MAGAZINE FALL 2024
To understand the vital role partnerships play in the life of Pitt Business, look at three events that happened this past March.
First, the Demystifying the Role of Generative AI in Business Innovation Conference, hosted by the Pitt Business Center for Branding, was attended by more than 110 Pitt students, faculty, and staff, along with business executives, startup founders, and technology professionals from the region.
Second, 32 graduate students in the Global Research Practicum courses traveled to Chile and Japan for company tours and meetings with executives.
Third, 400 undergraduates in the Workplace Communications course were researching public safety topics to provide data-based recommendations to the Hear Foundation.
None of that would have been possible without the support of our partners in corporations and community-based organizations. The list of other partnerships is vast, and many are a result of alumni connections. After all, alumni know what their companies need, the value they can provide, and the strengths of Pitt Business.
New Office of Strategic Partnerships
To facilitate partnerships with Pitt Business, we established the Office of Strategic Partnerships.
“The purpose of forming this new office is to better align, coordinate, and promote the value we create together,” says Christopher Barlow, director of Strategic Partnerships. “My perspective is that this new office needs to represent the needs of our partners. That means aligning the interests of our partners to the capabilities, talent, and minds inside of Pitt Business to generate value.”
Guided by Our Paths of Distinction
The school’s Pitt Business 2030 strategy includes an emphasis on three global imperatives: health and life sciences, societal impact, and digital transformation. The AI conference in March showcased that Pitt Business has long been a leader in education and research at the nexus of business and digital technology, including the latter’s potential for innovation, growth, and good.
Building on these strengths will ensure all graduates are equipped for the jobs of today and prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.
“Our ability to implement programs across our paths to distinction in health and life sciences, digital transformation, and business and society depends on having a strong ecosystem of partners,” says Vanitha Swaminathan, associate dean for research and strategic initiatives. “To that end, Pitt Business will be looking to engage with innovative partners who can complement us in important ways, so we can deliver exceptional value to our students, recruiters, and the community at large.”
Praise for Past Projects
When asked about previous case competitions, site visits, career fairs, and experiential learning opportunities, both partners and students spoke highly of the experiences.
“When we partnered with Pitt Business for the Super Analytics Challenge, we had no idea where it would lead us,” says Albrecht Powell, Pittsburgh office managing director at Accenture. “But with the creativity of the students, the result was something that all of us are extremely proud of. We hope to continue our work together in the years to come.”
T. Jayaraman (MBA ’24) assisted a small company through the Pennsylvania Robotics & Technology Fellowships and says, “I enjoyed working with other stakeholders and interacting with the CEO directly to understand what he wanted and how we, as a team, could provide the best services and solutions to the company.”
If you are interested in partnering with Pitt Business to align your business needs with the strengths of Pitt Business students, faculty, and staff, visit business.pitt.edu/strategic-partnerships or email partners@business.pitt.edu.