Mayor Corey O’Connor Visits the ETC to Explore Pittsburgh’s Tech Future
On Oct. 14, 2026, Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor visited Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center (ETC).
Guided by ETC Director of Outreach, Extension, and Engagement John Balash and ETC Director Derek Ham, Mayor O’Connor received a tour of the building. He also got the chance to try out several examples of ETC’s innovative and interactive work firsthand.
With support from Director of Information Technology Steve Audia and Outreach and Engagement Network Coordinator Anthony Palyszeski, Mayor O’Connor and his team experienced the ETC’s CAVE dark ride simulator, the custom-built immersive media space known as the CAVERN, and the Jam-O-Drum. He even got to see a magic trick performed by a bubble-blowing FANUC Robotics arm and developed in collaboration with School of Design Assistant Professor Daniel Rosenberg-Munoz, School of Music master's degree candidate Felix Li, and Robotics Institute researcher Yuanliu Huang.
After his tour, O’Connor reflected on the role the ETC’s work plays in Pittsburgh’s creative and technological identity, noting how digital experiences can tell the city’s story and attract investment in the local economy. “I think the talent that we have here, the more we can invest in organizations like this, the more it’s gonna create opportunities for Pittsburghers,” he said. “All of that is telling the Pittsburgh story, but on a worldwide stage.”
“This is an amazing organization,” O’Connor said. “Some of the technology that’s being created is revolutionary, right here in Pittsburgh.”
