An award-winning professor at Pitt’s Johnstown campus says that content alone does not a good teacher make. “I devote nearly as much attention to the science and art of presentation as to my academic discipline itself,” says Robert W. Matson, professor of history in the Division of Social Sciences. “My classes are in a more-or-less […]
Examining visual images as historical documentation >
October 24th, 2002Teaching excellence award winner Robert W. Matson is focusing much of his scholarly efforts on a new cross-disciplinary field of instruction that straddles history, communication, film studies and cinematography. According to James Alexander, professor of political science and chair of the Division of Social Sciences at UPJ, Matson “assesses film, even popular film, as documentary […]
Bradford campaign to raise $13 million >
October 24th, 2002Pitt’s Bradford campus plans to raise $13 million to continue capital projects, provide academic support, enhance technology and create new scholarships. Howard L. Fesenmyer, the “Complete the Campus” campaign chairman, announced the goal this month. “Completing the campus,” Fesenmyer said, “means having the best resources to recruit and retain the best students and faculty and […]
STEM CELL RESEARCH: Looking at the science & the ethics >
October 24th, 2002Few issues today are as potentially promising and simultaneously controversial as human stem cell research, two Pitt professors agreed. "Imagine what would be possible," Alan J. Russell said. "Imagine Christopher Reeve walking. No more organ donor waiting lists. Curing diabetes with a single injection of cells. Scar-less healing of wounds. Countless other healing therapies using […]
Misconceptions muddle insanity defense debate, law lecturer says >
October 24th, 2002The debate over the insanity defense in the United States is clouded by public misconceptions — about mental illness itself, and about what happens to defendants acquitted by reason of insanity, according to attorney and University of Texas professor Jennifer S. Bard. “Jurors tend to imagine that such defendants will simply walk away” — which […]
Language & learning begin at birth, education advocate stresses >
October 24th, 2002Language and learning begin from the moment of birth, according to a prominent national advocate for cultivating early childhood literacy. “You’ve got to start early,” said Dorothy S. Strickland, keynote speaker this month at an early literacy conference, co-sponsored by Pitt’s School of Education and the Beginning with Books Center for Early Literacy. The conference […]
How to evaluate childcare programs >
October 24th, 2002Dorothy S. Strickland, a national advocate for early childhood literacy, spoke at Pitt Oct. 5 as part of a conference on early literacy. Strickland has received the International Reading Association’s Outstanding Teacher Educator of Reading Award, the National Council of Teachers of English Award as Outstanding Educator of Language Arts and the 1994 NCTE Rewey […]
Pitt supports converting Schenley Plaza >
October 24th, 2002Pitt is supporting the redevelopment of Schenley Plaza into a new “town square,” University officials told the Senate community relations committee last week. Preliminary redevelopment recommendations were submitted last month by land-use consultants BRV Corp. of New York City, which studied the 5-acre Schenley Plaza site between Hillman and Carnegie libraries. BRV, which was hired […]