Upcoming series energizes W&J energy center
The Center for Energy Policy & Management at Washington & Jefferson College is preparing to kick off its 11th energy series with a program that will be a vast departure from what had become another “new normal.”
“Harnessing Hydrogen: Exploring Local & Regional Opportunities in Appalachia” is scheduled for Oct. 4. And for the first time since the pandemic barged into Western Pennsylvania in March 2020, a CEPM energy event will take place in person – and in person only.
That won’t be the only distinctive feature of the program, either. Instead of a 90-minute session, this will be a daylong symposium – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – at the James David Ross Family Recreation Center at W&J. It will include two panel discussions, individual speakers and three breakout sessions, led by strategists and professionals involved in hydrogen and carbon capture in Appalachia – specifically in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.
Deborah D. Stine will give the keynote address. She is president of Pittsburgh-based Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Analysis & Education LLC, a consulting firm that translates science and technology to policymakers and the public. Stine also is founder and chief instructor for the Science and Technology Policy Academy, and is involved in projects across the world.
The symposium, according to a CEPM news release, “will explore the development of hydrogen energy and carbon capture and storage, and the potential for a clean hydrogen and carbon capture hub in the region. While the technologies present tremendous opportunities for the tri-state region, the path forward is unclear.
“A number of economic, regulatory and technological challenges to development and deployment exist, and local and regional governmental bodies lack a knowledge base to assess the costs and benefits of the burgeoning industry.”
Registration has begun for the event, which is free and open to the public. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. To register, or for more information, visit wjenergy.org/hydrogen.
AHN
For the fourth year in a row, Forbes Magazine named Allegheny Health Network one of “America’s Best Employers by State.”
AHN is among 14 Pennsylvania hospitals or health systems to make the nation’s “Best Employers” list, and the only one from the western part of the state. Forbes has been publishing the list since 2019.
The magazine and its market research partner, Statista, surveyed 70,000 Americans employed by businesses with 500-plus employees. Respondents were asked to rate employers on criteria such as safety of work environment, competitiveness of compensation, wage gap disparities, opportunities for advancement and openness to telecommuting.
They also were asked about remote-work benefits and initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Cynthia Hundorfean, AHN’s president and CEO, said in a prepared statement: “We are incredibly honored to be consistently recognized among America’s and Pennsylvania’s best employers, by one of the country’s most respected business journals.”
Spartan Health Surgicenter
Derrick Fluhme, M.D., is a new orthopedic surgeon at Spartan Health Surgicenter in Monongahela. He also is practicing at Advanced Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation in Charleroi.
Fluhme, who completed his residency under a renowned regional doctor, the late Dr. Freddie Fu, has specialized in joint and muscular pain for knees, hips and shoulders for more than 17 years.
He has family roots in the Mon Valley. His wife, Tiffany, who is from the Uniontown area, is the CEO/founder of Fluhme GlamBar in Mt. Lebanon and Fluhme Beauty Cosmetics.