News

Distinguished Professor Wins Humboldt Award
Tia-Lynn Ashman, a Distinguished Professor in the Dietrich School's Department of Biological Sciences, has received the prestigious Humboldt Research Award, which recognizes her entire academic record to date. The award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, based in Germany, comes with a cash prize of 60,000 euros (around $61,200)

Dietrich School Alumna Named VP of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility of Carnegie Museums
Dietrich School alumna Gina Winstead (A&S '05) says her goal in her new role is to make sure that visitors to the four Carnegie Museums — Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Science Center, and The Andy Warhol Museum — are able to have the same positive experience she had, regardless of their background.

Dietrich School Graduates Among Distinguished Alumni Fellows
During a June 22 ceremony, the University of Pittsburgh celebrated five new Distinguished Alumni Fellows for 2020 and 2021. The honor recognizes those who have excelled personally and professionally and exhibited outstanding service to the University. Honorees include Dietrich School alumni David Frederick (A&S ’83), Michael Bryson (A&S ’68), and Jack (A&S ’69, MED ’73) and Georgia Smith (A&S ’70).

Dietrich School Faculty Member Elected to International Academy of Molecular Quantum Science
Ken Jordan, Richard King Mellon Professor and Distinguished Professor of Computational Chemistry, and Associate Director, Center for Research Computing, has been elected to the International Academy of Molecular Quantum Science, headquartered in Menton, France.

Community, Physics, Phenomenology: Symposium Series Gathers Generations
The Pheno Symposium series has put Pitt at the center of a worldwide community of particle physicists and astrophysicists for over a decade. At Pheno 2022 in May, that community gathered in person for the first time since 2019 to share an enthusiasm for exploring phenomenology - the theory and practice of matter and forces that make up the universe. The heart of the series is the Dietrich School's Tao Han, a distinguished professor of high energy physics, who has organized the symposium at Pitt almost every year since 2012.

Kathleen Blee is stepping down as dean of the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
After five years as Dean, Kathleen Blee has announced that she will return to the faculty in June 2023.

Dietrich School Historian Wins Stubbendieck Great Plains Distinguished Book Prize
Alaina E. Roberts, a faculty member in the Dietrich School's Department of History, has been awarded the Stubbendieck Great Plains Distinguished Book Prize for her first book, “I've Been Here All the While: Black Freedom on Native Land.” The prize celebrates the most outstanding work about the Great Plains during the past year and is accompanied by a medal and a $10,000 check.

Dietrich School Historian Keisha N. Blain Named 2022 Andrew Carnegie Fellow
Associate Professor of History Keisha N. Blain has been named a 2022 Andrew Carnegie Fellow. The award supports highly original research in the humanities and social sciences that has the potential for both impact in the scholar’s field and wide public appeal.

Dietrich School Undergraduate Named 2022 Goldwater Scholar
Katie Oppenheimer, a junior microbiology major in the Dietrich School, joins an impressive community of 417 students selected for the Goldwater scholarship from across the United States for the 2022-23 academic year.

Dietrich School, CGS Launch New Student Awards
The Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and College of General Studies each launched three new undergraduate award categories to acknowledge outstanding seniors in their schools. These students have demonstrated academic excellence, exemplified resilience in their academic and personal pursuits and displayed a substantial commitment to service by assisting their peers or the greater Pittsburgh community. A reception for the 19 winners was held April 13 at the University Club.

Four Dietrich School Faculty Recognized for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
Dietrich School faculty members Jennifer Laaser, Erica McGreevy, Dana Och and Ellen Smith were recognized as Bellet Teaching Excellence Awardees.

Two Dietrich School Faculty Members Named 2022 Guggenheim Fellows
Dietrich School faculty members Keisha N. Blain, associate professor in the Department of History, and Yona Harvey, associate professor in the Department of English, have been named 2022 Guggenheim Fellows.

Dietrich School Faculty Member Named 2022 Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science
Rebecca Reed, assistant professor of psychology in the Dietrich School, has been named a 2022 Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science, the leading international organization devoted to advancing psychology across disciplines.

Department of Political Science Faculty Member Receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Award
Gemma Marolda, faculty member in the Dietrich School's Department of Political Science, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to Italy. Dr. Marolda will conduct research and be a guest lecturer at the University of Bari (UNIBA) as part of a project to study European migration policies and practices in the Central Mediterranean.

Behind the Scenes in the Dietrich School Machine Shop
“We do consulting, engineering, designing and research. In industry shops, each of those is a separate position,” said Shawn Artman, supervisor of the Dietrich School's machine shop