Community Initiative
Students in the Smeal College of Business have the opportunity to work with local community businesses to find solutions to real business problems.
Current Projects
University Park Airport Study
Two studies were completed by Andrew Bergstein and a Smeal senior majoring in economics to support the efforts by the airport authority and management team to expand air service, including for economic development purposes. Both were designed to study the air travel patterns of the area market, including unmet demand for air service to additional locations and unmet demand via people who drive rather than fly and/or drive to begin air travel from other airports which might have more convenient routes and/or offer lower prices.
The first study was based on face-to-face interviews with 223 people who had cleared security and were waiting to board out-bound flights at University Park Airport. Departing passengers were studied since this matches how the FAA measures air travelers.
The second study was completed by 151 people from the Centre Region who visited a web site arranged by the Smeal college. Participation in the study had been encouraged via a news conference / public meeting arranged as part of the Community Inityiative which was covered by local newspaper, radio and TV outlets as well as emails sent to the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County (CBICC), Central PA Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), and Smeal College faculty and staff list serves.
Central Pennsylvania Air Travel Survey: Live Report
Pennsylvania Airport Survey Graphs and Charts
Penns Valley High School Peer to Peer Financial Education Network
In this continuing program, Smeal students work with teachers and students at Penns Valley High School to teach lessons on personal financial success to high school students. Smeal students presented on budgeting, credit cards, banking, and retirement programs.
Penns Valley students also visited the Smeal College and our Trading Room, participated in a stock trading game, had a classroom presentation on the stock market, and toured the campus.
Bellefonte Community Arts and Historic Preservation Center
Smeal Students and with Professor Andrew Bergstein are continuing a study to support the foundation of a Community Arts and Historic Preservation Center in Bellefonte. The Economics Association, a student organization supported by economics faculty, will execute an Economic Impact Study to help the organizers of the proposed center seek support, including through foundation and government grants.
Preivously, students have focused on feasibility studies for similar centers which have been proposed in the Centre Region in the past as well as programming opportunities for such a center including in cooperation with the university.
Philipsburg Economic Rejuvination Initiative
A group of studentswho are enrolled in Smeal / Schreyer Honors marketing class with marketing professor Margaret Meloy will research and make recommendations to rejuvenate areas in Centre County hard-hit by job losses and other negative economic development impacts. This initiative is in cooperation with the Philipsburg Main Street manager and the Penn State Small Business Development Center.
Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania
Students who enrolled in a marketing research class under the direction of marketing professor Peter Ebbes will study the Art Alliance program offerings in light of declining enrollment and attendance.
