Bradford names new assistant dean of academic success
Pitt–Bradford has hired Pamela Thompson as its new assistant dean of academic success and advising, who will lead the effort to ensure students have the academic support they need.
Thompson comes to Pitt–Bradford with 30 years of professional experience, including 17 years at Alabama A&M University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and master’s degree in psychology-personnel administration. Additionally, she holds a doctorate in urban higher education from Jackson (Miss.) State University.
In her new role, Thompson manages Pitt–Bradford’s Academic Advising Center, Academic Coaching and Tutoring Center, and TRIO Student Support Services, a federally funded grant program designed to increase the chance of educational success in college for students from historically underrepresented groups. Additionally, she works closely with the writing and math centers. She will report directly to the university’s vice president and dean of academic affairs.
Liron Pantanowitz appointed to chair Department of Pathology
Liron Pantanowitz will return to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as chair of the Department of Pathology, effective May 1.
In his new roles at the School of Medicine and UPMC, Pantanowitz will leverage his expertise in genomic, molecular, computational and digital pathology to advance personalized medicine and facilitate future collaborations with industry. Pitt recruited Pantanowitz as an associate professor of pathology in 2010, and he was promoted to full professorship in 2015 before joining the University of Michigan School of Medicine in 2020.
Recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in digital pathology and informatics, Pantanowitz received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Pathology Informatics in 2019 and is currently president of the Digital Pathology Association. His research interests include novel diagnostic entities, cytology lab innovation and contemporary ancillary testing to support personalized medicine.
Pantanowitz succeeds George Michalopoulos, who is stepping down after 31 years in the chair role. Michalopoulos will stay on at Pitt to continue his research and teaching activities.
Juan Carlos Puyana selected as O’Brien Professor of Global Surgery
Juan Carlos Puyana has been selected as the O’Brien Professor of Global Surgery for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). He will begin his tenure at the Irish university in April.
Along with the professorship’s efforts to increase access to safe and effective surgical care worldwide, Puyana will lead the RCSI Institute of Global Surgery, a core component of RCSI’s newly created School of Population Health headed by Pitt alumnus Edward Gregg (SPH ’96G).
The professor of surgery, critical care medicine and clinical translational science will continue his teaching and mentoring students in Pitt’s School of Medicine and continue as the Department of Surgery’s director for global health. He will also serve as an international global health liaison to the school’s Office of the Dean.
Puyana, who arrived at Pitt in 2001, is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and has received two Pitt Innovator Awards. He co-authored the most recent National Academy of Sciences report on global health as a member of its Board on Global Health and is a co-principal investigator of BLOODSAFE, a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute program aimed at improving the safety and availability of blood transfusions in Kenya.
Stephen Chan inducted to Association of University Cardiologists
Stephen Chan, a professor in Pitt’s School of Medicine, was elected for induction into the Association of University Cardiologists (AUC).
Members of the AUC represent the top investigators in American cardiology. Active membership is limited to 135 academics, who are elected to join the association by their peers.
Chan is the Vitalant Chair in Vascular Medicine and directs Pitt’s Vascular Medicine Institute, where he leads an interdisciplinary team of scientists in basic and translational vascular biology research. As director of the Center for Pulmonary Vascular Biology and Medicine, he also treats patients and conducts research on the molecular mechanisms of pulmonary vascular disease and pulmonary hypertension.
The AUC will introduce Chan as a new member at its annual meeting in February, and the Pitt professor will give a talk as part of the organization’s commitment to education and scientific interchange.
Christine McClure named a Multiplying Good Pittsburgh ChangeMaker
Christine McClure, senior research scientist in the Department of Health Policy and Management, is part of the spring 2023 cohort of Multiplying Good Pittsburgh ChangeMakers.
The honor is given to community leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to service and a desire to act as role models. McClure, who also received a Doctorate in Education and Master of Public Policy Management from Pitt, will raise awareness and $2,500 for Students In Action (SIA). SIA is a free youth development program that uses service-learning to prepare students for their futures.
With the completion of her service project for SIA, McClure will receive a Jefferson Award for Public Service, the nation’s highest honor for service and volunteerism.
4 faculty members win grants from Charles E. Kaufman Foundation
Two Pitt teams were each awarded $300,000 grants from the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation.
The four researchers are among 15 people from eight different Pennsylvania institutions to receive a total of $2 million in New Initiatives grants, which support innovative, interdisciplinary scientific research that requires expertise beyond that of any single researcher and take a novel approach to their work.
One project is led by Judith Yanowitz, associate professor of integrative systems biology in the School of Medicine, and Andrea Berman, an associate professor of biology in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. Their research seeks to identify the key molecules worms and humans use to determine what proteins are made in specific cells, and then dissect how these proteins exert control at the molecular level. They hope to reveal novel information about the evolution of this mechanism over hundreds of millions of years and identify new treatment directions for parasitic infections and diseases impacting humans, pets and livestock.
Michael Hatridge and Alex Jones represent an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the Dietrich School and the Swanson School of Engineering respectively, with Jones as the primary investigator. Their proposal regarding quantum computing aims to combine physics and computer science expertise to collaboratively design the physical entanglement of qubits, such as quantum gates, while considering their computational capability and fidelity.
The Kaufman funding was established in 2005 through a bequest from Charles E. Kaufman, who had a long career as a chemical engineer and later as an entrepreneur and investor. Upon his death in 2010, he left $43 million to the foundation, of which $33 million was endowed to support fundamental scientific research in chemistry, biology and physics at Pennsylvania institutions.
Chandralekha Singh wins Indian Institute of Technology Distinguished Alumna Award
Chandralekha Singh, distinguished professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, was awarded a Distinguished Alumna Award by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur.
Singh, who also directs Pitt’s Discipline-based Science Education Research Center, obtained her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in physics from the Kharagpur branch. Founded in 1951, IIT Kharagpur is the oldest technology institute in India.
Thanking her alma mater for the honor, Singh said, “IIT Kharagpur has played a central role in my personal and professional growth.”
Lucas Berenbrok wins Albert B. Prescott Pharmacy Leadership Award
The Pharmacy Leadership and Education Institute named Lucas A. Berenbrok, associate professor in Pitt’s School of Pharmacy, the 2023 recipient of the Albert B. Prescott Pharmacy Leadership Award.
The award recognizes a pharmacist fewer than 10 years past graduation for demonstrating exemplary leadership qualities indicative of someone likely to emerge as a major leader in pharmacy. Berenbrok, who received his master’s degree and Doctor of Pharmacy from Pitt, was recognized for his leadership in developing over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid education for pharmacists and his innovative research of the accessibility of community pharmacists.
Berenbrok was also honored for establishing a Comprehensive Medication Management Benefit that offers medication management, travel health, tobacco cessation, diabetes prevention and health education to nearly 14,000 employees of the University. He co-led the creation of an outpatient pharmacogenomics service at UPMC and is nationally recognized as an expert in the field, which studies how genetics affect drug response.
In conjunction with accepting the award, each recipient delivers a scholarly lecture on issues such as pharmacy as a profession, leadership or future trends in pharmacy practice or education. Berenbrok will receive his award and deliver his address during the APhA Annual Meeting in Phoenix in March.
Pitt professor and students collaborate on published linguistics book
Language Science Press has published a book that resulted from a collaboration between Shelome Gooden, professor in the Department of Linguistics, and a group of Pitt students.
Gooden, who is also the assistant vice chancellor for research in the humanities, arts, social sciences and related fields, edited “Social and Structural Aspects of Language Contact and Change” alongside Bettina Migge, professor of linguistics at University College Dublin.
Gooden mentored students and included their work in the book, which covers a range of languages and dialects through a variety of disciplinary and empirical perspectives.
Among other topics, the book collects a series of papers examining various languages and dialects and the cultures that surround them, including Spanish Creole and African American English. Some papers used historical documents to illuminate the origins and interactions between these languages and dialects.
The book is available now.
Susan Baida named first executive director of the Collaboratory Against Hate
Susan Baida has been named the inaugural executive director of the Collaboratory Against Hate, a research and action partnership between Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University.
“The timing could not be more critical to focus on mitigating hate and its violent consequences. According to FBI data, hate crimes in the U.S. have risen 32% cumulatively from 2016 to 2020. Between Pitt and CMU, the Collaboratory Against Hate is at the forefront of technology, policy and education expertise — the focal points of our work,” said Baida.
In her new role, she will facilitate partnerships with technology companies, foundations, government and nonprofits to research how hate radicalizes through social platforms and design intervention tools.
“Integral to this, we also want to engage the victims of hate violence, their families, marginalized communities and advocacy groups to help inform the work,” Baida said.
Before her appointment to the collaboratory, she served as UPMC’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion and co-founded a technology venture, eCareDiary. Throughout her more than 30-year career, Baida held executive roles with Fortune 500 companies, including Avon, the Estée Lauder Companies and Starwood Hotels.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies from Emory University and completed executive leadership training and certifications in Diversity Leadership and Strategic Human Resources Business Partnership at Vassar College.
Thuy D. Bui receives 2022 Pearl Birnbaum Hurwitz Award
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Professor Thuy D. Bui was awarded the Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s 2022 Pearl Birnbaum Hurwitz Humanism in Healthcare Award for decades of work that has improved the lives of underserved populations, refugees and immigrants across two continents.
The award honors a woman who exemplifies humanism and through scholarship, advocacy, leadership or work has advanced the well-being of underserved or vulnerable populations in health care.
Bui has been director of the Global Health and Underserved Populations Residency Track at the School of Medicine and UPMC for more than 15 years. She is also an affiliated faculty member of the School of Public Health’s Center for Health Equity and Pitt’s Center for African Studies.
She joined the Pitt faculty in 1999. She served as medical director of Pitt’s Program for Health Care to Underserved Populations from 1999 to 2015, and, until 2017, headed the Birmingham Free Clinic, which serves the uninsured, underinsured, immigrants and other marginalized groups. She still sees patients there weekly.
Bui has won several awards for her teaching, mentoring and commitment to social justice, including the Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award. She is a member of the American College of Physicians, Society of General Internal Medicine, Association of Clinicians for the Underserved and the School of Medicine’s Academy of Master Educators.
Ann Thompson, vice dean of the School of Medicine, relayed one student’s description of Bui in her nomination for the award: “She has embodied for me the concept of fostering belonging. She has an open-door policy and is truly brilliant in being able to see structural problems and find innovative, effective ways to address them … she guides young faculty and residents to be able to grow in our humanitarian mission. She is truly a shining star.”
Kyaien Conner named director of Pitt’s Center on Race and Social Problems
Kyaien Conner was a student in the School of Social Work when the Center for Race and Social Problems (CRSP) launched at Pitt in 2002. On July 1, 2023, she’ll return to CRSP as its new director.
In this role, she will oversee the center as it continues to conduct social science research on race, ethnicity and the various ways they impact Americans.
As Conner finishes up her time as an associate professor of mental health law and policy at the University of South Florida (USF), she looks forward to advancing social justice and health and racial equity with like-minded groups of researchers and teams across the University.
“I see many opportunities and possibilities available at CRSP at a time right now when research on these issues is desperately needed,” Conner said. “I’m excited to return to my alma mater and collaborate with scholars and researchers across campus to make the center a robust platform for doing important work that moves our field forward and each of those areas.”
Conner, whose work specializes in racial trauma and minority health disparities, has earned $2 million in funding for her research.
She is also a licensed social worker with more than a decade of experience as a community-based mental health practitioner in predominantly low-income African American communities. Conner was also vice president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness for the state of Florida from 2018 through 2021.
Conner earned her bachelor’s degrees in psychology and Africana studies, her master’s degrees in social work and public health and her doctorate in social work from Pitt. She completed her postdoctoral training at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.
Among other awards, Conner was a USF Outstanding Black Faculty Member of the Year in 2020 and won the school’s Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award in 2016.
Anjali Vats named a 2022 Soros Equality Fellow
The Open Society Foundations has named Anjali Vats, associate professor in Pitt's School of Law, a 2022 Soros Equality Fellows. The diverse cohort includes documentary filmmakers, professors, archivists, grassroots organizers, policy advocates, journalists and authors. Working across the United States, the 12 fellows will take on a range of issues at the core of Open Society’s work advancing racial justice, including voting rights, immigration, asylum practices, intellectual property law and media accountability.
Vats will focus on race and equity in intellectual property law, developing multimedia educational resources designed to reach a range of audiences, including teachers, lawyers, policymakers, creators and activists.
Pitt Dean of Students Carla Panzella now associate vice provost, too
Carla Panzella, dean of students at Pitt, has taken on an additional role as associate vice provost, effective Dec. 1. Panzella will continue as dean of students while serving as a liaison to the Office of the Provost.
“As the Division of Student Affairs and Office of the Provost continue to enhance the student experience, our emphasis on assessment and student support programs will be vital to our success,” Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Ann E. Cudd said in a letter announcing the appointment. “Carla’s expertise and experience in both areas will be a key factor in that success.”
Panzella joined Pitt as dean of students in 2021 and played an important part in reorganizing the Division of Student Affairs, Cudd said, realigning its programs to advance strategic priorities and improve student experiences.
In her new role, Panzella will focus on maximizing the impact of student success programs for minoritized, first-generation and Pell-eligible students, along with supporting graduate and professional students. She will also work with the data analytics team in the Office of the Provost to collect data alongside student surveys to better understand the student experience at Pitt.
Dan’Talisha Deans joins Pitt’s Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement in director role
Pitt's Division of Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement has named Dan’Talisha Deans (SOC WK ’12G) its inaugural director of development for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB).
In the new position, her core responsibility is to facilitate fundraising and programming that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion at Pitt and within the communities the institution serves. Additionally, she will be a content expert and thought leader on general DEIB engagement.
She returns to Pitt after experience as the management director for The White House’s Presidential Personnel Office under the Obama administration, where she fostered retention and connectivity for presidential appointees nationwide through leadership programs.
She also spent more than three years with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in two different roles: Presidential Management Fellow and a management analyst. There, she oversaw agency policy, program development and implementation to drive outcomes, including improved performance management and employee engagement. Deans is also an adjunct professor at Howard University’s School of Social Work.
Deans received her bachelor’s degree in social work from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University before earning her master’s degree from Pitt with a concentration in community organizing and social administration. While at Pitt, she also worked in the Center on Race and Social Problems as a project and research coordinator.
Deans said she hopes the role will enable her to be a positive force, cultivate change and support growth in individuals, organizations and communities.
“My motto in life is to be impact driven,” said Deans. “What better way to give to my alma mater than to serve in this inaugural role as a thought partner and leader in the DEIB space? I come to this role with the intention to listen, learn, evaluate, create, implement and drive change that will be long-lasting and impactful.”
The Times UK names Lise Vesterlund’s ‘The No Club’ one of 2022’s best business books
Pitt economist and author Lise Vesterlund’s latest book, “The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work,” was listed by The Times as a top 12 business book for 2022.
The book was a collaborative effort between Vesterlund, who is the Andrew W. Mellon professor of economics, and her friends, Carnegie Mellon University professors Linda Babcock, Brenda Peyser and Laurie Weingart. Together they formed the “No Club” after feeling overburdened at work by task lists and requests that fell outside the scope of their day jobs.
The four sought to reclaim control in their professional lives, better understand gender equality in the workforce and determine if their experiences were isolated. Upon finding minimal data on the topic, they conducted their own research within the Pittsburgh Experimental Economics Laboratory (PEEL).
In addition to teaching, Vesterlund is director of PEEL and the Behavioral Economic Design Initiative and is a research associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Pitt recognized for promoting high student-voter participation
The University of Pittsburgh has been recognized as an ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting for its efforts in promoting student voting participation in the 2022 election.
ALL IN, a nonpartisan democratic participation advocacy organization, selected Pitt as one of 394 colleges and universities as a part of the organization’s ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
The challenge encourages colleges and universities to increase student participation in state, local and federal elections ensure students become informed, active and politically engaged citizens.
ALL IN collaborates with more than 960 high education institutions across the U.S. to help inform students about democratic engagement.
Two Pitt dental medicine leaders elected presidents of national professional organizations
Bernard J. Costello (pictured, right), former dean of Pitt Dental Medicine and current associate vice chancellor for health science integration at Pitt, was recently named president of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS). He will serve a one-year term at the helm of the board that certifies surgeons for the specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery in the U.S. Overseen by an eight-member board of directors, the mission of ABOMS is to ensure that face, mouth and jaw surgeons meet the highest standards of training, education and professionalism in the field through a certification process. Following a term serving as vice president of ABOMS from 2021-2022, Costello described the nomination as “a career pinnacle.” Costello is also professor and chief of pediatric oral and maxillofacial surgery at UPMC Children’s Hospital.
At the same October meeting in New Orleans, Paul J. Schwartz (pictured, left), was named president of the the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), a century-old professional organization. Schwartz is an assistant professor in School of Dental Medicine’s departments of anesthesiology and of oral and maxillofacial surgery. According to the historians at AAOMS and ABOMS, the organizations have never had presidents from the same institution at the same time before. These nominations support Pitt’s excellence in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Winners named of Dr. Larry E. Davis Black Excellence in the Academy Awards
More than 70 Black faculty members and administrators from Pitt gathered at the National Aviary on Nov. 3 to honor the life and legacy of Larry E. Davis, to acknowledge the 20th anniversary of the Center on Race and Social Problems (CRSP) and to celebrate Black academic excellence at the University of Pittsburgh during the inaugural Dr. Larry E. Davis Black Excellence in the Academy Awards.
“Black faculty are core to the academic mission of the institution,” said John Wallace, vice provost for faculty diversity and development and interim director of CRSP. “We want to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate them and their achievements.”
Five faculty received awards for their scholarship and leadership at the event. Chancellor Patrick Gallagher was also present to congratulate the faculty and express his appreciation for their contributions to Pitt. Trina Shanks, the Harold R. Johnson Collegiate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and a former student of Davis’ delivered the keynote address.
Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Proclamation from Mayor Ed Gainey declaring Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022, Dr. Larry E. Davis Day in the City of Pittsburgh. Davis was the former dean of Pitt’s School of Social Work, the founding director of CRSP and a leader in the field of race and social justice studies. He died in 2021.
The inaugural award winners are:
Emerging Scholar: Amanda Boston
Excellence in Faculty Mentorship: Esa Matius Davis
Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship: James P. Huguley
Excellence in Leadership: Valerie Kinloch
Academic Excellence: Sandra A. Murray
Pitt alumna Jennifer Bertetto named Publisher of the Year
Trib Total Media president and CEO Jennifer Bertetto (A&S ’97) received the Publisher of the Year award from Editor and Publisher during the 2022 News Media Business Summit in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Bertetto has led Trib Total Media, a digital newspaper platform serving Southwestern Pennsylvania, since 2015. Under her leadership, the company has won three regional Emmy Awards.
The annual award honors individuals who have risen “above the rest and accomplished what seems like the impossible, outmaneuvering the competition, outthinking the future and maintaining profitability.”
Bertetto’s career began in high school, when she a contributor for the sports department at the Valley News Dispatch. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh’s Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, she became a sales representative for the Tribune-Review’s expansion into the Pittsburgh market in 1997. She climbed the ranks to become a sales manager, a director, a vice president and eventually chief operating officer. In 2016, she helped launch the digital marketing agency 535media and continues to help Trib Total Media navigate its digital evolution within the news industry.
Bertetto serves on the News Media Alliance board, which represents over 2,000 news organizations worldwide. She is also on Westminster College’s board of distinguished visitors, Pitt’s board of visitors, the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association board, the board of trustees for the National Aviary and is vice president of the National Flag Foundation.