News

Slovak Studies Program Hosts Delegation from Slovakia
On June 1, a delegation of visitors from Slovakia, headed by Radovan Javorcik, Slovak Ambassador to the US, and Michal Fedák, State Secretary, Slovak Ministry of Education, visited Pitt to learn more about the Dietrich School's Slovak Studies Program, the only program of its kind in the United States.

Dietrich School Faculty Member Debunks Nature Paper
Craig Kaplan, an associate professor in the Dietrich School's Department of Biological Sciences, worked with colleagues--via Twitter--to debunk a controversial paper published in high-profile journal Nature.

Dietrich School Faculty Member Wins NEH Summer Stipend
Patrick McKelvey, assistant professor of theatre arts in the Dietrich School, received a summer stipend from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The award will support his research for two consecutive months. The summer project will lead to a book about the history of social services for disabled actors in the United States since the late nineteenth century, with particular focus on The Actors’ Fund of America and allied organizations.

Dietrich School Faculty Member Awarded $5.7 Million in Research Funding from U.S. Army
The U.S. Army has awarded more than $5.7 million for two projects led by Michael Hatridge, associate professor of physics and astronomy in the Dietrich School. Both projects bring together a diverse group of researchers to overcome roadblocks in the field of quantum computing.

Dietrich School Faculty Member to Lead New Regional Quantum Initiative
Michael Hatridge, associate professor in the Dietrich School's Department of Physics and Astronomy, will serve as the inaugural director of the Western Pennsylvania Quantum Information Core (WPQIC), an initiative made possible through an $11.6 million loan from Pitt's Strategic Advancement Fund--the first loan approved by the Fund.

Dietrich School Faculty Named Humanities Center Fellows
The Humanities Center will support six Dietrich School faculty members, connecting them with multidisciplinary networks as they conduct humanities research. In turn, they will participate in the center’s intellectual life, presenting their work throughout the academic year and leading an interdisciplinary colloquium.

Dietrich School and CGS Students, Alumni Among 2023 Fulbright Winners
Ten Pitt students and alumni have joined an esteemed group of scholars who have received one of the world's most lauded and prestigious awards from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The University’s 2023-24 cohort of grantees includes current students and graduates from schools across campus, including the College of General Studies, the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the Dietrich School.

Dietrich School Professor Featured on Science Friday
Graham Hatfull, Eberly Family Professor of Biotechnology and HHMI Professor in the Dietrich School's Department of Biological Sciences, shared news of his research on a recent edition of Science Friday.

Dietrich School Alumna Wins Newman Civic Fellowship
Yunge Xiao, a 2023 Dietrich School graduate with a major in statistic, was recently named to Campus Compact’s 2023-24 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows. The fellowship recognizes standout students who are committed to creating positive change in communities locally and around the world, providing them with a year of learning and networking opportunities that emphasize personal, professional and civic growth.

Dietrich School, CGS Students Earn Boren Awards
Graduate student Joseph Patrick and undergraduates Chris Bekavac and Griffin Mekler-Culbertson received Boren Awards this year to pursue foreign language studies abroad.

Adam K. Leibovich Named New Dean
Adam K. Leibovich has been named the new Bettye J. and Ralph E. Bailey Dean of the University of Pittsburgh’s Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and College of General Studies, effective July 1, 2023.

Dietrich School Faculty Member Earned Grant from U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research
David Waldeck, a professor in the Dietrich School's Department of Chemistry, earned a $7.5 million Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) from the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The award will fund a five-year project.

Dietrich School Staffer Honored for Journal Article
Rachel Stalker, manager of recruitment programming in the Dietrich School, received the 2023 Betty L. Harrah Journal Manuscript of the Year Award from the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International (ACHUHO-I). Rachel, an alumna of Pitt's School of Education, co-authored the award-winning article--“Resident Assistants with Minoritized Identities: The Promise of Identity-Affirming Microclimates in Enhancing RA Experiences"--with Education faculty member Max Schuster.

Dietrich School Faculty Among First Slate of Microgrant Awardees
In the first year of programming, Pitt’s Arts and Humanities Microgrants are supporting up to twenty projects for individual faculty or teams. The $3,000 one-year microgrants are supporting high-quality, smaller-scaled research, scholarly, creative and artistic endeavors for faculty in the arts and humanities.

Dietrich School Students Among NSF Fellowship Recipients
Four Dietrich School graduate students are among the University's six recipients of National Science Foundation (NSF) research funding through the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. Four other Dietrich School students received honorable mentions from the NSF.