The inaugural Manufacturing PA Innovation Program Expo took place on Monday, April 8, 2019, at the Keystone Building Meeting Center in Harrisburg, PA. The event celebrated the power of Pennsylvania’s students to energize Pennsylvania manufacturing and also highlighted examples of teamwork among the Department of Community and Economic Development, industry, economic development, and higher education created by Governor Wolf’s Manufacturing PA initiative. 

The event attracted over 100 attendees, including faculty, Manufacturing PA student fellows, companies, legislative staff, and economic development partners. Company representatives from US Steel, LIA Diagnostics, AM21 Technologies, Ametek, and Advanced Research Systems.

Attendees enjoyed two panels, “Advancing Innovation and Enhancing Market Competitiveness,” and “Challenges and Opportunities in Training Tomorrow’s Manufacturing Workforce.” Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman spoke about the importance of manufacturing in PA, and Phillip C. Yu, the Director of Corporate Science & Technology Initiatives and Operations at PPG Industries, Inc., gave a keynote speech about innovation’s significance in PA, as well as the crucial role that universities play in advancing research and development activities. To conclude the Expo, Manufacturing PA student fellows competed in a poster session, with winners announced in the Graduate, Undergraduate, and Overall categories.

  • Lt. Gov. Fetterman shaking hands with Neil Weaver at the podium.
    Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman with Neil Weaver, the DCED Executive Deputy Secretary.
  • Lt. Gov. Fetterman pictured with about thirty students outside the capitol in Harrisburg.
    Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman with the 2018-2019 PA Manufacturing Fellows.
  • Tim McNulty handing a gift to the keynote speaker at the podium.
    Keynote speaker Phillip Yu, Director of Corporate Science & Technology Initiatives and Operations at PPG Industries, Inc., with Tim McNulty, Associate Vice President of Government Relations at Carnegie Mellon University.
  • Badamo speaking to the room from the podium.
    Tony Badamo, President of Hazleton Casting Company.
  • About 40 people from a portion of the room at the expo.
    The audience at the 2019 Manufacturing PA Innovation Program Expo.
  • Four people standing with a poster.
    Markus Chmielus (a professor at the University of Pittsburgh), Drew Elhassid (Chief Metallurgist at General Carbide), and two manufacturing fellows, Katerina Kimes and Pierangeli Rodriguez de Vecchis, posing with a University of Pittsburgh project poster.
  • Student in a suit standing with his poster.
    Manufacturing fellow Jingyang Xing with the Lehigh University project poster.
  • One of the tables at lunch during the expo with about ten people engaged in a discussion.
    Lunch discussion at the Manufacturing PA Innovation Program Expo.
  • A map of Pennsylvania that has markers noting where each of the partner companies are located. There are a lot of markers in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, with a few in the middle of the state.
    Map of Pennsylvania showing the partnerships between the Manufacturing PA Innovation Program projects and PA manufacturers.

    • Best Poster Winners 

    An example poster of one of the projects. You can read only the headings, "research objective," "motivation," and "approach." It also says "Temple University" in the top left.

    Source: Manufacturing PA Innovation Program

    Temple University project poster from the PA Manufacturing Program Expo.

    Undergraduate category

    Casey Bate, Christie Hasbrouck, Elizabeth Gaughan, Jackson Craig and Austin Hankey
    Penn State University
    Project title: "Next Generation Castings – Integrating 3D Sand-Printing for Revamping Pennsylvania Foundries"
    PIs:  Guha Manogharan and Paul Lynch

    Graduate/undergraduate category

    Chukwuemeka Chikelu, Engy Khoskit and Brennan Coleman
    Drexel University
    Project title: "Enhancing Surface Area and Sensor Sensitivity through Electrospinning"
    PI:  Caroline Schauer

    Graduate category

    Titus Reed, Jivtesh Khurana and Lindsay Mitchell
    Penn State University
    Project title: "Additive Manufacturing of Functionally Graded Medical Devices"
    PIs:  Mary Frecker and Todd Palmer