University Times

The bug has arrived on campus. The first confirmed case at Pitt of the H1N1 influenza virus, also known as swine flu, was reported by University officials this week. John Fedele, Pitt associate director of news, said an on-campus resident student has contracted the illness. According to Jay Frerotte, director of Environmental Health and Safety, […]

How the Sept. 24-25 G-20 summit may impact the University and its operations remains unclear pending details University administrators said they expect to receive from the White House sometime after Sept. 14. Pitt administrators say the goal is to maintain normal University operations as much as possible during the summit. Associate Vice Chancellor for Human […]

Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg named Jack L. Daniel, professor of communication and former vice provost for Undergraduate Studies, as Distinguished Service Professor of Communication, effective Sept. 1. The appointment to a Distinguished Professorship, the highest honor that can be accorded a member of the professorate, is given in recognition of distinctive contributions and outstanding service […]

The hustle and bustle that marks the beginning of the academic year has returned: The proliferation of laundry carts, re-directed traffic, upperclass student volunteers pointing the way to newcomers and their families during Arrival Survival. But for many at Pitt, the hazy days of summer have been anything but lazy: Facilities were renovated; faculty and […]

Amos Hall, which houses a majority of the University’s sorority students, has re-opened after a year-long renovation. The residence hall has been updated with energy-efficient electrical and water systems and is the first dorm in Schenley Quadrangle with air conditioning. The bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens all have been redesigned to be compatible with the pre-existing […]

In the School of Arts and Sciences, the architectural studies program has established a two-track major. The design track prepares students who seek to apply to master’s in architecture programs; the preservation track is for students who have an interest in the preservation of historic sites and neighborhoods. Information on the new curriculum is available […]

Pitt tied for 56th — up two spots from last year — among all the nation’s PhD-granting universities in the 2010 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” rankings. Pitt tied with Boston University. When compared to just the national public institutions, Pitt was ranked 20th; last year Pitt tied for 20th. […]

Following are highlights from a comparison of select Pennsylvania institutions in U.S. News and World Report’s 2010 “America’s Best Colleges” edition: • Acceptance rate: Pitt accepted 55.4 percent (down slightly from 56 percent in last year’s data) of applicants for fall 2008’s entering class (20,685 total applicants; 11,467 accepted); Penn State, 51.2 percent (39,089 applicants, […]

A self-defense program at Pitt is among the programs featured in U.S. News and World Report’s 2010 best colleges edition’s “Learning How to Fight Back” article. Developed by long-time Pitt police officer Curtis Smith, the Buy Yourself a Minute (BYAM) method teaches students techniques for getting out of dangerous situations and avoiding them altogether. Smith’s […]