Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The semiconductor chips coming out of a nondescript fabricator in Youngwood used to be so sensitive that soldiers would rather destroy the computer system than let it fall into enemy hands. Today, Powerex is building systems for trains, planes and oil rigs as well as MRI machines and wind farms. A joint venture of Mitsubishi Electric and General Electric, Powerex was one of the final recipients of federal CHIPS and Science Act funding. Military contracts and aviation still account for half of its business, and company leaders say their commitment to quality hasn’t wavered as most other fabrication was shipped overseas.

Under its new leader, Oxford Development Company is turning to residential for its next big project in the Strip District. On tap is a six-story, 240-unit apartment complex on Railroad Street between 27th and 28th streets in the neighborhood. Oxford will brief the Pittsburgh Planning Commission on the proposal Tuesday. The project will be the first out of the box under the leadership of Shawn Fox, the new Oxford president and CEO who took over for Steve Guy this fall.

EQT Corp. announced on Monday that the natural gas transmission assets it acquired when it bought Equitrans Midstream Corp. in July will be part of a joint venture with a subsidiary of the world’s largest alternative asset manager, Blackstone. The Downtown-based natural gas producer and Blackstone Credit & Insurance have agreed on a deal in which the credit investor contributes $3.5 billion in cash and receives an equity stake in the joint venture, while EQT retains operational control and expansion rights

When most patients hear that Dr. Kenneth Urish wants to use a robot to replace their knee, they picture the “Terminator”, “I, Robot”, or some other dystopian operator. In reality it’s more like a precision drill, taking measurements and limiting incisions to a defined depth. “It’s more about how you’re measuring what you’re doing,” said Dr. Urish, a surgeon at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “It is a great tool.” Since 2015, he has used a system built by the Pittsburgh branch of global medical equipment maker Smith+Nephew in hundreds of procedures. Still, as that company and others chase a future where robots assist in a much broader swath of surgeries, one unanswered question looms over the burgeoning industry: are the outcomes better? #artificialintelligence #AI #medicine #healthcare #pittsburgh

LAST CALL! Please join us for a free career fair on Friday, Nov. 22, at the DoubleTree - Green Tree, open to anyone looking for a new job or education opportunity. In attendance will be a variety of hiring companies, local universities and alternative education opportunities. On-site free resume writing help will be available, as well as support services for women, veterans and people with disabilities. Those who speak with hiring managers will have a chance to win a $300 grocery gift card. Learn more and register for the event here: https://lnkd.in/e967HKrm  We hope to see you there!

Carnegie Mellon University will soon offer a tuition-free or federal loan-free undergraduate education to students whose families meet certain income criteria. Under the new program, dubbed the CMU Pathway Program, undergraduate students whose family income is under $75,000 will be able to attend the elite institution with no tuition costs, the university announced Wednesday. And for students whose families earn less than $100,000, they will be able to attend without borrowing any federal loans. #highered #tuition #studentloan

According to WalletHub, a personal finance website, Pittsburgh ranks fourth among cities with the highest student loan delinquency rates, partly because people here tend to take on more student loan debt. “There’s a lot of expensive schools in the Pittsburgh area,” said Chip Lupe, a WalletHub spokesman. “And if you’re going for an MBA at Carnegie Mellon or a law degree at Duquesne University, you’re going to be paying off student loans of significant amounts for a long, long time.” After a three-year payment pause on student loans during the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education in October implemented another 12-month grace period in order to help borrowers transition back to regular payment mode. During the 12-month “on-ramp” period, payments were technically required. However, nonpayment of the loans were not subject to any collections action. That’s now changing. #studentloans #highered #pittsburgh #university

Please join us for a free career fair on Friday, Nov. 22, at the DoubleTree - Green Tree, open to anyone looking for a new job or education opportunity. In attendance will be a variety of hiring companies, local universities and alternative education opportunities. On-site free resume writing help will be available, as well as support services for women, veterans and people with disabilities. Those who speak with hiring managers will have a chance to win a $300 grocery gift card. Learn more and register for the event here: https://lnkd.in/e967HKrm  We hope to see you there!

A developer’s $600 million plan to turn a “derelict” North Side industrial site into a riverfront destination anchored by a giant Ferris wheel has received a big lift. After a 75-minute hearing Tuesday, Pittsburgh Planning Commission members unanimously approved the master plan for the Esplanade, clearing the way for Piatt Companies to move ahead with the 15-acre redevelopment along the Ohio River. The decision came after Manchester community groups and a number of residents threw their support behind the project, saying it could be a catalyst for the neighborhood and efforts to increase affordable housing.

Nearly all of Penn State’s commonwealth campuses in Western Pennsylvania saw dips in enrollments between fall 2023 and 2024, new data shared by the university shows. The only regional campus to report growth was Penn State Behrend in Erie, which saw a 1% enrollment increase, from 3,323 students last fall to 3,368 this semester. All of the other campuses — Greater Allegheny, New Kensington, Beaver, Fayette and Shenango — saw enrollment declines between roughly 2% and 7% during that time frame. #collegeenrollment #highered #university