When Theodore Cohen arrived in Pitt’s chemistry department 50 years ago, “It really was pretty miserable,” he recalls. Fresh from postgraduate work in Glasgow under Derek Barton (later a Nobel laureate), he’d been hired long-distance, without even an interview, to join Pitt’s organic chemistry faculty. When he walked into his assigned space in Eberly Hall […]
Ethnic factors in divorce rates studied >
October 26th, 2006Since 1980, the divorce rate in the United States has leveled off after more than a half-century of rising steadily. But does that leveling off apply equally to major racial and ethnic groups in this country? And, if not, do differences in risk factors for divorce account for the differences in divorce rates between the […]
OAFA perks cover the shear necessities >
October 26th, 2006Of the University’s more than 6,800 staff members, there’d be some stiff competition in a contest to find who’s busiest. But definitely in the running would be the six dozen employees in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (OAFA). And if there were a competition for coming up with creative methods for balancing personal […]
London survey: Pitt No. 9 among U.S. publics >
October 26th, 2006The Times Higher Education Supplement, a London-based newspaper, recently ranked Pitt 9th among U.S. public universities and 32nd among all U.S. universities listed in its “World Universities Rankings — 2006.” The publication’s rankings were based on a survey of 3,703 academicians worldwide, who were asked to identify the best 30 universities for research within their […]
Smoking zone limits still up in the air >
October 26th, 2006Pitt smokers remain in limbo as to exactly where they will be able to light up once Allegheny County’s new smoking ban takes effect Jan. 4. Under the ordinance, passed by Allegheny County Council Sept. 26 and amended this week, smoking is banned within 15 feet of all entrances “of an enclosed area in which […]
Senate plenary session: South-Paul on mentoring >
October 26th, 2006Mentoring, long recognized in the corporate world for its value as a stepping-stone to success, exists in varied forms at Pitt. Mentoring relationships are forged between faculty and their students as they collaborate on research; peer relationships between faculty members develop naturally within and beyond departments, and even outside the bounds of the University through […]