Expertise Abounds Through Penn State Shenango Speakers Bureau

SHARON, Pa. – Penn State Shenango launched its Faculty Speakers Bureau in fall 2022 to connect faculty members with local school districts looking to supplement their curricula. 

Area educators can use the subject matter experts and researchers available at Shenango at no cost.  

As academic interests and research topics shift to keep pace with ever-changing industries and technologies, the speakers bureau has added criminal justice, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence to its array of topics. 

In 2023, Grand View Research reported that AI is expected to see an annual growth rate of 37.3% between 2023 and 2030, and Goldman Sachs has estimated that AI can raise the global gross domestic product by 7%, an impact that could cause many industries to change their practices.   

“There is no profession, discipline, field or business that won’t be impacted,” said Tiffany Petricini, Penn State Shenango assistant teaching professor of communication. “It’s essential that we learn how to pivot in the quickly changing AI landscape.”

Petricini’s research examines the intersections of communication technologies and culture, and she has recently published on topics including AI and cognition, as well as AI uses within higher education. 

She currently serves in various roles at Penn State regarding AI and is an editor of an upcoming special issue of the international journal “Explorations in Media Ecology” focusing on AI.  

“We have outstanding faculty here at Penn State Shenango who specialize in their respective fields,” said Jo Anne Carrick, campus director. “The Faculty Speakers Bureau is an excellent opportunity for the community to take advantage of the expertise our faculty offer.”

Members of the Faculty Speakers Bureau teach in a variety of disciplines, including STEM, humanities and social sciences. 

Faculty members can be available for virtual presentations or in-person events at schools or on the Shenango campus. Those interested in the bureau can select a topic, and the Faculty Senate Outreach Committee at Penn State Shenango will connect them with an on-campus expert.   

To request a faculty speaker, click HERE.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.