Heard on campus: Emily DeRocco on an innovation economy

Emily DeRocco with Tim Franklin (left, director of Penn State's Office of Economic and Workforce Development) and Craig Weidemann (vice president for Penn State Outreach)

"The Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development initiative, known as WIRED, is based on a recognition that competitiveness depends on a region's ability to unite people, capital and infrastructure. Higher education institutions are embedded in global knowledge networks, yet they are local and tied to regions. That drives the innovation life cycle. [Penn State] can be a catalyst for regional economic development, through strong collaboration and strategic partnerships. You are well positioned to drive regional talent development."

-- Emily DeRocco, former assistant secretary for the Employment and Training Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor and the new senior vice president of the Washington, D.C. -based National Association of Manufacturers. DeRocco, who was recently appointed visiting senior policy fellow in economic and workforce development in Penn State Outreach's Office of Economic and Workforce Development, gave the talk  "Creating an Innovation Economy" on June 6 during a visit to Penn State.