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Doiron in a collar shirt in front of a blue background

Brent Doiron Joins NIH BRAIN Initiative as Theoretical Neuroscience Investigator

Brent Doiron, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, will work with a team from Columbia University’s Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute to develop mathematical models of the brain’s primary visual cortex.

The effort is supported by a five year, $16.75 million grant from the National Institute of Health’s BRAIN Initiative. Doiron will serve as a theoretical neuroscience investigator, receiving $1.7M for his investigations as part of the grant. Doiron, who’s also a member of the University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, collaborates extensively with faculty in other departments to advance theoretical models of brain activity and cognition.


Leland in a dark sweater in front of a tan background

Natalie Leland Named Fellow of Gerontological Society

Natalie Leland, an associate professor in Pitt’s Department of Occupational Therapy, has been named a fellow of The Gerontological Society of America.

Leland's research focuses on understanding and improving care quality for older adults, with a particular interest in how occupational therapy can contribute to interdisciplinary patient-centered outcomes.

The society is the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging. The status of fellow — the highest class of membership within the society — is an acknowledgment of outstanding and continuing work in gerontology. Leland was one of 89 fellows selected for the class of 2018.


a statue of a panther on the campus

Pitt–Greensburg Nursing Program Awarded $1.5 Million

The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg was recently awarded $1.5 million in grant money by the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation in support of a growing nursing degree program at the school.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is in its second year at the Greensburg campus and follows the same curriculum as the Pitt School of Nursing, the latter of which is consistently ranked among the top 10 nursing schools in the country by U.S. News and World Report.

The foundation has supported a wide range of important initiatives at the Greensburg campus throughout the years, including supporting two academic building on campus, McKenna Hall and Frank A. Cassell Hall; upgrading and improving technology resources; and helping to address economic growth and revitalization through the Smart Growth Partnership


Chimielus in a suit and tie

Swanson School and General Carbide Team Up for 3D Printing Advancement

Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering is collaborating with General Carbide Corporation in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, to research better base powders and 3D printing methods for more effective and economical use of tungsten carbide in additive manufacturing.

The project was financed in part by a $57,529 grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development and the first round of the PA Manufacturing Innovation Program. Cost share from Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering and General Carbide will provide a total funding of $145,000.

Pitt’s principal investigator for this project is Markus Chmielus, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science.


three young women packing a stack of books

Office of Child Development Donates Resources to Children in Squirrel Hill

The University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development held a book drive to provide resources for children affected by gun violence in Squirrel Hill and the surrounding community.

Pitt students, staff and faculty have started delivering the nearly 3,000 books to approximately 200 schools and early childcare facilities, just in time for the holidays. They plan to finish their deliveries in January.

The Pitt community and people from across the country donated the books, which will be used to help local children heal and embrace diversity.

“The outpouring of donations and support we’ve received has been remarkable, and we are hopeful that the Office of Child Development can deliver even more resources to help children process fear and embrace diversity,” said Director Shannon Wanless.

The Office of Child Development and its partners in the Pitt Early Childhood Community, including Falk School, the University Child Development Center and early childhood programs in Pitt’s School of Education, are part of this ongoing effort.


Woman riding bike in a Pitt shirt

Pitt’s Bike-friendly Efforts Recognized

Each year, the League of American Bicyclists recognizes colleges and universities that support bicycling with its Bicycle Friendly University status. This year, Pitt earned the status with a bronze distinction, joining nearly 200 other universities on the overall list.

“This is the first year we applied for recognition on campus, but we have had the infrastructure and programs in place for quite some time,” said Jeff Yeaman, senior manager, Department of Parking, Transportation and Services. Yeaman cited specific examples like the bike rooms in Nordenberg Hall and fix-it stations around campus as evidence of Pitt’s commitment to being a bike-friendly campus.

The league’s bronze distinction recognizes institutions that have taken notable steps in supporting bicycling for recreation and tranporation, which can be seen in above-average numbers of students, faculty and staff riding bikes. The league scores institutions that apply for distinction across five categories, including engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation.

Read more information about the distinction process online.


Headshot of Tao Han in sweater and collared shirt

Tao Han Elected Vice Chair at the American Physical Society

Tao Han, Distinguished Professor of High Energy Physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been elected vice chair of the executive committee for American Physical Society’s Division of Particles and Fields.

The American Physical Society represents more than 55,000 physicists across the globe and uses advocacy, research journals, meetings and other forms of outreach to promote its work. Han will begin his duties in January 2019 and will assume as chair in 2021.


Harms in front of a blue background

Viktoria Harms Honored by American Association of Teachers of German

Viktoria Harms, lecturer in the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of German, has been selected by the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) and the Goethe-Institut as a recipient of their Certificate of Merit.

The award honors language educators for “achievement in furthering the teaching of German in the United States.”

Harms serves as the Department of German’s director of language studies and director of undergraduate studies within the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. She was honored at the AATG and American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Convention and World Languages Expo on Nov. 17 in New Orleans.

Three From Pitt Named Forbes ‘30 Under 30’

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Blain in black rimmed glasses

Keisha Blain’s Book Named One of the Best History Books of 2018 by Smithsonian Magazine

Keisha N. Blain’s book "Set the World on Fire: Black Nationalist Women and the Global Struggle for Freedom" was named one of the best history books of the year by Smithsonian Magazine. Blain is an assistant professor in Pitt’s Department of History. To read the full list of best books, visit the magazine's website.


yellow statue in front of a building

20 Pitt Researchers Named to ‘Highly Cited’ List

Twenty professors from varying fields at the University of Pittsburgh were named to Clarivate Analytics’ list of Highly Cited Researchers over the past decade.

The list “recognizes world-class researchers selected for their exceptional research performance, demonstrated by production of multiple highly cited papers that rank in the top one percent by citations for field and year in ‘Web of Science.’” To view the full list, visit their website.

Announcing Pitt Cyber Accelerator Grant Recipients

The University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security has announced the winners of the fall 2018 Pitt Cyber Accelerator Grants Program. Winners will receive funding for research projects that examine the swiftly changing technological landscape and the rules, practices and safeguards designed to keep it secure. Spring 2019 grant applications are due Friday, April 5. For more information, email cyberacceleratorgrants@pitt.edu.

Awards have been granted to:

  • Kevin Ashley, professor of law and intelligent systems in the School of Law
  • Jaromir Savelka, PhD candidate, School of Computing and Information
  • Elena Baylis, professor of law in the School of Law
  • Julia Santucci, senior lecturer in intelligence studies in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
  • Lt. Col Diana Bishop, chair of the Department of Aerospace Studies
  • Michael Colaresi, William S. Dietrich II Chair of the Department of Political Science
  • Jon Woon; departmental chair and professor of Political Science in the Department of Political Science
  • Ronald Idoko, adjunct faculty in the public service program at the College of General Studies
  • Christopher Wilmer, assistant professor in the Swanson School of Engineering

statue

Three Pitt Professors Named American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has appointed three University of Pittsburgh professors as members of its 2018 lifetime fellowship cohort. 

AAAS will recognize James Woodward, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science; Jeremy Levy, a Distinguished Professor of Condensed Matter Physics in the Department of Physics; and Astronomy and Adam K. Leibovich, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, during its annual meeting on Feb. 16. The professors were among 416 fellows selected this year and will join a list of distinguished scientists including inventor Thomas Edison, astronomer Maria Mitchell and computer scientist Grace Hopper.

More information on the winners can be found here.


Moran in a salmon shirt, wearing a diamond-patterned tie and a sport coat

Pitt Grounds Department Gets a Green Star

Andy Moran, senior manager of grounds in Facilities Management, accepted a 2018 Green Star Award on behalf of the University at the Professional Grounds Management Society’s recent awards dinner in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Green Star Awards program brings national recognition to grounds maintained with a high degree of excellence, complementing other national landscape award programs that recognize outstanding landscape design and construction.

Pitt was recognized with an Honor Award in the Urban University Grounds category for exceptional grounds maintenance.

Pitt Grounds’ 31 full-time and 15 seasonal grounds employees provide 24-hour maintenance to all landscaped areas, lawns, parking lots, garages and athletic fields across the University’s 145-acre Pittsburgh campus as well as winter maintenance of 30 miles of sidewalks and over 2,000 steps. 


Newman and Schulz

Pitt Researchers Honored for Senior Service Efforts

Two medical researchers from the University of Pittsburgh were recently recognized for their efforts in the field of medicine by UPMC Senior Services.

Anne Newman, professor and chair of Pitt’s Department of Epidemiology, was named Grand Champion for her work in the epidemiology of aging, longevity and disability. It is the highest honor awarded by UPMC Senior Services.

Richard Schulz, distinguished service professor of psychiatry, was honored as Caregiver Champion. Schulz’s work focuses on social-psychological aspects of aging, including the impact of disabling late-life disease on patients and their families.

Both, along with Community Champion United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, were honored at an October ceremony in Pittsburgh.


Nindl holding a plaque

Bradley Nindl Delivers Keynote on Research

Bradley Nindl, director of the Neuromuscular Research Lab/Warrior Human Performance Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh, recently spoke about how scientific and technological advances in physical education and exercise science will make way for an injury-free military as a featured speaker for Springfield College’s Karpovich Lecture.

Nindl researches science and strategies to help members of the military be able to perform at their best physical and mental peak through best practices in rehabilitating and preventing injuries.

He is also a professor in Pitt’s Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition, part of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.


panther statue

13 Faculty Members Receive Discipline-based Science Education Research Center Leader Award

Congratulations to 13 faculty members in the Natural Sciences Departments in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences who were recently awarded the Discipline-based Science Education Research Center (dB-SERC) Leader Award. This yearly award recognizes and celebrates their valuable contributions to the dB-SERC faculty learning community and their active participation in many dB-SERC events during the last academic year.

These faculty members have played a key role in the dB-SERC weekly lunch discussions about innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the natural sciences. The dB-SERC promotes and supports evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning in the natural sciences departments at the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to workshops and special events, the dB-SERC faculty learning community gives the faculty members opportunity to share their course transformation projects involving evidence-based approaches which helps everyone who is part of this community contemplate, adopt and adapt scholarly approaches to teaching and learning. The center strives to help Pitt be a national leader in evidence-based instruction in the natural sciences.

dB-SERC Leader Award winners (2017-2018 year):

  • Danielle Andrews-Brown, Geology and Environmental Science
  • Meghan Bechman, Biological Sciences
  • Sean Garrett-Roe, Chemistry
  • Joe Grabowski, Chemistry
  • Kirill Kiselyov, Biological Sciences
  • Barbara Kucinski, Psychology
  • Jim Mueller, Physics and Astronomy
  • David Nero, Physics and Astronomy
  • Kim Payne, Biological Sciences
  • Welkin Pope, Biological Sciences
  • Jackie Powell, Chemistry
  • Katie Sinagoga, Biological Sciences
  • Kyle Whitinghill, Geology and Environmental Science

cathedral

Three PittGlobal Centers Receive Funding Boost

Three centers in the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) received more than $7 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education and other sources. Pitt’s Asian Studies Center; European Studies Center; and the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies received a total of six awards under Title VI of the Higher Education Act. This means a National Resource Center designation and Foreign Language Areas Studies fellowships for each.

In addition, the Asian Studies Center received significant funding from the Freeman Foundation that will allow it to expand its East Asia seminars for K-12 educators and summer study tours of China to teachers in 11 states. The European Studies Center secured new funding to continue collaborating with three universities in Europe. And the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies received more than $1 million in grant finding to advance language training and research.

“The University of Pittsburgh is a force in global education and engagement,” said Ariel Armony, vice provost for global affairs and UCIS director. The National Resource Center designation and the other funding reflects our commitment to taking Pitt to the world and bringing the world to Pitt.”

University Wins Innovation and Economic Prosperity Innovation Award

The University of Pittsburgh has been awarded the Association of Public and Land-grant University (APLU) Innovation and Economic Prosperity Innovation award. The award recognizes exemplary initiatives spurring innovation, entrepreneurship and technology-based economic development. Winners are limited to universities that have conducted internal studies examining its local and regional economic engagement and have been designated by APLU as Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities. The University of Pittsburgh earned the designation in 2014; 64 institutions have been named IEP University designees since the program was launched in 2012.

In its announcement of the award, the APLU praised Pitt and its Office of Economic Partnerships for work with the Brookings Institution and Pitt’s Immune Transplant and Therapy Center, noting the latter as "one of a host of innovation hubs the university is launching across the city to support pathbreaking research and business development."


Rugh

Mary Rugh Inducted Into Electric League of Western Pennsylvania’s Hall of Honor

Mary Rugh, senior manager for electrical in Facilities Management, has been inducted into the Electric League of Western Pennsylvania’s Hall of Honor.

This lifetime achievement award recognizes those who have made significant contributions in furthering the high ideals and goals of the industry. 

Rugh’s career in electrical engineering includes her work over the past 33 years on the University’s electrical infrastructure systems.

She is responsible for operation and maintenance of the University’s Pittsburgh campus 5kV electric power distribution system. Rugh has negotiated University electric contracts since the inception of deregulation, saving the University more than $10 million over the past two decades.

A professional engineer, she came to Pitt in 1985 as a control systems engineer, was promoted to senior electrical engineer in 1997 and became senior manager for electrical in 2015.

She has been part of the Electric League since 2008 and serves on its education and expo committees.