Accolades

Bradford, Titusville nursing programs get high ranking

The nursing programs at Pitt–Bradford and Pitt–Titusville have been ranked fifth and seventh in the state among associate degree programs by the RN Careers website.

For its fourth annual rankings, RN Careers looked at 1,949 nursing programs nationwide and ranked them on metrics such as first-time NCLEX-RN passing rates, accreditation and more. The NCLEX-RN is the certifying exam for registered nurses. In Pennsylvania, it ranked the 24 colleges that offer an associate degree program.

Rankings also were based on the three-year average of NCLEX-RN pass rates. Pitt–Bradford had the highest average pass rate at 92.37 percent, while Titusville’s was 91.9 percent. The state average was 85.2 percent. 

In addition to examining information from the institutions, programs and testing data, RN Careers surveyed more than 9,000 nurses and gathered data from the state nursing board, U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The site also included information on the net cost of programs (after financial aid has been awarded) loan default rates, borrowing and loan payments.

For full rankings, visit www.rncareers.org/rn-programs/pennsylvania/.

 

John Kozar named Workplace Wellness Champion

John Kozar, assistant vice chancellor of University Benefits, was recently named a Pittsburgh Business Times Workplace Wellness Champion.

The new award honors Pittsburgh leaders who are working to advance the physical, mental and fiscal health of their employees and their families. Kozar and other wellness champions will be honored at a luncheon at the Westin Convention Center Hotel on Thursday, May 23.

Kozar told the Pittsburgh Business Times that when he began his career at Pitt more than 15 years ago, he set out to develop health and wellness programs, with a goal of changing the culture around wellness at the University.

“It’s about doing the right thing, creating awareness, trying to reach faculty, staff and students in as many ways as we can,” said Kozar. 

In his role in the Office of Human Resources, Kozar oversees the benefits department and negotiates all contracts and agreements, as well as develops costs and any changes in plan designs. He provides oversight of the on-site MyHealth@Work Center health and wellness center for faculty and staff. Additionally, he serves as a liaison for the University Senate’s benefits and welfare committee.

Ipsita Banerjee wins Swanson School Faculty Diversity Award

Ipsita Banerjee, associate professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at the Swanson School of Engineering, is the recipient of the school’s 2019 Faculty Diversity Award. 

“It would be an understatement to say that Ipsita earnestly strives each year to improve the academic environment fostering the success of under-represented minority students at the graduate, undergraduate and high school levels,” says Steven Little, department chair of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the Swanson School.

The award committee citedBanerjee’s accomplishments as:

  • Commitment to community engagement through active participation in INVESTING NOW program, as well as collaboration the Carnegie Science Center and REU programs.

  • Leadership and mentorship for women in STEM, through participation in the Women in STEM Conferences and AlChE Women’s Initiative Committee.

  • Recognized excellence in mentorship, including the 2016 Summer Research Internship Faculty Mentor Award by PITT EXCEL program.

  • Service to the Swanson School in the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students through various internal and external programs.

Read more at the Swanson School’s website.

Pitt–Bradford’s Tony Gaskew appointed to NCAA committee

Tony Gaskew, professor of criminal justice at the Pitt–Bradford, has been appointed to a three-year term on the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee, effective September 2019.

The 18-member committee is responsible for reviewing issues and promoting NCAA programs and policies related to student athletes, coaches and administrators who are ethnic minorities, LGBTQ or who have disabilities. It was established in 1991 to foster racial equality and diversity in collegiate athletics.

Gaskew also is director of the criminal justice program and founding director of the Prison Education Program at Pitt–Bradford. He is the senior faculty advisor to the Pitt–Bradford Office of the President in the area of athletics.

He is a graduate of the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative Fellows Institute, and since 2016, Gaskew has served as the campus’ faculty athletics representative to the NCAA. As such, he oversees its institutional responsibilities in the NCAA’s three broad areas of academic integrity — academic reform initiatives, institutional control and student-athlete well-being.

Two Pitt campuses recognized as military friendly schools

Pitt’s Oakland campus has been honored as a 2019-2020 Military Friendly Top 10 School, as recognized by Viqtory Media. This the eighth year in a row that the Oakland campus has received this honor.

Military-affiliated students at Pitt are supported by the Office of Veterans Services, PITT VETS and other entities across campus. Viqtory Media’s “Military Friendly” designation aims to measure and assess and organization’s commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefit for the military community.

Pitt-Bradford was also recognized as a Military Friendly School by Viqtory Media this year, for the 10th time.

Sam Dickerson named 2019 Outstanding Educator in engineering

The Swanson School of Engineering has presented Sam Dickerson, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the computer engineering undergraduate program, with this year’s Outstanding Educator Award. This competitive award recognizes his excellence in teaching and innovative work in developing and improving the department’s undergraduate program.

The award includes a $2,000 grant to further enhance the recipient’s teaching.

Dickerson joined the Swanson School as assistant professor in 2015 after completing his Ph.D., masters and bachelors degrees in electrical and computer engineering at Pitt. In addition to teaching, Dickerson plays an influential role in the development and improvement of curricula in the school. Read more at the Swanson School’s website.

Human Resources’ Tenecia Ross named to New Pittsburgh Courier’s Fab 40

Tenecia Ross, director of employee and labor relations in the Office of Human Resources, has been named one of New Pittsburgh Courier’s Fab 40 Class of 2019 honorees.

Fab 40 recognizes African-Americans under the age of 40 who make a positive difference in the Pittsburgh area through their fields of expertise. Ross’ responsibilities include interpreting and applying provisions of collective bargaining agreements regarding leaves, discipline, job postings, wage and benefits changes and other employee relations matters. She also counsels managers and represented employees regarding contract issues, benefits and policies and procedures.

“I am proud of my accomplishments at the University of Pittsburgh and I’m thankful to be recognized by the New Pittsburgh Courier. It is an honor to be named with such an impressive list of co-recipients,” said Ross.

In addition to this honor, Ross joined the board of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR), Pittsburgh chapter, in January, and serves as vice president of programming and professional development. NAAAHR-Pittsburgh aims to transform and expand the Pittsburgh HR community of minorities through innovation and HR strategy.

Neuroscience’s Caroline Runyan wins Searle Scholar award

Caroline Runyan, assistant professor of neuroscience, has been named a 2019 Searle Scholar. She is one of 15 young scientists selected for recognition this year.

The Searle Scholars Program awards grants to support the independent research of exceptional young faculty in the biomedical sciences or chemistry who are in their first tenure-track position. An advisory board of eminent scientists chooses the scholars based on rigorous standards designed to find the most creative talent pursuing academic research careers. The recognition comes with an award of $300,000 in flexible funding to support work over the next three years.

Runyan’s research at Pitt focuses on sensation and how the meaning of sensory stimuli can change in different contexts to enable survival. The goal of her research is “to understand the circuit mechanisms that control the flow of information between brain regions. How do networks filter out irrelevant information? How does incoming sensory information interact with the animal’s internal brain state?” she said.

Lab safety program wins national recognition

The Department of Chemistry and Department of Environmental Health and Safety have won the American Chemical Society 2019 SafetyStratus College and University Health and Safety Award for Pitt’s “outstanding comprehensive laboratory safety program in higher education (undergraduate study).”

Environmental Health and Safety director Jay Frerotte credited chemistry faculty member Ericka Huston’s successful Safety in the Chemistry Laboratory (CHEM1010) course, developed with input from EHS staff led by environmental manager Keith Duval, as key to the award.

Awards committee chair Kimi Brown, a senior lab safety specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, called Pitt’s approach to chemical safety education a model for other institutions.  

“Dr. Huston is passionate about ensuring that all Pitt chemistry students are educated in the philosophy of risk assessment and control, regardless of whether they participate in her CHEM1010 course,” Brown said. “To that end, she has added more engaging and informative safety content to both the undergraduate teaching lab curriculum and to the graduate student research-safety training. Furthermore, those students who do enroll in CHEM1010 are given a unique opportunity to develop important leadership skills and deepen their understanding of how safety integrates with science.” 

In addition to a plaque, the award includes $1,000 for expenses to present at the American Chemical Society national meeting in San Diego in August.

Jamie Ducar earns Community Partnership micro-credential

Jamie Ducar, director of community engagement in the Office of Community and Governmental Relations, is among the first individuals in the higher education civic and community engagement field to earn a micro-credential in Community Partnerships through Campus Compact’s new Community Engagement Professional Credentialing Program.

Campus Compact is a national coalition of more than 1,000 colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. 

Ducar earned this distinction by demonstrating competency in effectively cultivating, facilitating and maintaining high-quality partnerships with community organizations and representatives. 

The program provides formal recognition for the knowledge and skills practitioners develop throughout their careers and provides a framework for them to grow and achieve in the field in ways that encourage effective, inclusive and equity-based partnerships and practices. Practitioners who earn a requisite number of micro-credentials may apply for Campus Compact’s full certification as a Community Engagement Professional.

Among the content advisers to this new program is Pitt Assistant Vice Chancellor for Community Engagement Lina Dostilio.  

Valerie Kinloch to speak at Brown v. Board of Education anniversary event

Valerie Kinloch, dean of the School of Education, spoke at a national symposium of education, law and policy scholars to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. The civil rights case declared that the segregation of public schools was a violation of the 14th Amendment, and therefore, unconstitutional. The unanimous ruling was delivered on May 17, 1954, by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren.

Kinloch was selected among a handful of speakers to discuss Brown’s “promise of integration amid major contemporary threats to civil rights in education.” Kinloch, who has built her career on working to change the narrative of equity in education, spoke on the topic of “Growing Critically Conscious Teachers.” The event, titled Brown@65, was May 10 at Penn State.

Bistra Iordanova receives $25,000 to research gender in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the leading causes of disability in the elderly, affecting 5.4 million people in the United States and 35 million people worldwide. Two-thirds these individuals are women, and though they are disproportionately affected, the biological basis of the sex differences in Alzheimer’s onset and progression is not well understood. 

Bistra Iordanova, assistant professor of bioengineering at Pitt, received a $25,000 award from the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center to collect data from female rodent models, integrate it with her existing datasets from males and begin to examine whether Alzheimer’s onset and progression differs between the two. Read more here

Diego Chaves-Gnecco named 2019 Pediatrician of the Year

Diego Chaves-Gnecco, associate professor at the Pitt School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics, has been named 2019 Pediatrician of the Year by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania Chapter (PA AAP).

The Pediatrician of Year award recognizes a chapter member who exemplifies excellence in the profession. The award was presented during the group’s annual meeting on May 4.

Diego’s clinical and academic interests include the diagnosis and treatment of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, providing care to families and children with disabilities, providing care to children from minority and underserved populations and addressing barriers to health care access.

He has been a long-time PA AAP chapter member and involved with many chapter activities including Healthy Teeth, Healthy Children and the Traffic Injury Prevention Project. In the summer of 2002, Diego created the First Pediatric Bilingual-Bicultural Clinic in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Since its creation, this clinic has expanded to the program Salud Para Niños (Health for the Children), which provides culturally and linguistically competent primary care for children and families is complemented with activities oriented toward prevention and empowering the community about its own health.

Jayant Rajgopal and Sylvanus Wosu honored with American Society for Engineering Education awards

Honoring commitment to excellence and diversity in engineering education, the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) has selected professors at the Swanson School of Engineering to receive two of its annual awards. 

Jayant Rajgopal, professor of industrial engineering, won the John L. Imhoff Global Excellence Award for Industrial Engineering Education, and Sylvanus Wosu, associate dean for diversity affairs and associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science, won the DuPont Minorities in Engineering Award.

The ASEE will honor Rajgopal and Wosu at the annual awards luncheon during their Annual Conference and Exposition on June 19 at the Tampa Convention Center. Read more here.

Pitt projects featured at ACCelerate Creativity and Innovation Festival

Three research projects and one theater performance from the University of Pittsburgh were selected to be featured at the ACCelerate Creativity and Innovation Festival last month in Washington, D.C.

“While most think of the ACC as only an athletics conference, the ACC Academic Consortium aims to promote academic excellence and provide opportunities for collaboration between faculty, students and administrators from the 15 member institutions,” said Joseph J. McCarthy, vice provost for undergraduate studies at Pitt.

The four Pitt teams were:

The World History Center’s Digital Atlas Design Internship Program. In the semester-long internship, undergraduate students learn GIS and web design skills, and complete a research project of their choice using QGIS and ESRI StoryMaps. Each student’s project will be incorporated into a larger project, the World Historical Gazetteer: a linked open data global index of historically important place names and information. The World Gazetteer is expected to be completed in late 2019.

The Personal Mobility and Manipulation Appliance (PerMMA) and Strong Arm were both developed in the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, which are a part of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Center for Wheelchairs and Associated Rehabilitation Engineering.

“It’s Who You Know,” a hybrid recommender system to connect students with informal social networks of Pitt researchers is a Personalized Education Grant project, supported by the Office of the Provost, that aims to connect students with researchers with similar interests. The project, out of the PAWS Lab, will test the concept of an online system that can curate and filter vast amount of information to result in “personalized education, career pathways, and research collaborations for [students], faculty and future students.”

Recoil is a Pitt-created theater piece — directed by Cynthia Croot, associate professor and head of performance in the Department of Theatre Arts — that “explores the complexities of gun ownership, violence, and protest through the voices through young people” using real first-person accounts.

Sociology department chair wins lifetime achievement award

Suzanne Staggenborg, chair of the Department of Sociology at Pitt, has been honored with the John D. McCarthy Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Scholarship of Social Movements and Collective Behavior from the University of Notre Dame Center for the Study of Social Movements. The award recognizes exceptional contributors to the field.

Staggenborg’s work centers on social movements, including abortion politics, women’s movements and grassroots environmental movements. Currently she is focusing on several local environmental organizations fighting fracking and promoting sustainable communities.

Award events included a public lecture by Staggenborg, a dinner, award ceremony and toasts on May 4 at Notre Dame.

SHRS researchers, students recognized by Occupational Therapy Foundation

Students and researchers from the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences were recently recognized by the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF).

  • Former Occupational Therapy Department Chair and Professor Emeritus Joan C. Rogers (pictured) received the AOTF Leadership Service Commendation.
  • Natalie E. Leland received the first ever AOTF Mid-Career Research Excellence Award and gave the AOTF Mid-Career Research Award Presentation at the American Occupational Therapy Association’s annual conference in New Orleans.
  • Roxanna Bendixen, assistant professor of occupational therapy, was inducted into the association’s Roster of Fellows. 

Pitt occupational therapy students also raised more than $5,000, earning third place in the foundation’s St. Catherine Challenge. Funds raised through this initiative support occupational therapy research grants awarded by the foundation. 

Daniel Balderson receives literary award

Daniel Balderson has been named co-winner of the 2019 Richard Finneran Award for his book about Argentine author and poet Jorge Luis Borges, titled “How Borges Wrote.”

Balderson is a Mellon Professor of Modern Languages in the Department of Hispanic Languages and Literatures in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences.

The award is given by the Society for Textual Scholarship to recognize the best edition of book about editorial theory and/or practice published in the English language.

Balderson’s book is “the first and only attempt at a systematic and comprehensive study of the trajectory of Borges' creative process.”

Education professor emerita and LRDC scientist wins lifetime achievement award

Peg (Margaret) Smith has been awarded a 2019 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award “honors NCTM members who have exhibited a lifetime of achievement in mathematics education at the national level.” Smith is one of three recipients of the prestigious award.

Smith is a professor emerita of mathematics education in the Department of Instruction and Learning in the School of Education, and a senior scientist in the Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC).

Smith studies how teachers support student learning through the use of rich mathematical tasks. Over the course of her career, she has published more than 75 journal articles, book chapters and books. Notably, her “5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussion,” which she co-authored with Mary Kay Stein, sold more than 35,000 copies in its first two years.

Smith will be recognized at the recognized in April during the Opening Session of the 2019 NCTM Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego.

Keisha N. Blain awarded best book in African-American women’s and gender history

Keisha N. Blain, assistant professor in the Department of History, received the 2019 Darlene Clark Hine Award from the Organization of American Historians.

The prestigious award, given annually for the “best book in African-American women’s and gender history,” was presented to Blain for her recent publication, “Set the World on Fire: Black Nationalist Women and the Global Struggle for Freedom.” The book, which “[draws] on a variety of previously untapped sources, including newspapers, government records, songs, and poetry,” tells the stories of Black women nationalists in the 20th century.

The award committee calls Blain’s work a “major contribution to existing historiographies that centers on African American women, black internationalism, intellectual history and African American history.”

The Organization of American Historians, founded in 1907, is the world’s “largest professional association dedicated to American history scholarship.”