Serving the Greater Good: Duquesne to Share Examples That Anchor Communities

Traditionally, communities look to higher education institutions as contributing research and intellectual property. But Dr. Alan W. Seadler, associate academic vice president of research, will discuss nontraditional ways that higher education institutions can work with neighboring disadvantaged communities.

Dr. Alan W. Seadler

Seadler will serve as a panelist addressing Leveraging Your Assets–The Role of Anchor Institutions at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 24, at the William Penn Hotel during a conference sponsored by the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group, a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing urban neighborhoods.

“We generally think of universities as fostering technology transfer, generating startup companies and sharing different intellectual aspects with communities,” Seadler said. “We don’t think in terms of buying power or in terms of what services we can offer communities.”

Seadler will discuss nontraditional contributions of Duquesne, such as:

  • Starting the Center for Pharmacy Services, the community pharmacy that filled a 10-year void in health care in the neighboring Hill District
  • Sending hundreds of students into neighborhoods to strategize with community partners and complete service-learning projects
  • Exploring how best to tap the buying power of the University and other institutions to benefit local startups, linking them into a wider service and supply chain.

“How can we be creative as institutions?” Seadler asked. “How can anchor institutions like Duquesne help to develop neighboring underserved communities?”

Five years ago, Duquesne invested in economic development by spearheading, with the Hill House Economic Development Corp., the Pittsburgh Central Keystone Innovation Zone (PCKIZ), in keeping with the University mission to serve neighbors. The PCKIZ has assisted 40 new and young companies, particularly in the Hill District and Uptown.

From success with the PCKIZ to service-learning initiatives, “It shows that a mid-sized research university can have a very positive impact on its neighboring communities,” Seadler said.