Impact

Heard on Campus: Pa. secretary of economic development praises Penn State

Pennsylvania Secretary of Community and Economic Development Dennis Davin speaks to higher education leaders gathered at Penn State on June 17, praising institutions of higher education for their role in driving economic development across Pennsylvania and the United States. Credit: Rick Brandt. All Rights Reserved.

UNIVERISTY PARK, Pa. — Dennis Davin, Pennsylvania secretary of community and economic development, shared strong words of praise for the role of colleges and universities in strengthening communities and driving economic development during the 2019 joint meeting of the Commission on Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) and the Council on Research (CoR) of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU).

“Across the commonwealth and across the country, we’re seeing universities become more and more engrained in their communities, and that makes all the difference for our residents and the business owners located there,” said Davin, addressing the higher education leaders gathered at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center on June 17.

“In my department, programs like our Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career grant, our manufacturing innovation program, and our workforce and economic development network simply couldn’t exist without our college and university partners to help administer and implement these programs on the local level,” Davin said. “These programs are giving our workers the skills they need to succeed in their careers. This collaboration between all sectors — private, public and education — is a model that’s working all across America, and the more we do it, the more universities embed themselves in the local community, the more successful we will be in strengthening our communities, growing the local economy and retaining talent.”

Davin also praised Penn State in particular for the Penn State President Eric J. Barron’s commitment to driving economic development across the commonwealth.

“I want to commend President Barron for his leadership on this issue. He’s been a strong advocate for increased collaboration between business, education and government sectors, particularly to advance student entrepreneurship,” Davin said. “Programs like Invent Penn State are sparking innovation in ways we haven’t seen before, utilizing our best and brightest students to research new technologies and push our economy forward.”

The APLU — a research, policy and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico — appointed Barron to a leadership role in 2017 for his tireless efforts in support of community engagement and economic development. The 2019 APLU joint meeting between CECE and CoR continues through June 19 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center.

To learn more about Penn State’s commitment to community engagement and the role of universities in fostering discovery, entrepreneurship and economic development, click here to read Barron’s recent op-ed in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Last Updated July 17, 2019