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Shannon Reed, English Professor in the Dietrich School was Published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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The Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Writing Program and Teaching Associate Professor in the Dietrich School's Department of English, Shannon Reed published an opinion piece in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The article titled, “Uncomfortable silences are necessary” was published on February 25. Reed discusses the uncomfortable silence surrounding pointing out micro-aggressions with racism.

Dietrich School Student Marian Kaelin is Going Above and Beyond in the Pittsburgh Community

Image of Marian Kaelin

Marian Kaelin, a junior in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences studying Urban Planning, has been recognized by Councilperson Bob Charland for her superior work interning with his office. She has not only been vital in her interning role, but she has gone beyond the work asked of her and is currently helping a senior resident who needs help with housing.

Structural Racism

Image of Lorraine Blatt

Lorraine Blatt, a Graduate Student Researcher with the University’s Psychology Department was recently published in the American Academy of Pediatrics for her study on structural racism. Blatt used Allegheny County as her research grounds to see how structural racism leads to fewer opportunities for children today. The study explored how these systems of racism often lead to higher accounts of poverty, poor healthcare, and fewer resources for education as well as other detrimental outcomes.

Dietrich School Faculty Member's Secret Pittsburgh Class Expands to Include Podcast

Pittsburgh skyline at dawn

Elise Lonich Ryan, a faculty member in the Dietrich School's Department of English, has expanded her popular "Secrets of Pittsburgh" class to include a podcast.

The Secret Pittsburgh class combines reading with exploring the landscape and communities where local events took place and locally famous people grew up, from August Wilson’s Hill District to the Carrie Blast Furnaces, from Rodef Shalom’s Biblical Botanical Garden to the three rivers. In the earlier years of the class, students created their own guidebook. Now the guidebook is taking the shape of a podcast.

Luciana DeJesus, a junior at the Dietrich School, won third place in the Pitt News Writing Contest

Drawn image of a woman in a pink dress between two stuffed toys

Luciana DeJesus, a junior at the Dietrich School, won third place in the Pitt News Writing Contest. DeJesus is a double major focusing on Classics and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies with a certificate in writing. The Pitt News Writing Contest is open to all students and offers a chance at being published and winning prize money.

Read more in the Pitt News.

Dietrich School Undergraduate Wins Prize in Carnegie Museum's “Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh” Competition

Artwork created and owned by Imaan Saeed

Imaan Saeed had not considered art as a profession until recently. The first-year molecular biology and studio arts major won a prize at the “Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh” competition, the Carnegie Museum’s call for diverse art that “encouraged artists throughout southwestern Pennsylvania to share their visions for a just and equitable Pittsburgh.” Her artwork, titled “Dual Identities,” won first prize in the youth visual arts category.

Dietrich School Faculty Member Helps Marginalized Communities Recover From Disasters

Fernando Tormos-Aponte

In 2017, when Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, Dietrich School faculty member Fernando Tormos-Aponte’s first impulse was to return to his homeland to help rebuild. Recognizing that his presence would have meant one more person dependent on the archipelago’s already strained resources, Tormos-Aponte instead turned to his training as a social scientist to support his loved ones.

Read the article here