Jeff Schwartz, a professor emeritus in the Department of Anthropology at the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences, recently published a new novel.
“Neanderthals: fact, fiction, and wishful thinking” debuted on August 5 from Oxford University Press.
From Jeff:
Ten University of Pittsburgh students and alumni, including five from the Dietrich School, have been selected as finalists for the 2026-27 cycle of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, one of the nation’s most prestigious global academic exchange programs.
Continuing Pitt’s tradition of global scholarship and cultural exchange, these outstanding students will teach English, pursue advanced degrees and conduct research in countries from Germany to Tajikistan.
The University’s 2026-27 finalists are:
Poushalee Banerjee, a doctoral student in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Geology and Environmental Science, received an honorable mention in the American Fisheries Society’s 2026 Student Writing Contest.
The organization promotes scientific research and sustainable management of fisheries resources and is a leading publisher of books and peer-reviewed journals. The Student Writing Contest recognizes students who excel in communicating fishery-related research.
Eight University of Pittsburgh faculty members — more than double last year’s total — were awarded Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Awards by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
Fulbright U.S. Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators and established professionals who work with institutions abroad to further research or pedagogical practices. This intercultural exchange and research expands and strengthens professional relationships across the world, often laying the foundations for further collaboration and academic progress.
The Greenwall Foundation has named Jonathan Fuller, associate professor in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of History and Philosophy of Science, one of its 2029 Greenwall Faculty Scholars for his work to improve diagnoses for diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Pitt’s Office of the Provost has announced 11 awardees of the 2026 Nancy Tannery Grant for Open Educational Resources, an initiative that supports faculty as they adapt, adopt or create open educational resources for use in an existing course. Four of those awardees are from the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences.
31 students from the University of Pittsburgh participated in the 2026 National Post-Secondary Russian Essay Contest, sponsored by the American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR), this past spring.
This year’s competition brought together 838 students from 49 institutions across the United States, making it the largest national competition of its kind.
Rebecca P. Johnson (A&S ’23) is part of a more than 75-member Chicago Tribune reporting team that recently won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting. The distinction is a remarkable achievement for an early-career journalist who once expected to become a physician instead.
Twelve University of Pittsburgh undergraduates, including seven Dietrich School students, have been awarded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships for the March 2026 application cycle.
The competitive, merit-based U.S. Department of State program supports students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to American national security and economic prosperity. The department awards nearly 3,000 students with up to $5,000 in funding each year.
