional credentials in specific careers available at Penn State Beaver can lead to lifelong success for our graduates. 

How is Penn State Beaver addressing the challenge of attracting talent and developing workforce pathways, especially given its proximity to Pittsburgh?

One of the things that the smaller campuses across the state do well is impact their communities. For example, I serve on the board of the Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development which brings economic development and industry to the county, Penn State Beaver paves pathways to higher education to fill workforce needs for those industries. We work together as we are committed to attracting more young families to the area.

Partnerships with businesses are also important. For example, Shell invested billions into a new polyethylene plant just a few miles from campus. As a result, I meet with Shell leaders on a regular basis to find ways to partner. Shell leadership comes into our classrooms to talk to students about different challenges and successes at the plant, and how the economic development of Shell impacts the region. With our new Keystone Animal Diagnostic Lab coming this fall, we are also committed to helping agriculture in other ways, too. One of those ways is partnering with Penn State Extension, which is located on our campus, on a project with a local cattle farmer who wanted to introduce and study the effects of best management practices, such as establishment of a riparian buffer. The farmer, currently working with funding from local and state agencies, is in the process of implementing a riparian buffer on the property and we are collaborating with the farmer and experts from various organizations to provide opportunities for our students to study the effects of these practices. The riparian buffer should prevent and filter organic matter from entering the stream located on the farm. We have an excellent environmental resource management faculty member working with a small group of students on independent studies with the farmer.

What can you share about your sustainability efforts and partnerships with local industry?

We have many small partnerships that add up to a large impact. For example, we were able to reduce the costs associated with caring for and maintaining a large section of the campus grounds by partnering with a generous donor to embark on turning a portion of our on-campus acreage into a sustainable, biodiverse meadow over a three-year period, with trails and signage designed by our biology students. We have also partnered with Penn State Extension on this project, to use the meadow as a teaching lab as we develop it so other members of the community can learn how to transform turf into sustainable meadows. In addition, faculty in our biology program are out in the community doing research on sustainability and regional plant life with community partners, including Reforest Our Future and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. And Penn State’s College of Agriculture received a $6 million allocation from the state in 2025 to bring the Keystone Animal Diagnostic Lab to the campus, where farmers in Western Pennsylvania can bring specimens and livestock to diagnose issues. STEM and 2+2 agriculture students will be able to help in the lab and get hands-on experience.

What are the main challenges facing Penn State Beaver in the current environment, and how is your campus turning those challenges into opportunities?

There are three higher education institutions in Beaver County, including Penn State Beaver, the Community College of Beaver County, and a private institution, Geneva College. Together, we have a consortium called Bridges and Pathways which focuses on creating clear pathways for all Beaver County students into higher education and simultaneously helping economic development by filling workforce needs. We are focusing this year’s work on identifying what will attract young families to the region and partnering with Flourish Beaver County to ensure youth of all ages have an excellent wellness and education experience in the county.

The average rate of retention in higher ed and years to graduation have much room for improvement in higher education. One of the ways our faculty and staff are approaching this challenge is by utilizing AI to become more efficient at simple tasks and focusing more time engaging with students to provide the one-on-one assistance that they need in order to be successful. Penn State’s new provost is committed to all first-year students becoming AI-literate during their first year as well as all employees over the next year. These are challenging but exciting times because we have the chance to set the course for higher education for the next 50 years. 

Looking ahead to the next two to three years, what are the top goals and priorities for Penn State Beaver?

Our top goal is to clarify how our degree portfolio is attuned with career opportunities in Western Pennsylvania, across Pennsylvania, and across the nation, as well as with student interest. We will continue to do this by being in conversation with industry partners.
A second goal is to improve student retention and graduation rates through effective student success practices. This includes meeting students where they are, providing them with engaged learning opportunities that connect to career potentials, and ensuring that they have holistic support in and out of the classroom.

And lastly a third goal is to have more community impact. We want the entire community to be able to clearly say how Penn State Beaver has impacted their lives. There is significant industry investments being made in Beaver County and Western PA that are building on Shell’s footprint, and will benefit greatly from the modernization program at the Pittsburgh International Airport. For example, Mitsubishi Electric Power Products has broken ground on their new advanced switchgear facility, creating opportunities for our engineering students. We will continue to partner with these industries to explore educational opportunities for our students and help meet the career needs of the region.

In an interview with Invest:, Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, dean of the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon, emphasized AI’s sweeping influence. “Across the board — from operations to instruction to outreach — AI has become deeply embedded in everything we do,” Bajeux-Besnainou said. From curriculum design to operations, the Tepper School is reimagining business education through interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world integration, she added. 

What changes in the national or regional business landscape have most influenced your programming and priorities over the past year?

AI is unquestionably the biggest driver of change. At Carnegie Mellon University, and particularly at the Tepper School, AI is everywhere. Regardless of discipline, nearly every faculty member is involved with AI in some way. It’s part of engineering, computer science, the arts, and, of course, business. At the Tepper School, we think about AI in multiple dimensions. One is operations — how we run the business school itself. We’ve been intentional about using AI tools to improve efficiency so our people can focus on more meaningful tasks.

For example, our admissions team is about to launch a generative AI tool on our website that allows prospective applicants to ask questions and receive real-time answers. These are often repeated questions — about curriculum, financial aid, or program structure — and using AI to handle them frees up our staff to have deeper, more personalized conversations with candidates.

In the classroom, we’re seeing AI integrated both as subject matter and as a teaching tool. Our research faculty are using AI in their methodologies, and we’re actively teaching AI as it applies to business. At the same time, we’re leveraging AI to innovate how we teach. One of our most exciting initiatives is focused on building interactive cases tailored to specific learning objectives. These cases are being developed directly with faculty to bring more dynamic learning into the classroom.

On top of that, we’re expanding access to AI education beyond traditional students. We already work with companies through custom executive programs, but soon we’ll launch an AI for Business online course in partnership with CMU’s School of Computer Science. It’s a comprehensive offering with 24 faculty members contributing to teach AI from a business perspective. Across the board — from operations to instruction to outreach — AI has become deeply embedded in everything we do.

How is Tepper School supporting interdisciplinary learning, particularly for professionals seeking flexible or nontraditional formats?

Interdisciplinary learning is part of the DNA of both the Tepper School and Carnegie Mellon as a whole. Many of our faculty hold joint appointments or are affiliated with schools like Computer Science or Engineering, and that collaboration shows up in both teaching and research.

Physically, our building reflects this ethos. Though it opened in 2018, it still feels quite new, and what makes it unique is its design. Two-thirds of the space is occupied by the Tepper School, while the remaining third is used by other parts of the university, including the School of Computer Science, the Dietrich College of Humanities, and the campus-wide entrepreneurship center. Even the university’s admissions center is located here, and there’s a large food court at the core of the building, all intentionally placed to create a central hub for interdisciplinary activity. 

We’ve also broken-down internal silos. Unlike most business schools, we don’t have physical divisions by department. There’s no finance wing or separate marketing corridor. Faculty from different disciplines sit side by side. An economist might be next to a marketing professor or someone in organizational behavior.

How does Tepper’s location in Pittsburgh influence the school’s direction, and how are you engaging with the local business community to shape your priorities?

Being in Pittsburgh plays a major role in how we shape our strategy and partnerships. One of our core values is collaboration, and that extends beyond academia into the corporate world. We are deeply engaged with local businesses and have strong ties with companies headquartered in the region. A great example of this is our partnership with PNC Bank. We host the PNC Center at the Tepper School, which serves as a hub for collaborative efforts. Through that relationship, we work on joint research, executive education, and student projects. Our students take on capstone experiences that directly connect them with real-world business challenges at PNC, which is incredibly valuable for their learning.

This type of engagement helps us ensure our curriculum remains relevant to what businesses need. We want our students to graduate not only with strong academic foundations, but with a clear understanding of how those skills translate to industry. Partnerships like the one with PNC are key to keeping that alignment strong. And it’s not just about large corporations. We also work closely with the broader ecosystem — startups, nonprofits, and community-focused organizations — to keep our ties to Pittsburgh deep and meaningful.

From your perspective, what are the region’s greatest strengths and opportunities?

I would highlight two sectors that stand out: healthcare and higher education. Pittsburgh has a very strong healthcare presence, anchored by institutions like UPMC and Allegheny Health. These two systems create a dynamic environment through competition, which drives growth and innovation. When you walk around Pittsburgh, you see hospitals being renovated or built almost everywhere. It’s clear that healthcare is a vibrant and expanding industry here.

At the same time, Pittsburgh is very much a university town. Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh are the two largest institutions, but the region is home to several others that contribute to a rich academic landscape. The presence of so many universities fuels innovation, particularly in areas like technology, entrepreneurship, and the life sciences. That innovation, in turn, spills over into the local economy. 

Our own entrepreneurship center, the Swartz Center, is housed within the Tepper School’s building, and it serves as a university-wide resource. This proximity fosters the kind of interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration that makes Pittsburgh such a compelling place for business. It’s a city where ideas move quickly from academic research into practical applications, and that’s a major advantage for investors and entrepreneurs alike.

How does Tepper build partnerships with Pittsburgh’s business community, and how do those collaborations shape your institutional priorities?

Our approach is rooted in collaboration, both across university disciplines and with local industry. The PNC Center at the Tepper School exemplifies this model: through it we engage PNC Bank in research collaborations, provide real-world learning through student capstone projects, and design custom executive education programs for their leadership. These initiatives ground our academic programs in practical business challenges while offering fresh perspectives and human-driven, data-informed insights that inform teaching and research. It’s a reciprocal partnership where academic rigor meets business relevance and both benefit profoundly.

With the rise of AI, how is Tepper adjusting its educational strategy to ensure students remain ethical, critical thinkers in a technology-rich world?

That’s central to how we think about the future of education. It is not just about staying current with technology, it’s about holding on to the very qualities that make us human. Our guiding principle is “The intelligent future, data informed, human driven.” We build our curriculum around the belief that while AI may grow ever stronger, we must ensure human judgment grows stronger still. For example, ethics is woven deeply into our MBA program. We believe AI should serve humans, not replace human initiative or decision-making. Maintaining human agency amid advancing technology remains non-negotiable at the Tepper School.

I frequently ask myself how we will teach students five or 10 years from now. As AI becomes more intelligent, our challenge is ensuring that human teachers, human thinkers, also evolve. We want to prepare learners to critically assess, cross-check, and apply AI — not just use it mindlessly. That means emphasizing values like ethics, critical thinking, and judgment. Education should inspire human agency, not erode it. That vision guides our thinking at the Tepper School and across Carnegie Mellon.

In an interview with Invest:, Josh Caputo, founder, president and CEO of Humotech, pointed to tariff challenges and slowed federal R&D as key pressures, prompting global expansion and diversified funding. “We’ve always maintained some diversity in funding sources, but this environment has pushed us to think more globally and seek out new customer types and revenue streams,” Caputo said.

What recent changes have had the biggest impact on Humotech?

Two key issues stand out for us: tariffs and supply chains, and federal funding for R&D.

On the supply side, it’s the usual small-business challenge: things suddenly become more expensive and we need to respond quickly to keep the business moving. It’s not an existential threat, but it does create an added layer of complexity. We’re agile enough to shift our manufacturing sources, but it’s extra work. Platforms like jiga have been helpful for us — they make it easier to compare sourcing options and timelines across countries. That’s made the impact of tariffs more manageable.

Federal funding has been a different kind of challenge. We haven’t seen direct funding cuts, but there’s been a noticeable slowdown in spending from institutions we work with — organizations like the University of Pittsburgh that rely heavily on federal dollars. So, even if a project isn’t canceled, the uncertainty causes delays in purchasing and decision-making. It’s had a ripple effect.

We’ve always maintained some diversity in funding sources, but this environment has pushed us to think more globally and seek out new customer types and revenue streams. It’s been a tough year, but one we’re navigating. Things are looking promising for 2026, at least based on what we’re hearing.

What recent milestones have helped Humotech gain momentum?

A few things stand out. First, we’ve started selling more internationally — into Canada and Europe — and we’ve formalized a relationship with a distributor, Bio-Connect, in The Netherlands. That has helped expand our footprint across Europe and exposed us to new healthcare models, which has been insightful. The way healthcare is structured in other countries is quite different from the United States, and that’s sparked some new ideas for how we can approach clinical adoption.

We’re also seeing increasing visibility of our work in the research community. We just celebrated our 10-year anniversary, and receiving the Goel Award for Translational Research in Biomechanics felt especially meaningful. It came from the American Society of Biomechanics, which is the same community I engaged with as a Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon University. It’s a recognition of the long, steady work we’ve done to build credibility and trust. That kind of milestone helps fuel the next decade.

How do industry conferences shape your partnerships?

These events are vital to innovation. When ASB 2025 was held in Pittsburgh, it was a great opportunity to bring people into our city — many for the first time. Pittsburgh isn’t typically a destination for these types of conferences, so hosting one here gave us a chance to show off the city, the facilities, and the community.

It was amazing to hear people say, “Wow, I didn’t realize Pittsburgh was this beautiful.” The reception on the rooftop of the convention center with views of downtown and the sunset — it made an impression. More of that would be great for the region. Personally, I try to show up, engage, and remind people what makes Pittsburgh special.

On the industry side, it’s an opportunity to deepen relationships with researchers, clinicians, and partners. We often end up in conversations that spark future collaborations, and being based here gives us a home-field advantage when people come to visit.

What barriers do you face in bringing lab innovations to clinical use?

It’s hard — everywhere, not just in Pittsburgh. But we do have some big advantages here: a world-class technical university in CMU, a world-class medical school at Pitt, and major health systems like UPMC and AHN. That’s a special combination.

The challenge is bridging those silos, encouraging cross-functional, cross-departmental, and cross-institutional collaboration. It’s not always easy to walk down the hall, let alone across town, and build meaningful partnerships. There’s also a lack of dedicated funding to support those kinds of collaborative efforts.

We’ve spent over a decade building relationships, especially with the U.S. Department of Defense and Veteran Affairs. Those partnerships have been essential to our success. They bring scale, stability, and resources, and we’ve been able to co-develop solutions that really matter.

It’s not a formula, it’s just hard work. It means sending another email after the last one didn’t get a reply, showing up again, building trust. It takes time. Healthcare innovation doesn’t move fast, so you need persistence.

What’s your pitch to investors and why should they be picking you as their safe bet?

Our main focus is helping people with lower-limb loss. We’ve developed a platform that enables rapid data collection and personalization of prosthetic devices.

Traditionally, prosthetic selection has relied on clinician intuition, but that approach is under increasing pressure from payors. There’s a push toward value-based healthcare, where outcomes and evidence drive decisions, not just professional opinion. Our technology supports that shift.

We’ve completed a federally funded clinical trial, tested our approach with hundreds of patients, and proven the platform’s safety, validity, and efficacy. Now we’re deploying in real-world clinical settings, focusing on cost-effectiveness, workflow improvements, and usability.

We’re refreshing the product to make it more lightweight and user-friendly, with plans for an initial commercial release next year and a full release the year after. We’re actively looking for investors and product development partners, particularly those with experience in medical device design, manufacturing, and scaling.

The global prosthetics and orthotics market is larger than people realize — around $15 billion, with 850,000 lower-limb amputations each year and 300,000 prosthetics delivered. There’s a big gap we can help close.

How is Humotech navigating workforce and talent needs?

We’re part of a wave of robotics, automation, and AI being applied to workforce shortages, especially in prosthetics, where skilled clinicians are stretched thin. There’s a generational shift happening, and younger clinicians expect to use data and technology in their practice. Our timing is good — we’re ready, and the market is calling for it.

Internally, we haven’t faced major hiring challenges yet. We’re small and fairly niche, so the people who want to work in this space often find us. Most of our team has come through professional networks or direct outreach.

We’ve used a lot of fractional talent — consultants, part-timers, 1099s — to get specialized skills without ballooning the full-time team. That’s been effective. Pittsburgh has a great community of those kinds of professionals.

Where we’ve at times felt strain is on the manufacturing side. Our production needs come in waves, so it’s not steady enough to support a full-time team of technicians. That’s made it tricky to scale. Shared prototyping spaces, like the Tech Forge from Innovation Works, have been hugely helpful. You can access equipment and expertise without carrying the overhead.

What support does Pittsburgh’s innovation ecosystem need most right now?

Founders here often have to travel to raise capital — go to New York, Boston, or the West Coast — then bring it back. That’s fine, but it’s costly and time-consuming.

What I’d love in Pittsburgh are more local investment institutions focused specifically on healthcare technology, especially translational-stage work, where research is being turned into clinical products. That’s where the gap is. Early-stage and late-stage funding are more accessible. The middle is tough.

I’m just one voice among many making this point. It’s a common challenge in our space. We need more targeted support at that critical stage between lab validation and market entry. That’s where a lot of promising tech gets stuck.

In an interview with Invest:, Chandan Sen, director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, discussed translational science, workforce inclusion, and space biomedicine. “Scientific leadership can’t just focus on discovery and commercialization. It also must ensure that new opportunities are accessible to all,” said Sen.

What changes has the institute experienced over the past year?
One of the biggest changes over the past year was the establishment of a strong clinical research infrastructure, not only in Pittsburgh but throughout Pennsylvania, including rural areas, and extending into Maryland. We now collaborate with 20 hospitals across Pennsylvania, with a network of research staff wide enough to collect data across different socioeconomic strata, acknowledging that lifestyle has a major effect on health outcomes.

Another milestone is that McGowan now hosts the NIH’s national Diabetic Foot Consortium in Pennsylvania. I serve as national vice chair and incoming chair. Over the next five years, a key goal is to reduce diabetic amputations, which are rising sharply, not only causing suffering but significant economic burden through lost productivity and extended care. The consortium requires enrollment from rural and urban populations alike.

At the same time, in response to reductions in federal research funding, we have begun repositioning to partner with for‑profit entities and to raise market‑based funding. Thanks to our dean, we launched Pitt.INC, designed to package promising projects into spin‑out companies, advance them to a point of market readiness, and attract investment. In effect, we are adapting to a changing “business of science.”

Recently, in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon and other local institutions, we have formed agile “strike teams” that cross institutional boundaries. Projects are chosen based on public impact, and team composition is fluid, drawing expertise wherever needed.

Which emerging breakthroughs in regenerative medicine excite you most, and how close are they to clinical use?
The FDA’s Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation has become a critical accelerator: there are now hundreds of RMAT‑labeled products in the pipeline, and many have reached the market. This pathway demonstrates how regenerative therapies can move through regulatory processes more efficiently.

However, not every promising scientific advance will translate immediately into a commercial product. Much of what appears remarkable in journals must go through rigorous de‑risking before it reaches clinical use. That said, several current market products, especially in cell and gene therapies, are impressive in their own right.

Tissue engineering is advancing rapidly, particularly with 3D bioprinting. A burgeoning area is in vivo tissue reprogramming: converting existing tissues, such as skin or fat, into the types of tissue that have lost function, for example, blood vessels or nerve cells. This approach bypasses the need for stem cells and lab manipulation. At McGowan, we pioneered in vivo reprogramming, turning abundant tissue into needed tissue directly in the living body. We have published results in creating blood vessels and nerve cells this way, and additional applications will be published soon. One of these is being spun out via Pitt.INC.

Historically, McGowan has had clinical impact through extracellular matrix–based products in wound care and cardiovascular devices initiated by our scientists. That tradition continues: our priority is impact, not merely academic publications.

Another major development is integrating artificial intelligence into regenerative medicine. We now partner locally, including with Carnegie Mellon and private firms, to develop AI systems that accelerate design, testing, and implementation of biomedical solutions.

As regenerative medicine advances, what role do you see for Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania in that future?
The state of Pennsylvania has committed to building around McGowan a robust healthcare and biotech economy. McGowan is not just an academic department; it is intended as a responsive engine for local health needs.

In the past, professors who wanted to commercialize would have to form companies individually and seek funding on their own. Now, with structures like Pitt.INC, faculty are guided toward market pathways with institutional investment support. Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine is backing this model, reducing the burden on individual investigators.

Moreover, UPMC Enterprise, which is the health system’s technology evaluation arm, has become a significant investor in technology development. So, there is a dual scaffold: Pitt.INC and UPMC Enterprise. These structures support principal investigators who may lack experience in commercialization.

While many efforts focus on biomedical devices and related interventions, this ecosystem can foster greater translational success. The infrastructure and commitment in Pennsylvania position Pittsburgh to play a major role in shaping the future of regenerative medicine.

Why is community-based care important in reaching underserved populations?
Community engagement is critical, especially when reaching underserved populations. I chair the national consortium’s community engagement section, and we’ve built a strong local program to match.

In our clinics, we serve about 20,000 unique patients each year. Yet the highest-risk individuals, often African Americans from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, were rarely attending. To address this, McGowan began holding events in Black churches, offering free foot screenings and health education.

Many in these communities have a deep-rooted mistrust of research due to historical abuses. We focus on relationship-building by inviting community members onto advisory committees and maintaining a consistent presence in their spaces. In the past six months, we’ve seen a significant increase in participation.

We’ve also launched creative outreach tools like the “Rock Your Socks, Check Those Knocks” campaign, distributing socks printed with foot care tips and QR codes linking to educational animations. People are using them, scanning the codes, and coming into the clinic. Some patients are uninsured, so we partnered with hospitals to provide free care when needed. Nurses and doctors visit churches and offer screenings with no insurance required. Sometimes flexibility is necessary to ensure care reaches those who need it most.

Community engagement wasn’t my original area of expertise. But I recognized a need, learned on the job, and asked for help. People stepped up. Governors, local leaders, Democrats, and Republicans alike have offered support. There’s no political divide here — only a shared commitment to serving people who have been left behind.

How is the institute building economic inclusion through workforce development in rural areas?
In rural Pennsylvania, we’ve focused on direct engagement. I recently held public meetings in counties like Forest County, among the most economically disadvantaged in the state. We met in schools, gathered local leaders and industry representatives, and received enthusiastic support.

That led to the development of the ARISE (Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies) – BARMA (Biotechnology and Regenerative Medicine Advancement of Appalachian Economy. This federally funded program, backed by the governors of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, is designed to create biotech career pathways for high school graduates and two-year college students.

ARISE-BARMA is not a traditional academic route. It’s a skilling and apprenticeship model aimed at immediate employability. More than 50 companies and universities are participating, working together to deliver training and job placement throughout rural regions in both states.

This reflects a larger philosophy. The healthcare economy is growing rapidly, fueled by aging demographics and advancing technology. But without targeted inclusion, only the highly educated will benefit, leaving the rest behind. That gap is already contributing to social unrest.

As someone who came from a blue-collar background and immigrated to the U.S., I see the consequences of exclusion clearly. Scientific leadership can’t just focus on discovery and commercialization. It also must ensure that new opportunities are accessible to all, especially in communities that have historically been overlooked.

What are the institute’s top scientific and economic priorities over the next five to 10 years?
These priorities are deeply connected. Scientific innovation, in my view, is the engine of economic development. Repeating old models will not keep pace with global advances. Innovation is no longer concentrated in the West. Countries like China are investing and accelerating at scale. Technology has leveled the playing field, so the advantage now lies in ecosystems, not geography.

Pittsburgh has that ecosystem. With institutions like Carnegie Mellon, McGowan, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, which is the largest academic health system in the country, we are in a strong position. We’ve chosen several key focus areas: extracellular matrix technologies, tissue engineering, and 3D bioprinting. These efforts are supported by existing intellectual property and a robust translational structure.

Tissue reprogramming is another priority. We are developing methods to transform common tissues, such as skin or fat, into needed tissues like blood vessels, nerve cells, or even insulin-producing tissue beneath the skin. One such innovation, now commercialized, can detect blood glucose and release insulin automatically, eliminating the need for injections.

Because disruptive innovation often moves slowly through regulatory pathways, we maintain a balanced portfolio. Some projects, such as collagen-based solutions, carry less risk and move quickly. Others, with greater long-term impact, require more time.