PITTSBURGH TECHNICAL COLLEGE PRESIDENT DR. ALICIA B. HARVEY-SMITH HONORED WITH PITTSBURGH SMART 50 AWARD
Event Celebrated Top Executives of 50 Smartest Companies in Greater Pittsburgh Region
PITTSBURGH—November 18, 2021 – Pittsburgh Technical College (PTC) president Dr. Alicia B. Harvey-Smith was recognized today as a Pittsburgh Smart 50 Award honoree.
Awarded to top executives of the 50 smartest companies in the Greater Pittsburgh region for their ability to effectively build and lead successful organizations, the Smart 50 Awards took place via a virtual ceremony this morning at 9 a.m.
“I am very proud to share this Pittsburgh Smart 50 Award with such an impressive list of fellow awardees,” said Dr. Harvey-Smith. “At Pittsburgh Technical College, we’re taking great strides to become an educator of choice in the region through consistent, career-focused education and innovation, and this award is further validation of those efforts.”
The college’s first president since becoming a non-profit organization, her guidance has opened new doors for PTC to the community, access to funding and enrollment opportunities. Under Dr. Harvey-Smith’s leadership, PTC was ranked for the first time by U.S. News & World Report in four categories in its annual Best Colleges guide, while PTC’s Information Technology programs earned designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Two-Year Education (CAE-2Y) through the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
PTC is now one of only four colleges in the Pittsburgh region offering study in Information Systems, advanced laboratory facilities, NSA and DHS designation and evolving bachelor-level course offerings, including Robotics and Artificial Intelligence.
In the past year, PTC earned three National Science Foundation (NSF) grants totaling more than $1.5 million, the first research funding in the college’s 75-year history. With these grants, PTC is partnering with the Beaver County Career and Technology Center and more than 17 local school districts to develop summer camps, cybersecurity competitions, conferences and mentoring programs to broaden participation in tech fields for the region’s youth.
In addition to programmatic innovation, Dr. Harvey-Smith has also worked diligently to develop an Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to build a culture of acceptance and bring together a diverse community at PTC, and a Corporate College division offering industry certifications, stackable credentials and specialized training. Dr. Harvey-Smith has also taken the lead on working with organizations like the Forbes Funds to build PTC’s outreach initiatives supporting underserved students while opening a new Student Health and Wellness and Fitness Center on campus this month.
The Pittsburgh Smart 50 Award is Dr. Harvey-Smith’s second award distinction in November, and PTC’s third overall. On Nov. 10, Dr. Harvey-Smith was named the CEO of the Year at the 2021 Tech 50 Awards, while PTC earned Innovator of the Year honors in the non-profit/education/community category.