Curry Innovation Center at Saint Francis University fosters innovation with strategic partnerships
by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger
Experts project that the workforce of tomorrow will need employees who are not only critical thinkers, but also adaptable and competent with technology. To lead the charge into the future, Saint Francis University in Loretto, established in 1847 as the oldest Catholic-Franciscan college in the United States, has been taking the necessary steps to prepare students.
Erin McCloskey, Vice President of University Communications and Marketing, Saint Francis University, said, “At Saint Francis University, we are always seeking opportunities for our students to complement their in-classroom knowledge with high-impact practices that enhance their learning experience. Through strategic partnerships, we provide valuable opportunities like internships and research projects that empower students to apply their skills in real-world settings and prepare them for future success.”
“At Saint Francis University, we are always seeking opportunities for our students to complement their in-classroom knowledge with high-impact practices that enhance their learning experience. Through strategic partnerships, we provide valuable opportunities like internships and research projects that empower students to apply their skills in real-world settings and prepare them for future success.”
One recent strategic partnership is that with The Curry Supply Company, a family-owned business that celebrated its 90th year in 2023. The company began as a general store facility in Martinsburg, selling supplies to the local farming community, and later expanded into a manufacturing and industrial company serving many industries across the country. The partnership has resulted in the founding of The Curry Innovation Center, a space in downtown Altoona that features an innovation lab where students and industry come together to collaborate and solve problems.
Driving opportunities, meeting workforce demands
The Curry Innovation Center was no small feat, costing between $7 and $8 million, according to Steve McKnight, CEO of the Altoona Blair County Development Corp. Funds were raised via donors, internal and external investors, public subsidies, grants and tax credits.
“Mark Ritchey [of Curry Supply Co.], an entrepreneurial leader, recognized the university’s ability to drive opportunities for students while meeting the workforce demands of Blair County and the surrounding region. By partnering with us, he saw the potential for students to engage in hands-on projects that address real-world challenges. The collaboration between students, faculty and Curry professionals on research and design initiatives has proven valuable for everyone involved, fostering growth and innovation,” said McCloskey.
Dr. Peter Skoner, Dean Emeritus of the School of STEAM at Saint Francis, likewise said that the partnership has been a beneficial one.
“All students in our programs now get practical experience with a capstone design project that starts in the middle of their junior year. They have the opportunity to work [with] a corporate partner and there’s always one or two with Curry,” he said, describing a current project with railroad tank cars that need sandblasted and painted. “There’s a small space to do it in [in the innovation center] and using a robotic arm is safer than putting a human in that confined situation. Curry needed help with positioning the robotic arm to do the scanning, the painting and the sandblasting.”
Other innovative projects occurring at the center include a Blue Knob Mapping and Modeling Project with Environmental Engineering students.
“With the weather changing in our region, there’s more of an emphasis on making snow and Blue Knob’s infrastructure is 50-plus years old, so our engineering students went on site to draw and update maps and then had the challenge of improving their snowmaking,” said Skoner.
“Partnerships such as the one Saint Francis has with Curry Supply may be an answer to the question of economic instability that colleges and universities currently face.”
The Curry/Saint Francis partnership has been praised by BDHP, an Ohio-based award-winning international architectural firm, recognized for innovative and inspiring solutions in architecture, planning, interior design, project management and consulting. The company identified the Saint Francis partnership as one of the three outstanding stories of a successful business partnership that impacted their institutions, corporate entities and communities. The firm is now using the Saint Francis story as an example of excellence in strategic partnerships that can be replicated across the higher education industry, suggesting that partnerships such as the one Saint Francis has with Curry Supply may be an answer to the question of economic instability that colleges and universities currently face.
Stephanie Kalina-Metzger is a freelance writer whose work can be seen in publications across the United States. She can be reached at kalinacommunications@gmail.com
