Keisha N. Blain, associate professor in the Department of History, has been awarded the annual Berkshire Conference of Women Historians Book Prize for her recent publication “Set the World on Fire: Black Nationalist Women and the Global Struggle for Freedom.”

The book, which “[draws] on a variety of previously untapped sources, including newspapers, government records, songs and poetry,” tells the stories of Black women nationalists in the 20th century. The book prize is given annually for “a first book that deals substantially with the history of women, gender and/or sexuality.”

According to a statement, the selection committee said, “Featuring an impressive archive and transnational in scope, every single chapter in this book offers serious interventions, contributions, and reinterpretations of familiar historical narratives.”

Blain also won the 2019 Darlene Clark Hine Award from the Organization of American Historians for the same publication.

The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown has been designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program. Pitt–Johnstown is the first Pennsylvania university to earn this certification, and only the eighth overall. 

Pitt­–Johnstown Supervisor of Campus Grounds Dave Finney, who led the effort to obtain sanctuary designation, was recognized by Audubon for his environmental stewardship. The Johnstown campus maintains a 655-acre grounds with 15 miles of trails.

"The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program. They are to be commended for their efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on their property," said Christine Kane, CEO at Audubon International. “By taking action to implement indoor and outdoor conservation projects, the administration, faculty and staff at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown have demonstrated their commitment to the sustainable management of their natural resources.”

Certification demonstrates an organization’s leadership, commitment and high standards of environmental management in areas such as environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, water quality and conservation, resource management and outreach and education. Recertification is required every three years to maintain the designation.

Renee J. Rogers (EDUC ’09G, ’12G), assistant professor in the Department of Health and Physical Activity in the School of Education, was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) at their conference in May. The fellowship “recognizes individuals who exhibit a deep and ongoing interest and dedication to the goals and long-range activities of the ACSM.”

Rogers’ work includes research on the health benefits of physical activity, with an emphasis on research into practice.

Rogers, who is also the programming director of Pitt’s Healthy Lifestyle Institute, also recently appeared in Good Housekeeping magazine for her expertise on weight loss and exercise physiology.

The Nazarbayev University School of Medicine saw its first class graduate this spring.

NUSOM, a school of Nazarbayev University in the Republic of Kazakhstan, selected the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as its strategic academic partner to assist in the development of the medical school. Since then, Pitt has helped NUSOM institute a curriculum based on the Pittsburgh model, as well as state-of-the-art teaching facilities, school leadership and faculty, policies, courses and more, allowing the new school to stand out in the republic.

Out of 937 graduates from the university as a whole, 41 received degrees from the inaugural class of NUSOM, with 14 medical doctors, 27 master’s graduates and 42 registered nursing to Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates.

Valerie Kinloch, the Renée and Richard Goldman Dean of the School of Education, has been elected vice president of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

According to its website, the NCTE “amplifies the voice of educators through personal connection, collaboration and a shared mission to improve the teaching and learning of English and language arts at all levels.”

“It is my honor to have been elected as NCTE’s next vice president,” said Kinloch. “Being a member of NCTE for more than 20 years has allowed me to partner with, learn from and be inspired by dedicated educators from around the world who have an unwavering commitment to language and literacy teaching, learning, practice and research.”

Kinloch will take office during NCTE’s annual convention in Baltimore this November.

Two researchers at the University of Pittsburgh recently received a National Science Foundation Rapid Response Research (RAPID) grant for $175,000 to study the environmental effects of new anti-corrosion treatments currently being used on Pittsburgh’s lead pipes.

Sarah Haig, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Swanson School of Engineering with a secondary appointment in environmental and occupational health at the Graduate School of Public Health, and Emily Elliott, associate professor of geology and environmental science in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and director of the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory, will evaluate water samples provided by the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority.

They will assess and monitor changes in the microbial ecology, water chemistry and nutrient availability in the water collected from pipes and urban streams connected to the system.

Nine members of the University of Pittsburgh community have been named to the New Pittsburgh Courier’s Fab 40 Class of 2019 list.

The Fab 40 list recognizes African-Americans under the age of 40 who make a positive difference in the Pittsburgh area through their fields of expertise.

Current Pitt staff members that are named to the Class of 2019 include: Cassandra Brentley, program manager in the School of Education’s Center for Urban Education; Tenecia Ross, director of employee and labor relations in the Office of Human Resources; and Deborah Todd (A&S ’03), communications manager in the Office of University Communications.

The following members of the University’s alumni community were also named to the Class of 2019: Camille A. Clarke-Smith (A&S ’06, EDUC ’08G), UPMC Health Plan/T.H.A.W.; Ronald B. Coursey (A&S ’08), Woodland Hills School District; Alyssa P. Lyon (A&S ’12), Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group/AmeriCorps VISTA; Julius Ridgley (BUS ’15G), Eat ‘N Park Hospitality Group, Inc.; Aster Teclay (A&S ’10), Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh; and Terri White (BUS ’19G), Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

All Fab 40 honorees will be celebrated at the Fairmont Pittsburgh Hotel on July 19.

Victoria Hornyak, assistant professor of physical therapy in the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, recently received the 2019 Geriatrics Teacher of the Year Award from the Pennsylvania Geriatrics Society — Western Division.

Hornyak is recognized for her work at Pitt, which includes coordinating and serving as the primary instructor for courses related to patient management and geriatrics in Pitt’s Department of Physical Therapy program. She also serves as the faculty mentor for the students’ Geriatrics Special Interest Group and is an SHRS representative for Pitt’s Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education.

Her research addresses advancing dementia care competency and preparedness across disciplines through a grant as part of the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program. The project’s goal is to adapt existing communication skills programs to better interact with patients who have dementia.

Assistant Vice Chancellor of University Benefits John Kozar was recently named a Pittsburgh Business Times Workplace Wellness Champion.

The new award honors Pittsburgh leaders who are working to advance the physical, mental and fiscal health of their employees and their families. Kozar and other wellness champions will be honored at a luncheon at the Westin Convention Center Hotel on Thursday, May 23.

Kozar told the Pittsburgh Business Times that when he began his career at Pitt more than 15 years ago, he set out to develop health and wellness programs, with a goal of changing the culture around wellness at the University.

“It’s about doing the right thing, creating awareness, trying to reach faculty, staff and students in as many ways as we can,” said Kozar. 

In his role in the Office of Human Resources, Kozar oversees the benefits department and negotiates all contracts and agreements, as well as develops costs and any changes in plan designs. He provides oversight of the on-site MyHealth@Work Center health and wellness center for faculty and staff. Additionally, he serves as a liaison for the University Senate’s benefits and welfare committee.