Dr. Craig D. Weidemann,Vice President for Outreach

This issue covers a wide range of engagement and outreach scholarship activities--from the College of Medicine physicians who are aiding the medical community in Iraq (Health section) to the innovative computer program, developed by Penn State faculty, that teaches children to read (K-12 Education section).

A common theme you will read about throughout the magazine is the University's commitment to workforce development and training. This matter has become increasingly pressing, particularly since the publication last year of the Brookings Institution report "Back to Prosperity: A Competitive Agenda for Renewing Pennsylvania," which called for the Commonwealth to make a greater investment in education and workforce training. Partly in response to this report, faculty members from across the colleges are pulling together to help develop a workforce to meet employer needs.

For example, the cover story--which provides details on how Penn State is addressing the needs of differently abled individuals--describes a new initiative aiming to ease the transition from school to work for people with disabilities.

In our "Ask the Expert" column, featuring an authority external to Penn State, we hear from Dr. Kathryn Engebretson, president of the William Penn Foundation--an organization that supports nonprofits working in the Philadelphia region and was one of the funders of the Brookings report. Engebretson outlines specific economic challenges and recognizes ways the University is helping.

Economic development is the focus of the feature titled "Expanding Opportunities." Penn State faculty are working to help the countries of the former Soviet Bloc transition to free-market economies, which in turn, can bring benefits to those closer to home--such as expanded trade opportunities and valuable science knowledge. Also, we highlight the work of Penn State's Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program--which has recently joined the Penn State Outreach fold. This program, led by Jack Gido, focuses on helping Pennsylvania companies improve their competitiveness and long-term viability.

In the Workforce, Community & Economic Development section, you can read about the many initiatives addressing the estimated 17,000 openings in the health-care field. Also, the story titled "Pennsylvania's Brain Drain" provides details on how Penn State is working with the Commonwealth to keep college graduates from leaving to go work in other states. As a member of the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board, I hope to advance higher education's role in workforce development.

Finally, in a tribute to outreach scholarship itself, the feature "High Impact" offers personal anecdotes from a few faculty members about why they engage in outreach and how it informs their research. With Penn State hosting the national Outreach Scholarship Conference this fall, it is timely.

We encourage you to provide feedback to our editorial team by e-mail: outreachnews@outreach.psu.edu.