Penn State Intercom......January 18 , 2001
Governor
delivers
$30 million for center at Erie
Gov. Tom Ridge has delivered $30 million -- the largest-ever state capital investment in Erie County history -- to build the Research and Economic Development Center (REDC) at Penn State Erie, allowing the college to combine the physical and intellectual resources of its two professional schools to create a powerful and catalytic regional asset for economic development.
Planning for this state-of-the-art center dates back more than 10 years, and construction was designated as a high priority by the Erie Conference's Community Coalition in 1996 and again in 1999.
"This vital investment will result in new, knowledge-based jobs in Northwestern Pennsylvania," said John Lilley, provost and dean at Penn State Erie. "The REDC will be an outstanding regional resource with close ties to Knowledge Park at Penn State Erie, and it will provide support for a variety of collaborations with other colleges and universities in the region."
The 160,000 square-foot academic building will house Penn State Erie's School of Business and its School of Engineering and Engineering Technology. Through education and training programs and research and technology transfer projects, researchers from all of the region's colleges and universities, as well as company representatives, will have access to REDC facilities and specialized, high-tech equipment.
"Today we make a powerful pledge to our talented young Pennsylvanians: 'Stay here. There's work here,'" Gov. Ridge said. "For too long, we've watched as our best and brightest have left Pennsylvania for opportunities that didn't exist here. But, today, those opportunities -- those good-paying jobs -- can be found right here at home."
Ridge noted that the creation of the REDC will allow Penn State Erie to offer Information Sciences and Technology (IST) programming to Northwest Pennsylvania. Due to a lack of space, Penn State Erie is the only Penn State location not offering the popular IST program. The IST programming -- including computer engineering, computer science and software engineering -- would complement the programs at Gannon University, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Mercyhurst College and other higher education institutions in the region, providing a major locational attraction for information technology businesses and services.
The teaching, research, and outreach activities housed in the REDC will support Knowledge Park at Penn State Erie, including attraction of future Knowledge Park tenants. Since its dedication in fall 1999, Knowledge Park has created more than 100 new jobs and retained 100 others for the region. The REDC will be located on the east side of Jordan Road, adjacent to Knowledge Park.
In October 1999, Ridge released $2 million for Knowledge Park, bringing the Commonwealth's commitment to the technology, research and commercial park to nearly $13 million.
The REDC will create a model of integration for business and engineering learning environments. Penn State Erie already has received a $176,000 grant from the GE Fund to initiate this process (see story on page 19). Integrating the efforts of the School of Business and the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology will enable graduates to operate more successfully within a small-business enterprise and in a high-technology environment.
The building will house many of the college's applied research centers and provide space for programs such as the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program, Ben Franklin Technology Partners and the Plastics Technology Deployment Center. It also will include space to encourage and enhance faculty, staff and student entrepreneurship. Penn State Erie hopes to expand its support of specific industry clusters, such as metals-related, foundry-related and plastics-related manufacturers.