Steven Abramowitch, associate professor of bioengineering, recently received the Biomedical Engineering Society 2019 Diversity Lecture Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to improving gender and racial diversity in biomedical engineering. 

Abramowitch has made an impact through his career in women’s health and the Swanson School of Engineering’s diversity initiatives.

Since starting PITT STRIVE, the engineering school’s program focusing on engagement with and awareness of under-represented minorities, the Swanson School has surpassed historic levels of minority enrollment in the PhD program. Through the study abroad programs, Abramowitch has helped undergraduate students see the impact of engineering through the lens of another culture, and with CampBioE, he has educated more than 1,000 middle and high school students, with more than 40% participation from under-represented minorities and low-income students since the diversity campaign began in 2014.

Kirk An joined the Office of University Communications in October as an editorial production specialist. 

In this new role, An supports the digital production for University communications channels including @Pitt, My Pitt, Pittwire and Pittwire Health.

An is a 2017 graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois, where he was assistant editor, editor in chief and spotlight editor of the college newspaper. He completed fellowships and internships and freelanced for media outlets including USA Today, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and Religion News Service. Most recently, he was the assistant editor at Providence Magazine in Washington, D.C.

Sauntee’ Turner joined the Office of University Communications team in August as an executive speechwriting specialist. In this position, she supports members of Chancellor Patrick Gallagher’s leadership team in their speeches and presentations.

Turner has a wealth of experience in public relations, special events and executive communications. During a decade of service with the City of Pittsburgh, she worked in parks and recreation, public safety, and the Office of the Mayor.

She is a Pitt alumna, having earned her Bachelor of Arts in communications and rhetoric. Turner also holds a Master of Arts in professional writing from Chatham University.

Christin Bongiorni joined the Office of University Communications in June as a multimedia specialist.

In this role, Bongiorni will help University Communications tell stories through video and related multimedia products as well as serve as a resource for communicators across campus.

Bongiorni graduated from Carnegie Mellon University and worked for several years as a freelance animator and videographer prior to joining Pitt.

The Pittsburgh Business Times announced on Oct. 9 that the University of Pittsburgh’s Police Department won a 2019 Corporate Citizenship Award for their “Most Wanted” food drive program.

The program, spearheaded by Sgt. Mark Villasenor, collects unwanted food from students’ dormitories when they leave campus at the end of the semester and uses it to stock The Pitt Pantry, a volunteer-run food pantry that serves Pitt community members who meet the federal guidelines for food assistance. They partnered up with pantry coordinator and Sustainability Program Assistant Ciara Stehley to stock shelves, cut out coupons and pass out groceries on a weekly basis. Community Relations Officers Heather Camp, Mallory Jarzynka and Guy Johnson helped with this effort. 

Devised in 2014, the food drive now gathers more than 1,500 pounds of nonperishable goods like pasta, cereal and canned goods annually. During the drive’s first year, Pitt’s police department collected enough food to fill 11 dorm move-in carts—this year, they filled 45.

The food is also given to CHS South Oakland to help fight food insecurity on campus and in the Oakland Community. The Community Relations Unit has also contributed its efforts to Special Olympics of Western PA, Adopt-A-Highway, United Way of Allegheny County, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Cops and Kids Camp and Camp Cadet.

Greg Scott, Pitt’s senior vice chancellor for business and operations, said, “We are committed to strengthening communities … and thanks to the Pitt Police’s work, it truly shows.”

The Corporate Citizenship Award honors Western Pennsylvania individuals and companies that demonstrate significant contributions to society. The winners of the award are chosen by an online nomination process. Read more about the Pitt Police’s award-winning program in the Pittsburgh Business Times.

Rachel Ann Brickner (A&S ’09, ’18G) was recognized by The Missouri Review for its 12th annual Miller Audio Prize for her audio essay, “How to Survive a Fire.”

The Miller Audio Prize recognizes work in four genres: poetry, prose, humor and audio documentaries. 

Brickner, who earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the University of Pittsburgh in 2018, is also a part-time instructor in the Department of English in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences.

The rate of first-time takers who passed the Pennsylvania bar exam from Pitt’s School of Law is 91.36%—the highest in the state. Eighty-one Pitt Law graduates sat for the test for the first time this past July, and 74 of them passed. Pitt Law was followed in the rankings by Dickinson, with a rate of 88.46%, Penn with 88.24% and Duquesne with 87.88%. The overall state average was 80.6%.

The rigorous two-day test, which includes six hours of written essay questions and 200 multiple choice questions, was given at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on July 30 and 31. Pitt Law offers bar exam prep courses and provided therapy dogs on site for its local test-takers, as well as boxed lunches with notes of encouragement signed by Pitt Law staff and faculty.

“We congratulate the Class of 2019 on their incredible achievement, which reflects their collective hard work, perseverance and support of one another,” said Pitt Law Dean Amy J. Wildermuth. She also credited Rob Wible, Pitt Law’s director of academic success and bar exam services.

“He is our cheerleader-in-chief,” she said. “His day-in and day-out support of our students made all the difference.”

The University of Pittsburgh was again named among the world’s top 50 universities in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities rankings. Pitt landed at No. 47, tied with University of Minnesota.

In the latest ranking, the magazine evaluated a list of the world’s top 1,500 universities — which includes institutions from the U.S. and more than 80 other countries. The universities were rated based on 13 different indicators measuring their academic research performance and their global and regional reputations.

Several Pitt programs ranked in the top 50 by subject, including Surgery at No. 3, Clinical Medicine at No. 18 and Psychiatry/Psychology at No. 19.

Other programs in the top 50 are:

• No. 23: Neuroscience and Behavior
• No. 23: Oncology
• No. 34: Pharmacology and Toxicology (tied with University of Pennsylvania)
• No. 36: Arts and Humanities
• No. 39: Immunology
• No. 42: Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems
• No. 49: Microbiology (tied with University of Toronto)

Pitt students come from 108 countries and all 50 states, in addition to the U.S. Territories of Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Internationally, most students come from China, India and Korea. The Pitt Study Abroad program sends more than 1,800 students per year across its five campuses to over 350 programs in more than 75 countries on six continents. The university has also ranked among the top producers of Fulbright U.S. Students.

Lauren O. Wallace (BUS ’12, EDUC ’12G), director of recruitment in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, has been named an honoree to the 40 Under 40 List by Pittsburgh Magazine and Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project.

The award annually recognizes 40 “outstanding” individuals who meet the age requirement whose “creativity, vision and passion” enrich the Pittsburgh region. Since 1998, artists, entrepreneurs, doctors, educators, nonprofit executives and public figures have been among the recipients of this honor.

Wallace is also currently enrolled in the Doctor of Education Program in the School of Education.