News
Wind energy is not bad for your health, new research shows
As wind energy continues to grow as an alternative to fossil fuels, studies and media reports have suggested wind turbines can cause all manner of health problems, from sleep disturbances and irritability to outcomes as serious as suicide.
Four Dietrich School educators earned a Nancy Tannery Grant for Open Educational Resources
Pitt’s Office of the Provost has announced 11 awardees of the 2026 Nancy Tannery Grant for Open Educational Resources, an initiative that supports faculty as they adapt, adopt or create open educational resources for use in an existing course.
Making waves may be key to making memories
G. Bard Ermentrout, Distinguished University Professor of Mathematics in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, working with a team led by University of Chicago, has shown distinct patterns in waves of brain activity carry information when forming and recalling memories.
New quantum research lab will provide ‘shared engine for discovery’
In a lab in Pitt’s Old Engineering Building, a newly installed stainless-steel box called a dilution refrigerator can cool its contents to 20 millikelvin, or 20 thousandths of a degree above absolute zero.
Several Dietrich School Students won awards at the 2026 National Post-Secondary Russian Essay Contest
31 students from the University of Pittsburgh participated in the 2026 National Post-Secondary Russian Essay Contest, sponsored by the American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR), this past spring.
These alumna-led hubs are a home away from home for hundreds
Almost every day, dozens of middle and high school students flow into The Garage Community and Youth Center, a former car repair shop converted into an after-school hub.
Alumna Rebecca Johnson is a 2026 Pulitzer Prize winner
Rebecca P. Johnson (A&S ’23) is part of a more than 75-member Chicago Tribune reporting team that recently won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting.
One Dietrich School Alumnus was named a Window Keeper by PA Humanities
Three Pitt affiliates, including one from the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, have been named inaugural Window Keepers by PA Humanities, the statewide humanities council.
Seven Dietrich School students earned Gilman Scholarships
Twelve University of Pittsburgh undergraduates, including seven Dietrich School students, have been awarded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships for the March 2026 application cycle.
Pitt’s Writing Program launched a new literary journal
Diana Khoi Nguyen, associate professor and interim director of the Writing Program in Pitt’s Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, has launched 3 Sisters, a new online literary journal publishing poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, art and hybrid work.
Two Dietrich School students won 2026 Sustainability Awards
The University of Pittsburgh honored students, faculty, staff and groups at its 2026 Pitt Sustainability Awards ceremony on April 24.
This senior knows positive change starts with conversations
Sam Podnar knows if she’s going to make her city a better place, she can’t shy away from difficult conversations.
A service dog opened doors for this senior
For Emma Levick, a dog made all the difference; in this case, a service dog named Zia.
His PhD thesis solved a mystery — and may help turn a lake blue again
Growing up, Eli Hall’s family often visited the Allegheny Reservoir, a man-made lake that straddles the border between Pennsylvania and New York.
Political Science professor named Awardee for service in the University Senate
The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences congratulates professor and interim chair in the Department of Political Science, Chris Bonneau.