Slippery Rock University

Shayla Wilkinson gained professional experience through a partnership between Slippery Rock University and MSA Safety, as well as other regional companies.

Industry partners have donated equipment, offered training, funded professional development opportunities, and named facilities, including the MSA Construction Lab in SRU’s Strain Safety Building.

When Wilkinson started her internship in the safety department at Vesuvius Penn, a local steel industry manufacturer, she was already trained on her company’s MSA products.

“I’m a hands-on learner, and using this equipment set me up to be successful in my internship,” Wilkinson said. “Everything that I used in the lab at SRU we use at Vesuvius Penn, from the cranes and the forklifts to having the confined space training.”

SRU’s commitment to collaboration has expanded educational, learning, and growth opportunities that benefited other industry partners.

“We have a great program at SRU that goes beyond gaining knowledge,” said Wilkinson, a native of Washington, PA, who graduated from SRU in December 2024 and immediately began working full-time at Vesuvius as an environment, health and safety coordinator in Ellwood City. “Without all the connections I’ve made and the experience with the equipment, I would be lost.”