Volume 3, Issue 2 - April 2026
"Highlighting Excellence in Action at the Dietrich School and CGS"
New Cohort of Faculty Receives Professional Development Leaves
Three faculty members in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences have been awarded funded Professional Development Leaves (PDLs) for the 2026–27 academic year, advancing projects that will strengthen curricular innovation, expand community partnerships and enhance student learning across the School.
The PDL program, now in its second year, provides a paid, one‑semester leave for eligible appointment‑stream faculty to focus on substantial scholarly, creative, or program‑building work. Designed to invest in the educators whose teaching and mentorship anchor the undergraduate experience, the program underscores the University’s commitment to supporting faculty growth and long‑term excellence.
In the Department of Mathematics, teaching professor Evgeni “Eugene” Trofimov will devote his leave to developing two major instructional resources: a Pitt‑aligned transition‑to‑proof textbook for Math 0413 and standardized Canvas master shells for several foundational courses. His work will strengthen proof‑writing instruction, create greater consistency across multiple course sections, support new and part‑time instructors, and reduce costs for students.
Shannon Reed, teaching professor and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of English’s Writing Program, will use her leave to complete and revise Briskaway, a novel tracing memory, accountability and queer history through the perspective of a theater director returning to a pivotal summer at a performing arts camp. Immersing fully in a long‑form project will, Reed notes, feed directly back into the mentorship she provides to students drafting their own sustained works of fiction — offering them concrete models of craft, revision, and the practical realities of shepherding a book‑length project toward publication.
For Liberty Ferda, teaching professor in English, the leave will allow her to broaden the reach of the grant‑writing workshops she co‑leads at Pitt’s Community Engagement Centers, a program that for years has helped grassroots organizations strengthen their ability to pursue funding. Ferda will build online and hybrid workshop models and develop more formal partnerships with regional funders, including the Heinz Endowments and The Pittsburgh Foundation. The expanded offerings will open new pathways for working adults and neighborhood nonprofit leaders while also generating digital materials to enrich undergraduate instruction in grant and professional writing.
Says Ferda, “I’m just grateful to have the time that I can dedicate to putting together something more for this program. I often describe the workshop as a great delight. Many participants are community leaders, informal organizers, or people who have a vision for improving their neighborhoods. It feels meaningful and impactful and I always come away so inspired and appreciative to be part of that.”
The Dietrich School’s Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Todd Reeser, notes that the PDL program is already becoming an important mechanism for fostering bold curricular and pedagogical work. “If a faculty member wants to develop something that can transform a program or even reshape an approach to teaching, this gives them the time and structure to do that,” he says.
Dietrich School Dean Adam Leibovich adds that the program supports innovation across the School. “Faculty return reinvigorated, bringing new ideas back into the classroom,” offers Leibovich. “It’s an investment that pays dividends for our students and our community.”
10th Anniversary of PDoG Yields Banner Results for Dietrich School and CGS
The 10th annual Pitt Day of Giving (PDoG) on February 24 inspired more donors than ever before to show their generosity and commitment to the University of Pittsburgh.
According to Pittwire, 11,431 donors representing all 50 states, 32 countries and six continents gave to dozens of areas and funds across each University school, college and campus as well as many student organizations. The 2026 daylong fundraising campaign generated more than $3.04 million for scholarships, research, academic programs, student organizations, athletics and other vital initiatives.
This year’s Pitt Day of Giving was especially energizing for the Dietrich School and the College of General Studies. The Dietrich School celebrated its highest number of PDoG donors ever, with 1,300 supporters contributing — including 280 faculty, staff, and Pitt retirees, and 473 alumni — a testament to the deep pride and connection shared across the School’s extended community. This generosity helped the Dietrich School place third on both University‑wide leaderboards, earning valuable challenge funds that will further amplify student‑centered initiatives.
Several Dietrich School units, including the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program, joined PDoG as first‑time participants, adding even more momentum to a day defined by generosity, gratitude, and shared commitment to Pitt’s mission.
The College of General Studies also enjoyed strong participation, welcoming 70 donors, among them 15 faculty, staff, retirees, and 51 alumni, each helping strengthen opportunities for CGS students of all ages and life stages.
PDoG support fueled an inspiring range of priorities that touch nearly every corner of academic life. Donors backed hands‑on research opportunities in Film and Media Studies, Anthropology, and History; creative and accessible arts initiatives in Studio Arts, Music, and Theatre Arts, including new audio‑description equipment and energy‑efficient LED lighting; and world‑expanding study abroad and language‑learning experiences in departments from German to East Asian Languages and Literatures to the Summer Language Institute. Interdisciplinary programs such as GSWS, Jewish Studies, and Architectural Studies received support for public programming, student research, and immersive summer learning. Natural Sciences departments, too, saw enthusiastic backing for undergraduate research, field opportunities, and graduate travel across Biological Sciences, Geology and Environmental Science, Physics and Astronomy, and beyond.
Together, these gifts reflect a shared belief in the power of transformative learning and the many pathways Dietrich School students pursue as they explore, create, question, and grow. And remember, while PDoG may be over for this year, it’s not too late to make a gift to the priority of your choice.
Dietrich Innovation Initiative Celebrates New Awardees
Now in its second year, the Dietrich Innovation Initiative empowers faculty and staff to enrich research, student learning, and community engagement and foster a sense of future-oriented, constant development. It’s an invitation to our community of learners to take on the compelling questions at the school, the University, and in higher education that engage their interest and curiosity.
Full-time faculty and staff at the Dietrich School and CGS are invited to submit proposals that offer unique and exciting opportunities in the areas of:
- Curricular Development
- Outreach
- Research
- Student Services
There are two types of awards available:
- Individual Innovation Awards facilitate project-based efforts in scholarship, artistic production, community engagement, or curricular development/change.
- Laboratory Innovation Awards bring people together to chart daring lines of inquiry within and between disciplines or roles.
For each category of award, funding is available in three tiers:
- Launch Support—for short-term projects with budgets of $5,000 or less
- Major Development—for longer-range, bigger-budget projects, up to $20,000
- Moon Shot—for major innovative efforts that may not fit neatly into standard categories, with budgets up to $100,000
This year, the awards committee received 20 highly competitive proposals and faced the daunting task of narrowing that outstanding group to the final recipients. This year’s awardees represent six Dietrich School departments and programs and their areas of specialization range across all three Dietrich School divisions. One of the major development awards went to a team of investigators from the Department of Geology and Environmental Science and the Film Studies Program.
Moon Shot Award
- Seth Childers, associate professor, and Lingfeng Liu, teaching assistant professor, Department of Chemistry, “Illuminating Student Innovation Pathways through a Chemical Biology Research‑Teaching Ecosystem”
Major Development Awards
- Susan Maleckar, teaching professor, Department of Chemistry, “Pitt Summer Chemistry Academy”
- Patrick Shirey, assistant professor, Department of Geology and Environmental Science, and Sarah Moore, teaching associate professor, Film and Media Studies Program, “Churchill Valley Greenway Outreach and Research”
- Brock Bahler, teaching professor, Department of Religious Studies, “Uncovering the Legacy of Slavery in Pittsburgh’s Religious Institutions”
- Michael Glass, assistant professor, Urban Studies Program, “Infrastructures of Innovation in ‘Left Behind’ Regions”
Launch Support Award
- Erin Anderson, associate professor, Department of English, “Cement City (Season Two): A Documentary Podcast About “One Forgotten Town.””
Offers Dean Adam, “DI2 is a program designed to unleash the potential of faculty and staff by enabling more research and creating an environment where more people can follow their passions and interests. It not only enhances our ability to create knowledge, but it’s crucial to making the Dietrich School and CGS a destination workplace. One of my favorite quotes on leadership is from business executive Marissa Mayer, who says, ‘It’s about getting the best people, retaining them, nurturing a creative environment, and helping them find a way to innovate.’ Programs like DI2 are vital to that kind of philosophy and I’m incredibly proud of this year’s awardees.”