Three Seton Hill students are working with the Greensburg Community Development Corporation, and additional key stakeholders, to assess the entrepreneurial needs and inclusive economic development opportunities for a potential healthcare-education corridor in the City of Greensburg.

Interns Sarah Gilliam (Business Management), Jake Starek (Communication) and Trifol Headman (Pre-Law) have been considering options for filling empty buildings in downtown Greensburg with guidance from faculty sponsor Lyzona Marshall, director of the Wukich Center for Entrepreneurial Opportunities and assistant professor of business and entrepreneurship.

The students were selected to conduct this research as part of Seton Hill’s selection for the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative. The project is connected to an ongoing economic development feasibility study being conducted by Seton Hill and a number of community partners and underwritten by a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. 

In October, the students gave a presentation about their findings so far to an audience of more than 100 participants at the Greensburg Development Conference held at Seton Hill’s Performing Arts Center in downtown Greensburg. In December, the group will travel to Washington, D.C., to present at the Appalachian Regional Commission’s conference as a culmination of their internship experience.

Additionally, the students were able to discuss the project with local media and received coverage from WPXI and the Tribune-Review.