Putting Safety First

New Pig Corporation

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and that’s exactly how New Pig got its start. There was a need for absorbing industrial spills of oil that leaked from machinery. From clay and kitty litter to corn cobs and pantyhose, the co-founders worked until they had the perfect product, and the New Pig Corporation was born. They grew their business from one product with no customers to more than 3,000 products and hundreds of thousands of customers—worldwide. Their relationship with IUP began when their former president was partnering with field individuals in the Marcellus Shale industry who happened to be IUP alumni. New Pig’s former CEO is also an IUP alumnus and several current employees are IUP alumni. Having been in the business for nearly 40 years, New Pig had become a trusted name in the industry and wanted to establish partnerships with universities so that they could begin building relationships with the next generation of field professionals—in the classroom. IUP was a perfect choice. New Pig donates products and curriculum for two reasons. It aims to provide students with direct access to real-world products and applications, fostering a hands-on learning experience. It also wants to start building trust with the future professionals in their industry by demonstrating to students that they will partner with them in the classroom and again in their roles as safety professionals—a trusted partner throughout their careers.

Madison Piatak ’23

The road to safety, health, and environmental applied sciences was personal for Madison. A few of her immediate family members were impacted by workplace hazards that were not recognized and controlled. These avoidable tragedies became the impetus for her becoming an advocate for the safety and well-being of the working class. She chose IUP because of the stellar reputation of the safety sciences program and the strong alumni network. Avoiding student debt that takes years to pay back was a goal for Madison, so she worked hard in high school to earn the grades that would open doors of opportunity in the form of college scholarships.

Her hard work paid off. She received the David L. Johnson Scholarship and the Chevron Scholarship. In the classroom, Madison was introduced to spillcleanup equipment that was generously donated by New Pig. She also completed the spill-prevention, control, and countermeasures training that they provided. It is unique learning opportunities like these that enabled Madison to transition smoothly from an intern role to a full-time role in the oil and gas industry. She moved to southeast Texas for her new job and hopes to complete her master’s at IUP in the future.