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‘Slowboarding’ concept designed to make Dietrich faculty orientation easier to digest

The moment one gets a job offer, the anxiety and stress that typically carries through the interview process and the waiting period that follow tend to melt away, replaced by a sense of accomplishment and eager anticipation to take on a new professional endeavor.

Before taking on actual job duties at Pitt, however, there’s still hoops to jump through. Employee orientation, or “onboarding,” involves a virtual deluge of institutional and Human Resources-based information of varying degrees of urgency and relevance.

Pitt introduces a new Journalism Certificate

Beginning this fall, the Dietrich School will offer a new Journalism Certificate.
 
The certificate was a collaborative effort between the English and Communications Departments, with English Chair Gayle Rogers at the helm. Gayle says it was designed with the ever-changing news landscape in mind. Journalists are constantly updating their roster of skills, and this certificate aims to best prepare students for their careers.
 
From the website:

Pitt students can now bop to the top with the new Musical Theatre Certificate

Musical Theatre enthusiasts can rejoice over the new Musical Theatre certificate being offered by the Department of Theatre Arts in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. The certificate is an interdisciplinary effort between the theatre and music departments that aims to offer a more niche experience for students looking to either expand their theatre knowledge or dabble in theatre from outside of their main major.
 

Prepared for Anything: How a Pitt Humanities PhD Led to an Unconventional Career

When Spyros Sakellariadis (A&S ’80G) arrived at the University of Pittsburgh in the late 1970s, he wasn’t following a carefully designed career plan.

Fresh off a degree in physics and philosophy from Oxford University, Sakellariadis was fascinated by questions about space, time and the philosophy of science. After reading work by renowned Pitt faculty member Adolf Grünbaum, he decided he wanted to study with him.

What happened next was a lesson in the power of relationships.

How Debate Set Sarayu Cheemalapati's (A&S '26) Course

In high school, Sarayu Cheemalapati (A&S ’26) was nearly unstoppable as a debater. By her senior year at Council Rock North High School in Newtown, PA, she was ranked as one of the best in the country. Her specialty was congressional debate, where individuals take on the role of a member of Congress, writing and building support for their legislation.

“The better I did at the competitions, the more I thought a career in law might be for me,” Sarayu said. “So, I did an internship at my local DA’s office and loved learning about law and, in particular, public service law.”

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.

The Pittsburgh native and graduating senior is deeply invested in advocating for the interests of her neighbors, at the polls and on the national stage. Sometimes the best way to get to know someone, Podnar said, is by first knocking on their front door. She’s led canvassing efforts and voter registration drives in support of multiple campaigns.