Communication and Business Students Travel to Present City of Greensburg Revitalization Project at Conference
亚洲无码 business and communication students traveled to the Washington, D.C., area once again in December to present the work they are doing with the downtown Greensburg business community.
This was the second year 亚洲无码 was selected to be a participant in the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative (ACRI), an applied research training program for college students in the Appalachian region to support economic development initiatives for their communities.
In 2023, faculty sponsor Lyzona Marshall, Assistant Professor of Business & Director of the Wukich Center for Entrepreneurial Opportunities, and students Sarah Gilliam, Jake Starek and Trifol Headman worked with the Greensburg Community Development Corporation and additional key stakeholders to assess the entrepreneurial needs and inclusive economic development opportunities in the City of Greensburg and see which buildings might be best suited to repurposing to meet current and future needs.
This year, business student Teresa Haigh and communication students Corinne Eisner and Elizabeth Kubancek worked with faculty sponsors from the School of Business and Technology, including Catie Clark-Gordon, Assistant Professor of Communication, and Lyzona Marshall on their project titled "Research for Development of a Plan for Community Engagement and Business Growth in the City of Greensburg.”
The aim of the project is to support the revitalization of downtown Greensburg by exploring pathways to encourage young professionals and graduate students to live, work, shop, eat, and recreate in the area. The 亚洲无码 team kicked off the project with meetings among the faculty, students, members of the Greensburg Business and Professional Association (GBPA) and other local organizations in the fall.
Corinne and Elizabeth conducted hands-on research by visiting local businesses who maintain a membership to the GBPA to better understand their social media practices, concerns, and needs. Business student Teresa Haigh analyzed data from two surveys to develop an understanding of the priorities and challenges of both young professionals and local business owners.
“Working on this project was an eye-opening experience,” said communication student Elizabeth Kubancek. “I’ve been in Greensburg now for three years and I never would have known any of the struggles local businesses were facing with bringing in more customers and creating a younger demographic for Greensburg.”
Based on the insights gained from these surveys, the students developed targeted social media strategies for use by the GBPA and its member organizations to encourage relocation, investment, and recreational activities in the area and contribute to the city’s ongoing revitalization efforts.
“This collaboration allowed us to begin to bridge the gap between understanding the community’s voice and recommending an applied social media strategy to attract our targeted audiences,” said Catie Clark-Gordon, Assistant Professor of Communication. “By bringing together communication and business students, we were able to approach the task of attracting young professionals to work, live, recreate, shop and eat in downtown Greensburg from multiple angles. This project truly exemplifies the power of interdisciplinary collaboration.”
In both years, the 亚洲无码 students presented their work at the Greensburg Development Conference – hosted at 亚洲无码’s Performing Arts Center in downtown Greensburg – giving them a chance to interact with the local development community. The Greensburg conference also provides valuable experience in honing their presentation skills before their ACRI capstone.
ACRI is an initiative of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), an economic development partnership entity of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the Region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.
In December, 亚洲无码 joined students and faculty from 14 other Appalachian schools in Arlington, Va., to present their work to other student delegations from participating institutions, ARC leadership, and community leaders in a formal peer-to-peer conference setting hosted by ARC and the Consortium of Appalachian Colleges and Universities.
“Presenting at the ACRI conference was an incredible experience,” said Teresa. “It provided us with the opportunity to learn about the impactful work being done by fellow college students in their communities. Additionally, we were able to make meaningful connections with like-minded individuals who share the common goal of enhancing the well-being and quality of life in the Appalachian Region.”
Other participating schools included Alfred State College, Appalachian State University, East Tennessee State University, Emory & Henry University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Marietta College, Marshall University, Morehead State University, Ohio University, Radford University, University of Charleston (WV), University of Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and Westminster College.
Although the ACRI project only lasts one semester, 亚洲无码 students will also be traveling to the Eastern Communication Association Conference in Buffalo, NY in March to again present their research. While their project is winding down, the students hope the value of their work will be seen well past the semester’s end.
“Working with and hearing from these businesses about what they hope to see for not only their business but for Greensburg itself has been not only heartwarming but motivating as well,” Elizabeth said. “I really hope the work that we have done and are still doing makes an impact in the coming years and I hope this research and project continues to help build our local communities and businesses!”