As early as age 4, Elwin Cotman realized he wanted to be a writer.
Drawn to fantastical stories he saw in video games and read at the library, the Pittsburgh native first typed his own stories on his father’s typewriter and later, his mom’s word processor. From age 8 until high school, he spent summers at Pitt with the Young Writers Institute where, he said, he gained the tools and inspiration to be a writer.
The University of Pittsburgh has recognized four faculty and staff with the 2025 Provost’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Student Success.
Each year, Pitt’s Office of the Provost recognizes staff, faculty and administrators who have positively impacted the student experience by engaging in collaborative and holistic academic advising and student success practices.
The awards are given in four categories:
In most cases, a book tracing the life of a world champion Formula One racer would primarily attract readers drawn to fast-moving machines and the daring drivers who pilot them.
Lewis Hamilton is not like most cases.
As Pitt’s Michael Sawyer — whose latest book, “Sir Lewis,” profiles the multifaceted life-in-progress of the British racer and Black activist — explained, Hamilton has much more on his mind than the finish line.
Tao Han, a distinguished professor of high-energy physics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, recently received the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Distinguished Alumni Award.
Now in its 20th year, the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring recognizes outstanding mentors who substantially impact University of Pittsburgh students seeking research doctorate degrees.
The honor, presented annually by the Office of the Provost to up to four faculty members, includes a $2,500 prize.
One member of the Dietrich School was named an awardee:
Nastasia Mauger, a postdoctoral researcher in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded the 2024 Ada Lovelace Award from the Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe (PRACE). The award is given annually to a female scientist who makes an outstanding contribution to high-performance computing and who serves as a role model for women at the start of their scientific careers.
