SVC Collaboration Hub — Final

SVC Collaboration Hub

Meeting logistics, external partners, proposals, and funding references — in one place.

Point of Contact: monikac@rand.org
Meeting Notice & Logistics
Aurelius Hall • October 9, 2025
Today ⌄
Room
2nd Floor Conference Room (or 1st-floor rooms), Aurelius Hall
Arrival
Monika arriving ~11:45 AM ET
Contacts
• Lana Dillon — Facilities Coordination
• Monika Cooper — monikac@rand.org
External Potential Partners
Regional access, convening, pilots
Partners ⌄
James (Jim) L. Smith — President & CEO, Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland (EGCW)
jsmith@egcw.org • Cell: 724-433-7180 • Office: 724-830-3604
Resource: Inflection Point — Future of Work
Maria Fattore — Director, Entrepreneurship & Workforce Innovation, Pittsburgh Technology Council / FortyX80
mfattore@pghtech.org • 724-622-1808
Web: pghtech.org • fortyx80.org
Proposals (Index)
Jump to detailed briefs below
Proposals ⌄
RK Mellon Foundation — Funding & Partnership Models
Eligibility • Rolling cycle • Collaboration options
RKMF ⌄
Programs & Timing
Eligibility Snapshot
• Organizational Effectiveness typically requires prior RKMF funding within the last three years.
• Project Support under Economic Development/Economic Mobility is commonly used for applied studies and pilots.
Primary Contact
Gabriella C. Gonzalez, Ph.D. — Program Officer
Email: ggonzalez@rkmf.org • Phone: (412) 392-2825
Web: rkmf.org/funding-programs
If SVC Is Not Eligible for OE
• Proceed via the Project Support tracks; and/or
• Structure a collaboration with Maria Fattore (PTC/FortyX80) or Jim Smith (EGCW) aligned to project goals.
Additional Funding References (AI & Workforce)
Links to guidelines & programs
Funding ⌄
Open Philanthropy
Grants database: openphilanthropy.org/grants
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Programs: sloan.org/programs
EA-aligned Funds
Research Team — Saint Vincent College
Alex G. McKenna School of Business
Team ⌄
Dr. Michael Urick — Dean
michael.urick@stvincent.edu
Dr. Justin Petrovich — Associate Professor; Chair, Marketing, Analytics & Global Commerce
justin.petrovich@stvincent.edu • 724-805-2424
Dr. Terrance D. Smith, DBA — Assistant Professor; Graduate Director (MSMOE); Executive Director, Kennametal Center for Operational Excellence
terrance.smith@stvincent.edu • 724-805-2509 • Aurelius Hall 122
Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics & Government
Mark P. Kachmar — Executive in Residence, Operational Excellence (Performance SME)
mark.kachmar@stvincent.edu
Dr. Monika Cooper — Leadership Narratives & Performance Outcomes; Strategy Implementation & Execution
monikac@rand.org
Key Resources & References
Regional reports & publications
Resources ⌄

AI, Innovation & the Re-skilling Economy — Service Shift Lessons for AI (Discussion with Justin Petrovich)

Potential fit: RKMF — Economic Development Region: Westmoreland & Allegheny
The U.S. shift toward services reduced exposure to hands-on production skills across education and industry. This study treats that transition as a precedent for today’s AI diffusion: we examine when efficiency gains trade off against capability erosion, and how to design AI-augmented pathways that rebuild making, troubleshooting, and creative problem-solving without undermining originality and regional competitiveness.

Core Questions

  • What patterns from the service transition predict where AI risks displacing tacit know-how versus augmenting it?
  • Which trades and advanced-production roles in Western PA are most leverageable by AI copilots (vision, design, QA) without hollowing out craft?
  • How should higher-ed sequence curricula (analytics → design → shop) to yield graduates who can both think with data and build with tools?
  • IP & Innovation: how do patent/trade-secret practices, licensing, and model/tool access (open vs. proprietary) shape local innovation diffusion, supplier capability, and the regional “industrial commons”?

Design & Methods (Applied)

  • Historic-to-Now Lens: map occupations thinned in the service era; identify AI task targets via O*NET data + industry interviews.
  • Education Pilot: co-develop 2–3 AI+craft modules with SVC (analytics + operations + maker lab); evaluate learning gains & project-quality rubrics.
  • SME Pilots (3–5 firms): deploy AI supports (pattern generation, QA vision, quoting) and measure quality, throughput, rework, and lead time.
  • Innovation & IP Track: case studies on IP strategies (patents, trade secrets), supplier knowledge transfer, and open-tool ecosystems that accelerate local capability.
  • Creativity Safeguards: human-in-the-loop gates; prompt libraries favoring originality; anti-template drift checks.

Outputs

  • Playbook: Balancing Automation & Craft (education + SME editions)
  • Curriculum Pack: syllabi, labs, datasets, rubrics
  • Case Studies: 3–5 local firms; public briefs
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Leadership Communication Effectiveness (NAFRA)

Potential fit: RKMF — Economic Development / OE (context-dependent)

Focus

Leadership narratives that increase trust, adoption, and resilience during AI change — with measurable performance outcomes tied to strategy implementation and execution.

Objectives

  • Narrative audits; link patterns to engagement, uptake, and performance KPIs.
  • Vignette experiments contrasting “augmentation” vs “replacement.”
  • Leader playbook and workshop kit.
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AI & Power Supply in Western PA

Potential fit: RKMF — Economic Development Theme: Grid • Manufacturing • Data

Focus

Assess AI-driven power demand (data centers, electrified manufacturing) and define resilient, affordable pathways for SMEs and communities.

Objectives

  • Scenario analysis: AI load growth vs capacity and infrastructure constraints.
  • Policy/investment options; risk-based roadmap for local governments/SMEs.
  • Stakeholder convenings for action alignment.
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