University Times

Pitt’s Board of Trustees last week made the engineering school’s name change official, resolving that the school be re-named the John A. Swanson School of Engineering.

Swanson, who earned his PhD in applied mechanics at Pitt, is the largest individual donor in the University’s history, having given $41.3 million. (See Dec. 6 University Times.)

Also at the board’s Feb. 29 meeting:

• Trustees heard a report from Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg on the University’s celebration of Black History Month, which included producing a number of films depicting contributions made by African Americans, and naming the month the K. Leroy Irvis Black History Month to honor the Pitt graduate who was the first African American since Reconstruction to serve as a speaker of the house in any state legislature. Nordenberg noted that Irvis led the move to grant Pitt state-related status in 1966.

Nordenberg also reported on the state of proposed fiscal year 2009 commonwealth appropriations to the University. (See related story, this issue.)

• Trustees heard a report from Larry Davis, dean of the School of Social Work, and Hide Yamatani, associate dean of research in social work, on three recent social research studies.

Those studies are: “Pittsburgh’s Racial Demographics: Differences and Disparities” (June 28, 2007, University Times); “Raising the Stakes: Assessing Allegheny County’s Human Service Response Capacity to the Social Impact of Gambling” (Jan. 24 University Times), and “The Allegheny County Jail Collaborative,” a study of the effect of social services intervention on recidivism. (See Research Notes, this issue.)

• Trustees voted to accept the auditor general’s audit for the year ending June 30, 2006, as recommended by the trustees audit committee.

• The board accepted the report of the trustees property and facilities committee, which approved nine major construction projects, one lease and one sublease on Dec. 11. (See Jan. 10 University Times.)

• Trustees okayed adding $12.4 million to the FY08 capital budget to fund four capital projects, as recommended by the trustees budget committee. (See Jan. 10 University Times.)

• Pitt Alumni Association president Brian Generalovich reported on the association’s strategic plan for FY 2008-2010, which includes goals of increasing membership, especially in the ranks of the Student Alumni Association, and enhancing the Pitt Career Network by connecting more alumni with students.

• Charles R. Zappala, chair of Summa Group, an investment and development company, was appointed a commonwealth trustee by Dennis M. O’Brien, speaker of the House in Pennsylvania.

The trustees observed a moment of silence for Myron Cope, a local sports broadcasting legend and Pitt graduate, who died Feb. 27.

• The next Board of Trustees meeting is set for June 27.

—Peter Hart