Mercyhurst expanding applied learning and industry partnerships through growing innovation ecosystem
Student success, emerging technologies, and regional collaboration position the university as a hub for innovation and workforce development.
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Mercyhurst University is expanding opportunities for students to work with industry partners and apply their skills to real-world challenges, building applied learning initiatives that have developed across campus for years.
Programs such as the Center for Intelligence Research, Analysis, and Training (CIRAT), national academic competitions, and collaborative partnerships with industry have long provided Mercyhurst students with hands-on experience tackling complex problems. The CIRAT program alone engages more than 150 Mercyhurst students annually in applied intelligence projects serving government agencies, law enforcement organizations, national security partners, and private-sector clients.
Recent initiatives are helping connect and expand those strengths into a growing innovation ecosystem that positions Mercyhurst as a regional leader in applied learning and industry collaboration.
“Employers consistently tell us they value Mercyhurst graduates because they arrive with real-world experience,” said Mercyhurst President Kathleen A. Getz. “Our students are not simply studying concepts in the classroom. They are working alongside industry partners, analyzing real problems, and developing solutions that have an impact beyond campus.”
Efforts to connect these initiatives across campus are being coordinated by John Olszowka, Ph.D., vice president for strategic initiatives at Mercyhurst.
“Programs like CIRAT and our national competition teams have been demonstrating the power of applied learning for years,” Olszowka said. “What we are doing now is bringing those efforts together and creating new opportunities for students, faculty, and industry partners to collaborate around emerging technologies and innovative ideas.”
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Students Working With Emerging Technologies
One example of that approach is the university’s recent partnership with technology company data², which provides Mercyhurst students access to an advanced generative AI–powered analytics platform.
Through the collaboration, students in the university’s Center for Intelligence Research, Analysis, and Training (CIRAT) served as early testers of the company’s Review platform, helping evaluate the technology while gaining hands-on experience with tools used in professional intelligence and data analysis environments.
“Our students are working with industry-grade generative AI technology platforms in real time,” said Brian Fuller, director of the CIRAT program. “data² is a trusted partner in providing opportunities for our students to learn, test, and evaluate technologies that have implications well beyond the classroom.”
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National Success Reflects Applied Learning Model
Mercyhurst students recently demonstrated the strength of the university’s applied learning model on a national stage at the 2026 National Collegiate Business Championships in Nashville.
Competing against universities from across the country, Mercyhurst students captured four first-place trophies across multiple divisions, the most of any participating institution.
The university earned first-place finishes in both the Graduate Sport Analytics team competition and the Innovation team competition, while students also secured individual national titles in both divisions.
Eric Combs finished first overall in Graduate Sport Analytics, while Kaila Szczygielski captured the national title in the Innovation competition. Additional Mercyhurst students placed second, fifth, sixth, and tenth in the Innovation division.
Faculty advisors John Parente, D.Ed., and Brian Fuller were also recognized with top teaching awards in their respective competition categories.
“These competitions highlight exactly what Mercyhurst emphasizes — applied learning,” Parente said. “Students are solving real problems, presenting their work publicly, and competing with top programs from across the country.”
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Connecting Innovation, Industry, and the Region
University leaders say initiatives like CIRAT, national academic competitions, and emerging entrepreneurship programs are not isolated efforts but part of a broader strategy to strengthen connections between Mercyhurst and regional industries.
By combining classroom instruction with industry collaboration, applied research, and entrepreneurial initiatives, Mercyhurst aims to create an environment where students can test ideas, develop solutions, and contribute to real-world innovation.
As part of that effort, the university is developing Studio 26, a venture-focused initiative that will support the next phase of Mercyhurst’s applied innovation efforts by helping students and collaborators move promising ideas toward real-world application.
Together, these initiatives represent the continued evolution of Mercyhurst’s long-standing commitment to experiential learning, connecting students, faculty, and industry in ways that support innovation, workforce development, and regional growth.
“As these programs continue to develop, Mercyhurst students will have even more opportunities to turn ideas into action,” Olszowka said.
FEATURED PHOTO: Students, faculty, and industry partners gather in Mercyhurst’s Center for Intelligence Research and Analysis (CIRAT), a hub for collaboration across the university’s growing innovation ecosystem.
SUPPORTING PHOTOS: Students networking in the CIRAT.