Rowland School of Business Alumna Livia Rice Works in Pittsburgh's Growing Robotics Industry Alumni Profile
Meet Livia Rice '16
- Job Title & Employer
- Marketing and Communications Manager, ARM (Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing) Institute
- Major/Program
- Sports, Arts & Entertainment Management
- Minor
- Accounting and Business Management
- College Activities
- Honors Program, Honors Society Organization and Honors Mentor
- Hometown
- Salem, Ohio; Cardinal Mooney High School
- Now Living In
- Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Hobbies & Interests
- Traveling, being a coffee snob and spoiling my cat
"I graduated from Point Park with several job offers. Point Park truly prepares you for your future career and will help you discover your passion. The Downtown Pittsburgh location is also unmatched. Many of the buildings, like the library, are beautiful and historic. You’re in the heart of a vibrant city with easy access to prestigious internships."
What does your job entail?
The ARM Institute is a federally funded institute with a national consortium of 300+ member organizations spanning the robotics industry, government and academia with the common goal of strengthening U.S. manufacturing through robotics and workforce innovation. I started working at the ARM Institute just a few months after its creation. When I started, we had a two-page website, no real logo and no members, so I was involved in building the ARM Institute’s brand from the ground up and helping to define many of our organizational processes.
I manage our strategic messaging and storytelling, write robotics project descriptions, plan our annual member meeting and other technical meetings, manage our social media channels and websites, member communications, public relations and so much more. It’s a very diverse job and one that I enjoy immensely.
How would you describe Pittsburgh's robotics scene?
I would describe Pittsburgh’s robotics ecosystem the same way I would describe the city itself: welcoming and collaborative. Pittsburgh is also one of the largest robotics hubs in the world so we are always working at the forefront of new technology that has the potential to benefit the world.
What keeps you engaged in this growing industry?
I am constantly learning, collaborating with brilliant people and accomplishing work that benefits our society as a whole. Humans are at the heart of what the ARM Institute does. In the robotics industry, we say that dull, dirty and dangerous tasks are ripe for automation because these are tasks that humans should not be doing and don’t want to do. If you take someone who is completing a repetitive and dangerous task and upskill them to operate a robot instead, you’re increasing their quality of life, their economic competitiveness and leveraging their existing expertise. My goal is to help empower human workers while providing them with new robotic solutions that will realistically benefit them.
What did you like about the SAEM faculty and coursework?
I loved the diversity of the SAEM program! I entered college entirely unsure about what I wanted to do professionally. The coursework helped me discover the parts of SAEM that I really enjoy. The program allows you to discover different fields and eventually specialize in your interests. Plus, because the classes are smaller, the professors also act as mentors. They take the time to get to know you, your strengths, and career goals.
How did the SAEM program prepare you for your career?
I use what I learned in the SAEM program every day. I learned how to be an effective verbal communicator, the fundamentals of marketing and how to work across a team. The SAEM program is very focused on real-world application, which makes a difference.
Why would you recommend Point Park to a prospective student?
I graduated from Point Park with several job offers. Point Park truly prepares you for your future career and will help you discover your passion. The Downtown Pittsburgh location is also unmatched. Many of the buildings, like the library, are beautiful and historic. You’re in the heart of a vibrant city with easy access to prestigious internships.