University Times

Lori Molinaro, associate director of the International Business Center (IBC) at the Katz Graduate School of Business, has been named director of the University Senate. She assumes her new duties on July 17.

Molinaro was hired at the business school in 1996 as program coordinator for both the IBC and the Center for International Enterprise Development. In 2000 she was named associate director of the IBC and the international executive MBA (IEMBA) program. When the center and IEMBA were divided in 2002, she continued as associate director of IBC, where she manages day-to-day operations.

She also has planned and organized IBC events, including a real time video conference in April for more than 400 MBA students from Pitt and 16 other MBA programs.

“After 10 years at Katz/IBC, I was looking for new challenges and I thought my knowledge of the University, my planning skills and my ability to think outside the box would be a good fit for both the Senate office and myself,” Molinaro said. “It truly sounded like a unique and exciting position.”

Irene Frieze, immediate past president of the University Senate, said, “We are very excited about her taking the Senate director position.”

Molinaro earned an M.Ed. in higher education administration at Pitt in 2000 and an MBA essentials certificate here in May. She holds a B.S. in communications from Clarion University, earned in 1990. In 1998, she received a letter of commendation from the vice chancellor for Student Affairs for positive interaction with students.

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Stuart W. Shulman, an assistant professor in the School of Information Sciences and Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and a senior research associate at the University Center for Social and Urban Research, has been named editor of the Journal of E-Government.

The journal examines government usage of information technology to enhance the delivery of public services and information.

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Elizabeth Baranger, former vice provost for Graduate Studies, received the University of Pittsburgh Postdoctoral Association (UPPDA) Postdoctoral Advocate Award for her leadership in the establishment of institutional guidelines for postdoctoral training, which were implemented in 2003.

Baranger was honored at the inaugural Postdoctoral Data and Dine Symposium, held on May 15, which was sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Office of Academic Career Development in the Health Sciences.

Also recognized during the event was Elsa Strotmeyer, assistant professor of epidemiology in the Graduate School of Public Health, who received the UPPDA Postdoctoral Alumni Award. Strotmeyer was a founding member of UPPDA. She also was active in the National Postdoctoral Association and contributed to the development of national standards for postdoctoral training.

The evening included a keynote address by Bruce Freeman, who recently was appointed chair of the Department of Pharmacology in the School of Medicine.

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Katherine Wisner, professor of psychiatry, obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the School of Medicine, is the 2006 recipient of the Robert L. Thompson Award for Community Service. Wisner also is director of the Women’s Behavioral HealthCARE program at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.

The award is given by Healthy Start of Pittsburgh/Allegheny County and Fayette County, a community-based agency focusing on improving health outcomes for disadvantaged women and their infants.

The award is named for Robert L. Thompson, associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the Pitt medical school and current vice chair of the Healthy Start board, who was instrumental in bringing the Healthy Start program to Allegheny County.

Wisner and the Women’s Behavioral HealthCARE program work with Healthy Start to train frontline case workers to recognize the signs of postpartum depression and other mental illnesses and to steer Healthy Start participants toward effective coping strategies and other treatments.

Wisner is recognized as an expert in the treatment of depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

She is a principal investigator on several National Institute of Mental Health- and foundation-funded research projects, including the impact of treatment using a class of antidepressant medications, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, on maternal role functioning during the first postpartum year and the use of antidepressants during pregnancy.