Allegheny College welcomed Senator David McCormick to campus on Monday, December 15, for a focused visit highlighting the College’s expanding role in regional workforce development, innovation, and industry partnership.
The visit included a two-part tour showcasing the St. Moritz Center for Innovation at Reis Hall and the Allegheny Lab for Innovation and Creativity (ALIC) at Bessemer.
Senator McCormick began his visit with a brief external tour of the St. Moritz Center for Innovation at Reis Hall, the future on-campus home of the Allegheny Lab for Innovation and Creativity. Although the facility remains under construction, the tour provided an overview of how the project—made possible in part through Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funding—will expand Allegheny’s capacity for hands-on innovation, interdisciplinary learning, and applied research. College leaders also discussed the strategic impetus behind establishing ALIC @ Bessemer as part of a broader innovation ecosystem.
Following the campus tour, the group traveled approximately one mile to ALIC @ Bessemer, Allegheny College’s state-of-the-art off-campus innovation facility. There, Senator McCormick met with Allegheny faculty and staff, as well as leaders from regional manufacturing and industry partners. The visit highlighted how ALIC @ Bessemer is catalyzing regional workforce development, supporting advanced manufacturing, accelerating economic growth, and fostering meaningful collaborations between the College and the surrounding community.
Participants in the visit included Allegheny College leadership and representatives from regional organizations and companies, including EPACC, Acutech, MMC, ChannelLock, NTMA, PennCo, and other local industry and community partners. Senator McCormick remarked about the close partnership between Meadville and Allegheny College – “As Meadville goes, so goes Allegheny,” he said.
The visit underscored Allegheny College’s commitment to strengthening the region’s workforce pipeline and driving economic development through strategic academic–industry partnerships and innovative, experiential learning environments.
