News
Dietrich School Faculty Member Named Packard Fellow
Evan Schneider, whose research focuses on the digital modeling of galaxies, has become the third faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh to be named a Packard Fellow since the award’s inception in 1988.
Schneider, an assistant professor in the Dietrich School's Department of Physics and Astronomy, is one of 20 early career professors nationwide to receive a Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering.
Dietrich School Alumna Named Publisher of the Year
Dietrich School alumna Jennifer Bertetto (A&S '97), president and CEO of Trib Total Media, has been recognized as Publisher of the Year by Editor & Publisher, the leading trade publication for the newspaper industry. Editor & Publisher names its Publisher of the Year annually to honor a publisher “who has risen above the rest and accomplished what seems like the impossible, outmaneuvering the competition, outthinking the future and maintaining profitability.”
A Message Regarding Recent Campus Crime Alerts
In the past several weeks, the Pitt community has received crime alerts from Pitt Police about incidents both on and off campus. The Dietrich School is committed to the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff, and these incidents are deeply concerning. To learn more about the University's response and the resources that are available to support our community, please read the statements from Carla Panzella, Dean of Students, and Ted Fritz, Vice Chancellor for Public Safety and Emergency Management.
Pitt Alumni Association Honors Three Dietrich School Graduates
Deborah J. Gillotti (A&S ’77), Kevin J. Zedack (A&S ’17), and Christopher Luccy, DMD, (A&S ’70, DEN ’73), were recognized for their contributions and achievements during the University's Homecoming celebration. Read more about these remarkable Dietrich School graduates.
Dietrich School Students Recognized for "Spirit of Pitt"
The University of Pittsburgh’s homecoming is a time to celebrate reunions, make new connections and honor traditions new and old. In 2021, the Pitt Alumni Association (PAA) put a new spin on a cherished custom by rebranding the phrase “Homecoming court” to the “Spirit of Pitt.”
The effort is a gender-neutral academic award for two students chosen from a group of juniors and seniors who meet specific criteria, including exhibiting academic excellence, engaging in community service and embodying the values of the PAA.
Dietrich School Distinguished Professor Elected President of the Society for Philosophy and Psychology
Edouard Machery, distinguished professor in the Dietrich School, has been elected president of the Society for Philosophy and Psychology for 2023-24. The society is a professional organization for “philosophically interested psychologists and psychologically interested philosophers” in North America.
Dietrich School Biologists Are Making Fieldwork More Equitable
Doing research outside of the lab is important to career advancement in scientific fields like ecology, geology and paleontology, but it comes with a host of unique challenges. That’s why a team from the Dietrich School’s Department of Biological Sciences developed a guide for making fieldwork safer and more equitable, especially for researchers from marginalized groups.
Dietrich School Chemist Featured in Pittwire
Lillian Chong, a professor in the Dietrich School's Department of Chemistry, creates simulations that mimic biological processes too small and too fast to be observed by even the most sophisticated microscope. The result is videos that show what’s happening with every atom of a protein cell, down to the quadrillionth — a million billionth — of a second. Using this technology, Chong helped crack the mystery of how the coronavirus’s spike protein opens in order to attach to human cells.
Dietrich School Undergraduates Among Inaugural Voyager Scholars
Four juniors from the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences are among the first recipients of the Voyager Scholarship.
The initiative, created by the Obama Foundation and supported by Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky, gives students who want to pursue a career in public service up to $50,000 in financial aid as they finish college and a $10,000 stipend for a “summer voyage” to gain exposure to new communities and experience in their field. The University of Pittsburgh tied with Howard University for the fourth-highest number of Voyager Scholarship recipients of any institution of higher learning in the country, and the most of any school in Pennsylvania.
New Study By Dietrich School Geologists Maps How Metal Pollutants Have Traveled Across the City
Pittsburgh’s steel industry may be largely in the past, but its legacy lives on in city soils. New research led by Dietrich School geologists shows how historical coking and smelting dropped toxic metals in Pittsburgh’s soil, particularly in the eastern half of the city.
Dietrich School Professor’s New Novel Explores Identity, Immigration and Bureaucracy
A stranger on a New York subway platform sent Angie Cruz, associate professor in the Dietrich School's Department of English, on the journey to her next book.
New Research from Dietrich School Neuroscience Team Published in Cell Reports
The brain’s cerebral cortex is made up of distinct regions involved in myriad processes, from sensory perception to cognitive functions like memory, attention and decision-making. Researchers from the Dietrich School's Department of Neuroscience have found that the properties of one neuron subtype — somatostatin-expressing neurons — are specialized in different subregions of the cortex. The study was published Sept. 6 in Cell Reports.
Nominations Sought for Faculty Awards, Deadline October 14
The University of Pittsburgh strives to recognize the efforts and achievements of its faculty. The Provost's Award for Excellence in Mentoring, the Chancellor's Distinguished Awards for Research, Public Service and Teaching, the Diversity in the Curriculum Awards, and the Extended Diversity Experience Certificates of Achievement all promote excellence and innovation across the breadth of the University's faculty.
Dietrich School Associate Dean Named Director of Pittsburgh Quantum Institute
Adam Leibovich, associate dean for research and faculty development in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, will serve as Director of Pittsburgh Quantum Institute (PQI).
Distinguished Professor Wins Humboldt Award
Tia-Lynn Ashman, a Distinguished Professor in the Dietrich School's Department of Biological Sciences, has received the prestigious Humboldt Research Award, which recognizes her entire academic record to date. The award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, based in Germany, comes with a cash prize of 60,000 euros (around $61,200)