Jump to:
- Opening Plenary
- Concurrent Workshop Session
- Keynote Session
- Lightning Poster Session
- Closing Plenary
Opening Plenary
9:15 to 10:15 a.m., Assembly Room
How Place and Space Supports Basic Needs, Human Services, and Community Development in the Region
This panel will focus on how our systems support economic wellbeing. With an academic research perspective coupled with community organization experience, the panelists will analyze how our regional systems support economic wellbeing and the ways these systems can be recalibrated for positive change.
Panelists:
Andrea Matthews
Executive Director, The Brashear Association
Marimba Milliones
President and CEO, Hill Community Development Corporation
Dr. Mary Ohmer
COSA Chair and Associate Professor, School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh
Moderator:
Shatara Murphy
Executive Lead for Community-Connected Economic Strategy, External Relations, University of Pittsburgh
Concurrent Workshop Session
10:30 to 11:45 a.m.
Ballroom:
How Do We All Sing the Same Song? Connecting Community Voice, Research, Policy, and the Just Transition
The City of Pittsburgh’s Department of City Planning and the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation are co-hosting a workshop centered around communication between researchers, policy makers, and community groups. Framed within the Just Transition framework and in connection with the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of City Planning, the conversation will examine how the city seeks to move from extractive systems toward restorative ones that center people and the environment.
Presenters: Esmée de Cortie (University of Pittsburgh), Shannon Wanless (University of Pittsburgh), Jazmyn Rudolph (City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning)
Lower Lounge:
Seeing the Whole Picture: A Community Mapping Workshop
How do we make sense of a community’s capacity to address complex challenges when resources feel fragmented? In this interactive workshop, we will share ecosystem mapping approaches developed through a year-long Appalachian Regional Commission planning grant in Fayette County and then guide participants in applying these methods to their own community-engaged work.
Presenters: Kimberly Goldstein (University of Pittsburgh), Caitlin Forbes Spear (University of Pittsburgh)
Keynote Session
12:30 to 1:15 p.m., Assembly Room
Who are Universities for? The Role of Degrees and Skills in Regional Mobility
Explore the keynote presentation.
Justin Heck, PhD, serves as Senior Director of Research & Data Production at Opportunity@Work, where he leads investigations into labor market dynamics and economic mobility pathways. His research portfolio examines how workers navigate employment opportunities and identifies systematic approaches to improve economic outcomes across the workforce spectrum.
Dr. Heck's current research focuses on the intersection of skills-based hiring and economic mobility, with particular emphasis on workers who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs). His research has proven instrumental in challenging conventional wisdom about workforce development, particularly in demonstrating that over half of today's workforce has acquired skills through alternative routes to bachelor's degrees.
Lightning Poster Session
2 to 2:50 p.m., Ballroom
This session features a fast-paced oral presentation format where the presenters will share their digital posters with the audience. Each presenter will have four minutes and a single slide to concisely communicate their key findings and insights. This efficient format allows attendees to explore a broad range of topics in one engaging session. Find a full list of the posters and presenters.
Closing Plenary
3 to 4 p.m., Assembly Room
How Place and Space Supports Articulating Social Capital to Leverage Economic Mobility for Youth
This panel focuses the conversation on our region’s youth and their ability to articulate their social capital to leverage future economic mobility. The panelists will investigate tangible support systems and outcomes, holistic access to new programs and credentials, and the durable skills our youth need to advance their economic mobility.
Panelists:
Dr. Jaime Booth
Associate Dean for Research and Associate Professor, School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Khirsten Scott
Director, Western Pennsylvania Writing Project and Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh
Cheyenne Tyler
Executive Director, Café Momentum
Moderator:
Dr. Shallegra Moye
Director, Educational Enrichment and Transition Programs, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh