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Get the most interesting and important stories from the University of Pittsburgh.In Greater Hazelwood, biomanufacturing, workforce development and community partnerships are shaping the future of the neighborhood that sits along the Monongahela River where a nearby sprawling former brownfield is transitioning into a sustainability, research and innovation tech hub.
At a late April event, Heidi Ward, who leads Pitt’s Greater Hazelwood Neighborhood Commitment and lives in the community; Ian Johnson, director of life sciences at BioForge, a biomanufacturing site at Hazelwood Green; and Rosta Farzan, an associate dean for Engaged Scholarship and a professor with the Department of Informatics and Networked Systems in the School of Computing and Information Sciences, spoke in conversation about connecting neighborhood priorities with emerging opportunities in the life sciences sector.
Part of the Pitt Alumni Association’s Pitt Academy speaker series, the event connected alumni and friends of Pitt with the meaningful ways these efforts are improving life and lives across the region.
“The Plan for Pitt 2028 calls for us to be a University that is welcoming and engaged, place-based, committed to the communities of Western Pennsylvania and striving to have a positive effect on the world around us,” said Vice Chancellor for External Relations Lina Dostillio. “We are a partner in solving the real problems that folks are facing. It means we are showing up every day to expand workforce development opportunities, and our research is opening new doors. We are an economic anchor, as well.”
The event was hosted at the restored Roundhouse — part of the former expansive J&L Steel mill that powered Pittsburgh’s industrial economy for decades — which once serviced locomotives tied to the steel operation. Now, it has been transformed into a modern coworking and event space that anchors new investment and innovation at Hazelwood Green.
“This building,” Ward said, “is a metaphor for what’s possible when research, industry and neighborhood partnerships all work together to shape Pittsburgh’s next chapter.”
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‘Really cool science’
Johnson (A&S ’15), a Pittsburgh native and Pitt alumnus, detailed how BioForge is helping researchers and startups solve manufacturing challenges. BioForge’s permanent facility — under construction at Hazelwood Green — is expected to become a major center for biomanufacturing and innovation in the region.
Johnson likes to say they take “really cool science” and turn it into something manufacturable,
“so that it impacts people immediately.”
BioForge partners with researchers, entrepreneurs and academic innovators, Johnston explained. Among the projects he discussed was “Furnace,” an mRNA brokerage platform inspired in part by lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as collaborations involving microneedle patch technology developed by Pitt-connected researchers.
One startup company, Panther Life Sciences, ultimately relocated operations to Pittsburgh after working with BioForge, said Johnson.
Community connection
Pitt has collaborated in Greater Hazelwood for more than 25 years, Ward said, but the arrival of Pitt BioForge prompted the University to ask a larger question: “How do we make sure that the innovation that’s happening on this street actually opens doors for the people who live on the next street over?”
Pitt’s response combines long-term neighborhood investment with workforce development, education and health initiatives designed in collaboration with local residents and community organizations. Programs range from middle school biotechnology activities and public science events to health screenings and environmental education.
Ward also highlighted Pitt’s pilot of a Life Sciences Bridge Program, a paid workforce development initiative for young adults without college degrees.
In reaching out to residents, Ward said, “We heard the same thing over and over: People here in Greater Hazelwood were unfamiliar with the field of life sciences. Individuals didn’t feel confident committing to months of training or enrolling in postsecondary education if they didn’t know if it was the right fit for them.”
To help make the connection, the 50-hour Life Sciences Bridge Program introduces participants to careers in biotechnology and life sciences while connecting them with additional training, educational pathways and employment opportunities.
The program is working. Its first cohort graduated in April.
Solving problems
Farzan (SCI ’06G, ’09G), whose research focuses on community engagement and technology design, discussed how residents themselves help shape research priorities.
Working with neighborhood organizations including Center of Life and Hazelwood Initiative, Farzan and her colleagues have developed projects that combine technology, environmental monitoring and community participation.
One initiative centered on neighborhood air quality. Community members helped identify locations for sensors that collect pollution data, while students participated in monitoring and public education efforts.
Farzan emphasized that successful collaboration requires patience, consistency and trust, particularly in neighborhoods where residents may be skeptical of large institutions because of historical experiences.
In Pitt’s case, when the University listens to local residents and community partners, Farzan said, “that is actually how we learn a lot about how to best solve these problems and build technologies that are actually better for everyone.”
The panel made clear that Greater Hazelwood's progress depends on relationships built over time and ensuring that residents are active participants in shaping the future of their neighborhood. That progress is accelerated by emerging industries and access to opportunities created by those industries is made possible through concerted efforts, such as those represented by the panelists.
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Photography by Joe Appel