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This is the last issue of the University Time for the fall term. Publication will resume Jan. 7. Due to the winter recess, the submission deadline for that issue is Dec. 23.

VOLUME 42 • NUMBER 8

Tuition tax vote delayed by council

UNIVERSITY

The University recognizes its longterm staff.....................................7-10

DECEMBER 10, 2009

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

TIMES

Pitt’s appropriation: The waiting game

It’s that time of year

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Visions of sugarplums will have to wait for many at Pitt. Undergraduate day classes run through tomorrow, final exams are scheduled through Dec. 19 and faculty have until Dec. 22 to approve final grades.

Kimberly K. Barlow

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I S S U E

A new Pitt program promotes the values of a liberal arts education through reading................................2

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he ongoing student tuition tax chess match between local universities and city politicians continues as Pittsburgh City Council yesterday decided to delay voting on the proposal to allow behind-the-scenes negotiations to continue. Local university officials, who with one voice oppose taxing students, have met privately in recent days with members of City Council and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl to pursue alternatives to the student tuition tax, first tendered by the mayor in his initial budget proposal issued Nov. 9. Ravenstahl proposed a so-called “fair share tax” of 1 percent on city higher education students’ tuition as a way to fill a $15 million gap in the city’s 2010 budget due to underfunded city legacy obligations. For in-state Pitt undergraduates, that would represent about a $135 annual fee at the current tuition rate.

T H I S

ouse Republicans on Wednesday attempted to release funding for staterelated universities, including Pitt, whose appropriations bills have been held up in the House while legislators work out an agreement on new table games legislation. Behind-the-scenes discussions have been underway for months to iron out details on how much tax to levy on table games revenue, how many resort gaming licenses there should be and how many slot machines and game tables to allow. Debate reached the House floor on Tuesday but ended without a vote. The FY10 state budget relies on some $200 million in projected revenues from the legalization of casino table games. While Republican leaders assert that the state has enough money to fund appropriations for the staterelated universities, Democrats, who control the House, say that table games revenue is needed before the budget is balanced and the non-preferred appropriations can be approved. Resolution of

the gaming issue would clear the way for legislators to approve state appropriations for the fellow state-related schools and other non-preferred institutions. “We hope to get a vote today, but it could go longer,” Bob Caton, spokesperson for House Speaker Keith McCall (D-Carbon), told the University Times at midday Dec. 9. “We’re dedicated to getting this done,” not only for the jobs that would be created by the table games legislation, but also “because it’s time to get the funding to the schools,” Caton said. Once the table games legislation is passed, votes on the non-preferred appropriations would follow immediately, Caton said. However, House Republicans on Wednesday tried a different approach. Appropriations bills for Pitt, Penn State, Temple and Lincoln universities were on Wednesday’s House calendar. “Any member of the chamber can call them up by special order,” said Stephen Miskin, spokesperson for House minority leader

the use of subject tests or favoring ACT scores over SATs, Porter predicted “some significant changes” over the next decade, but said a full-fledged shift from tracking the freshman class based on the current 1600 SAT scale to a 2400 scale isn’t imminent at Pitt. “We’ll do that when a majority of institutions do it and right now very few do,” she said.

better students from those high schools and those communities as a result.” Applications from more distant states also are increasing: Pitt saw double-digit increases in applications from Arizona, California and Massachusetts. This fall, international student admissions, which had been under the Office of International Services, moved to the central admissions office and their numbers are included in the freshman class statistics, Porter said, adding that there were nearly 1,000 international applications for the freshman class — more than ever before. Looking beyond Pennsylvania’s borders for quality students will continue to be important in the future. The number of high school graduates has been on the decline since 2004 and is expected to fall 5-10 percent by 2014. “Among all the other reasons that it is institutionally healthy for us to pursue a national agenda, we are forced to do it to make up for some of the differential that won’t be existing in the state of Pennsylvania in terms of quality students who are graduating from high school,” Porter told BPC.

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Pitt Class of 2013: Slightly bigger & slightly better

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ollowing a season of economic turmoil that left college admissions officers across the nation struggling to foresee how financial market meltdowns and uncertain family finances would impact students’ college choices, Pitt landed a slightly larger, slightly better freshman class this fall. In her annual report on the incoming Pittsburgh campus freshman class, director of the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid Betsy Porter told the Senate budget policies committee Dec. 4 that the University exceeded its enrollment goals. In spite of the uncertainties, Porter said Pitt still had “a very, very strong, increasing number of applications.” The question, however, was how families’ economic issues might impact the number of freshmen who would accept Pitt’s offer of admission, she said. “We were figuring out whether we could or should admit more students based on yield considerations.” This fall’s figures reflected some successful guesswork, Porter said. Of 21,737 applicants, 12,722 were admitted and 3,642 ultimately paid deposits for a place

among the Pittsburgh campus freshman class, for a yield rate of 28.6 percent. In comparison, in fall 2008 the yield rate was 30.4 percent: 3,488 students out of 11,467 who were admitted. The Pittsburgh campus surpassed enrollment goals in all areas, enrolling 2,722 in the School of Arts and Sciences, where the goal was 2,660; 484 engineering freshmen, exceeding the goal of 460; 315 in the College of Business Administration, exceeding the goal of 310, and 121 in nursing, exceeding the goal of 110. Freshman quality Forty-nine percent of the Pittsburgh campus freshman class graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class (up from 48 percent last year), while 78 percent came from the top 20 percent, the same percentage as last year. These figures only include students from high schools that use class ranks, Porter said, noting that about 35 percent of the class came from high schools that do not rank their students. The average applicant admitted to Pitt had a grade point average of 3.89 (up from 3.86 last year) while the 2009 freshman class had an average GPA of 3.87,

the same as last year. Of this fall’s freshmen, 1,151 freshmen had grade point averages exceeding 4.0, Porter said. Twenty percent of the freshman class was eligible for the University Honors College, with an average SAT score of 1447 out of 1600. The mid-50 percent range for freshmen’s SAT scores held steady from 2008. The middle half of the freshman class posted SAT scores of between 1180 and 1340, with mid-50 percent ranges of 570-680 for the verbal portion, 590-680 for math and 560-660 for writing, all holding steady from fall 2008. Although there are three components to the SAT, each based on a maximum of 800 points, Pitt continues to report its overall mid-50 percent SAT score range based on a 1600-point maximum combined math and reading score. However, Pitt is using the writing component as another tool in admissions and scholarship decision-making. “We are looking much more closely at the writing score,” and have informed prospective students and their families, Porter said. Noting that college admissions testing is in flux, with some schools shifting to test-optional policies,

Where they’re from Applications from within Pennsylvania fell 3 percent from the prior year, dropping to 13,026 from 13,455. However, 7 of 10 Pitt freshmen were from Pennsylvania, and 16 percent of freshmen came from within Allegheny County. In addition, applications from Pitt’s primary out-of-state markets all increased: Applications from Maryland rose 3 percent; from New York, 9 percent; New Jersey, 13 percent; Ohio, 15 percent; Virginia, 17 percent, and Delaware, 42 percent. Continuing progress in nearby states is linked to student satisfaction, Porter said, pointing out that word-of-mouth has an impact. “Our students who come to Pitt love Pitt. They go home and talk about their Pitt experience in positive ways and we get more and



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U N I V E R S I T Y TIMES

Common reading program promotes liberal arts education

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ommon reading programs are taking root on college campuses as a way to create community as well as to provide a shared intellectual experience. Prompted by Juan Manfredi, associate dean for undergraduate studies in the School of Arts and Sciences, Pitt joined a growing number of schools this fall as it launched a common reading program for students participating in the courses offered by the A&S Office of Freshman Programs. Pitt’s selected book, “Reinventing Knowledge: From Alexandria to the Internet” by University of Oregon history professors Ian McNeely and Lisa Wolverton, was integrated into the freshman programs course curriculum. Of Pitt’s fall class of 2,714 full-time students, 65 percent (1,757) were enrolled in a freshman programs course. A year ago, Manfredi gave freshman programs office director Laura Dice and her staff the task of integrating a common reading program into Pitt’s existing freshman seminar curriculum after noting that other high-quality universities offered such reading programs for new students. The Pitt program’s stated goals are to welcome students into the University community through a shared intellectual experience; to encourage the growth of an intellectual community through reading, discussion and activities; to develop a sense of community among students, faculty and staff, and to reinforce the importance of reading as an integral part of a liberal arts education. Manfredi said he wanted to promote the value of a liberal arts education at a time when so many students focus their educational efforts narrowly on the job they plan to get after graduation. He considers the first four years of higher education an opportunity for “infrastructure building,” given that the vast majority of students say they intend to continue their education beyond a bachelor’s degree. The freshman year in particular, Manfredi said, “is the perfect moment to tell students to think big” and to expose them to the

UNIVERSITY

TIMES N. J. Brown

EDITOR

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WRITERS

Kimberly K. Barlow 412/624-1379 [email protected] Peter Hart

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BUSINESS MANAGER

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Events Calendar: [email protected] The University Times is published bi-weekly on Thursdays by the University of Pittsburgh. Send correspondence to University Times, 308 Bellefield Hall, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260; fax to 412/624-4579 or email: [email protected]. Subscriptions are available at a cost of $25 for the publishing year, which runs SeptemberJuly. Make checks payable to the University of Pittsburgh. The newspaper is available electronically at: www.utimes.pitt.edu 

value of a broad-based liberal arts education that isn’t necessarily directly tied to their future careers. The initial year of the freshman reading program endeavor has been a learning experience for participants and program organizers alike. Dice said she and her staff sprang into action to find an appropriate book. Not only did they need to have a complete program in place in time for fall term, they had to get the book into the hands of course instructors in time for workshops held in April. Assistant director of freshman programs Russ Maiers said it was a challenge to find a book that fit the existing curriculum, which contains six required topics: transition to college, academic skills and services, academic integrity, importance of the liberal arts, polite and professional communication and educational goals. “We were all searching and suggesting,” Dice said, noting that the goal of tying a book into an existing curriculum apparently is unique. In researching similar programs, “We didn’t see any that tried to integrate it into a course like we did.” Freshman programs office staff member Sarah Hrisak ultimately found McNeely’s book while searching online. The book, which traces the history of the institutions that have shaped knowledge from the ancient library at Alexandria to the present, coincidentally is divided into six chapters that complement the freshman curriculum’s six topics. Getting 85 instructors and 1,700 students all on the same page was a big challenge, Dice said. Instructors were given broad leeway in using the book. “Everyone was expected to have some incorporation of the book into their classes,” she said, noting that some instructors required students to read the entire book; others chose to assign excerpts. In addition to the reading, Dice’s office developed a six-part series of films and faculty presentations billed as “Freshman Fridays at 5,” organized a “Republic of Letters” Scrabble tournament and wrapped up the program with a lecture by McNeely. The freshman course always has incorporated events and activities, and always has had the same required topics. “The book added another layer of material and responsibility to the course,” Dice said. McNeely’s talk was entertaining and well received, Dice said. However, some students in the audience of more than 1,600 apparently took McNeely’s lecture title, “900 Years of Unruly Students,” to heart, behaving in a loud, unruly manner during the talk or leaving before the author’s question-and-answer session. Dice noted that the embarrassing experience was a lesson learned: Next year, they plan to better prepare students on proper behavior — a perfect tie-in with the “polite and professional communication” portion of the curriculum. As the 12-week freshman courses wrap up, programmatic and anecdotal assessments are being collected. Dice said next

fall’s common reading will focus again on McNeely’s book. Feedback will be compiled by midDecember and used in improving the program for next year. q While the freshman program is the newest iteration of the concept here, students aren’t the only ones participating in common reading programs at Pitt. In conjunction with Bradford’s community library, Pitt-Bradford writing professor Nancy McCabe helped launch the One Book Bradford (OBB) community reading program three years ago. The OBB program targets a wide audience that includes both the Pitt regional campus and the Bradford community. OBB incorporates community events, a public talk by the author as well as author visits to McCabe’s writing classes. “I’m always excited to get people reading and talking about books,” McCabe said, noting that a community-wide reading program poses its own special challenges due to the multiple constituencies that must be considered. The process of selecting a book takes several months as a committee of about a dozen community members read and discuss various books and consider the potential for community-wide events that would accompany the reading. Also a factor is the author’s availability to come to Bradford. As an academician, McCabe admits she has an interest in controversial works, but for a community program, the chosen book must be quite the opposite

and of interest to a wide range of people as well. “It’s a delicate balancing act,” she said. The committee ensures one connection to the community by selecting a book with some local tie. The initial selection, “City of Light” by Lauren Belfer, was set in Victorian times in nearby Buffalo, N.Y. Events included a community bus trip to sites mentioned in the book, a Victorian tea and a talk about life in Bradford at the turn of the century by a local historian. Snow, not surprisingly, prompted the selection of the second book, “The Children’s Blizzard” by David Laskin. “Winter is a really huge presence in Bradford,” McCabe said. Mark Twain, who wrote many of his works at his summer home near Elmira, N.Y., is the connection for the most recent selection, “Becky, the Life and Loves of Becky Thatcher” by Lenore Hart. Events related to the book will include a performance by a Twain impersonator in January and a performance of an original Twain-themed short play in February. The author’s visit, set for March 31, will include public readings, book signings, class visits and a lecture about the writing process. McCabe said the author’s appearance plays a critical role in making the chosen book more than mere words on a page. “It makes people see the books in a different way,” she said, adding, “The authors typically are tickled that everyone’s doing these events around their work.” McCabe said her students are inspired by the opportunity for informal conversation with a “real author” (never mind that their teacher is one herself) who can offer insight into the professional aspects of writing as a career. “They are pleasantly surprised that authors are real people,” she said. “It transforms the way they view literature.” The community-wide nature of the program takes the conversation beyond academic discussion. The public sessions tend to bring questions about the book and how it was written but also inspire inquiries about the author and the autobiographical elements that may have appeared in the work.

Attendees who otherwise may have eschewed a literary reading often are pleasantly surprised to find they aren’t the stuffy events they had envisioned, McCabe said. Although each year’s selection generates buzz in the community, it’s not as if everyone in town reads the book, she said. But, by the end of the year it’s fairly certain that everyone in the area at least has heard about the book. Even the non-readers can be drawn in, McCabe said, adding that some get interested and later pick up the book as a result of the events. “They become more and more curious,” she said. q Faculty at Pitt have their own opportunity for shared reading as well. Each fall and spring, faculty book and article discussions sponsored by the Provost’s Advisory Council on Instructional Excellence in conjunction with Pitt’s Center for Instructional Development and Distance Education provide faculty the opportunity for focused discussion on some aspect of teaching. Joanne Nicoll, associate director for instructional development at CIDDE, said, “They like the opportunity and they want the opportunity to talk with others about teaching.” She said the book and article discussions offer the added benefit of interdisciplinary sharing as faculty from across the University talk together about the selected reading. “We get really good feedback from faculty,” she said. “Many faculty come saying they have no opportunity to do this departmentally.” The program, initially funded for three years, last year was extended for another three years. The series has grown from a book discussion to the current schedule of two book and two article discussions each fall and spring. Nicoll said shared readings give participants a focused opportunity for discussion. “Book discussions are big in the general population. People want to talk about a book they’re exploring. “People love to share,” Nicoll said, noting that the opportunity to reflect is an important part of learning. “It’s the reflection that builds knowledge and skills.” —Kimberly K. Barlow n

Kimberly K. Barlow A new urban green space has emerged in the form of an improved Crossroads Park at the corner of Terrace and Darragh streets. New seating, lighting, grills, stairways and plantings have been added to the multi-level park. The property is owned by the University but the park will be maintained by UPMC. The park will be dedicated in the spring to former UPMC vice president for facilities and construction Ronald J. Forsythe for his efforts to establish the park. Forsythe died in February 2008.

DECEMBER 10, 2009

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s adolescents develop into adults, “we all bring with us some junk from our environment,” said Kathy Humphrey, referring to individual cultural, racial and ethnic influences on human development, many of them based on stereotyping and misinformation. This is an issue that colleges in particular confront as each new class of freshmen enters their charge, she said. Humphrey, who is vice provost and dean of students, discussed how Pitt manages students’ cultural differences in a lecture this week titled “Race, Ethnicity and College Student Development: From Theory to Practice,” which was sponsored by Pitt’s Center on Race and Social Problems. She spoke not only on underrepresented student populations, but also on the developmental problems confronting the majority of college students who are white. Racial & cultural development among white students “You have to also look at theories of how white students racially develop,” Humphrey said. “A lot of times white students are left out of the equation. That’s part of the problem when we talk about educating our staff and faculty about how students develop if we let out our biggest racial group.” She cited educational researcher Janet Helms’s 1993 theory called “white racial consciousness,” which outlines five stages of development. Stage 1, dubbed the homogeneous environment, posits that white youth initially regard their race as unimportant because most of them have lived among only white people. Humphrey said, “They think, ‘I’m white, what’s the big deal?’ They’re very unaware of being a racial being themselves. They don’t really see the differences other than what they see on TV or in their activities that are external to their environment.” That state of mind prompts white youths to view other cultures one of two ways, Helms’s theory holds. “They either withdraw completely from the idea that someone is saying they are different, or they approach it and try to figure out what that difference actually is,” Humphrey explained. Helms refers to stage 2 as the “disintegration stage,” where white youths become aware of racism, which leads to negative feelings of guilt and a concern about what it means to be white. “They then see themselves as a part of the white culture for the first time in this stage,” Humphrey said. “Helms says they respond to that in one of three ways: Either they over-identify, that is, they take on the characteristics of other races such as dress, hair styles and language rhythms — what they think the other culture might be. Or, they become paternalistic: ‘If these racist things are wrong, I’m going to fix them, I’m going to nurture other cultures. I feel bad all the time about these issues: It’s just a terrible thing not to be me’ is their attitude.” The other possibility is that the youths retreat into the white culture, Helms has theorized. “They say, ‘I’m not going to have anything to do with this. I’m

Managing students’ cultural differences

Managing students’ cultural differences “We’re constantly asking students: How can we make your cultural group more comfortable on campus?” —Kathy Humphrey vice provost and dean of students

Mary Jane Bent/CIDDE

going to stand over here, you and your group stand over there and we’ll all ignore each other and live peacefully,’” Humphrey said. In stage 3, the re-integration stage, white youths turn hostile toward other races. “This is where white supremacists are born,” Humphrey said. “They become hostile because they don’t want to be seen as the cause of slavery, because they think it’s unfair that you just assume they’re prejudiced or just assume that they’re rich or just assume all of the other negative stereotypes about white people.” The hostility is reinforced by the perception that minorities are taking jobs that “belong” to whites and are receiving preferential treatment over whites, she said. “All of that becomes bundled up as anger in this stage, and they favor their own race at any cost. They perceive other cultures’ traits as negative; anything that doesn’t look like them is negative,” Humphrey said. Stage 4 in Helms’s theory is called the “pseudo-independent” stage of development. “Intellectually whites increasingly accept the fact that they are who they are, they accept their race and they’re willing to accept the fact that there is value in other races. They become interested in other groups’ characteristics and look for similarities with their own group, instead of emphasizing the differences,” Humphrey said. “So their quest at that point is to help others understand how we’re all alike. That’s the banner. They might say, ‘We’re all talking about diversity, but I’d rather talk about how we’re alike.’” Whites in this stage do have some cross-racial interactions, she said, but those interactions are with people who are most like themselves. “‘I’m going to be friends with you because you’re more like me — more white — than others in your racial or cultural group.

You’re not like most fill-in-theblank. I’ll speak to you in certain environments, but I won’t bring you home to my environment because I’m concerned with what my white friends will say if I speak to you,’” Humphrey said. Stage 5 of development is called the “autonomy” stage, when whites are willing to accept and respect racial differences. “They have an appreciation of the differences and they like being around the differences, but they don’t need to adopt the differences to show that respect and they don’t perceive the differences as a deficit. They actively seek opportunities to have cross-cultural interaction.” This is the stage toward which Pitt hopes to guide students, Humphrey said. Racial & cultural development among minority students While there are many theories on how minority or under-represented, marginalized students develop racial and cultural attitudes, Humphrey emphasized the ethnic identity development model of researcher Jean Phinney, which includes three stages. “The first stage is called ‘diffusion and foreclosure,’ that is, spread out or shut down,” Humphrey said. “It means you’re not comfortable in your own skin. You’re not comfortable with who you are. You’re not even interested in examining who you are.” Minorities in this stage adopt the negative stereotypes perpetrated by the white majority, for example, that lighter skin color is more becoming than darker skin color. “A lot of the negative attitudes are adopted as their own reality. You see this a lot in very young minority children. Most people in under-represented groups learn at a very young age that they’re a part of a different group, and that affects their development,” she said. As minorities develop into a

second stage of “identity searching,” they discover that the negative things they thought about themselves are not true and they become angry. “They just shut down [and declare] a moratorium. A lot of people stay in moratorium and never move out of it: They maintain their anger throughout their lives,” Humphrey said. “This is a dangerous place to be. We’re never going to get together if one of us is in moratorium.” The effect of this second stage is that individuals put their emphasis completely on their own race. “The reality is that they’re happy to be part of their race now, they want everybody to know they’re a part of their race, their dress is a part of their race,” Humphrey said. “But, there’s a lot of anger and a lot of guilt. The guilt comes from ‘I didn’t know about myself. I didn’t know about my history. I believed some things that were lies.’ And they’re embarrassed by their lack of knowledge.” In the third, breakthrough stage — “identity achievement” — the person in effect becomes bi-cultural. “They’re able to live in both worlds. They’re able to have intimate relationships with all kinds of people, because they have become comfortable in their own skin. They know that me being me does not take away from you being you. And it does not equate to selling out: ‘Because I get along with you does not make me a sell-out of my culture,’” Humphrey said, adding, “It takes a lot of work to reach that point.” Common issues affecting developing students With these two theories in mind, Humphrey noted that most students enter college not fully developed. “What often times appears on college campuses is anger, isolation and loneliness, fear and confusion,” she said. “Everybody’s scared of everybody else, and you can see why based on which stage

of development they’re in. In general, students all across the country come to college angry.” • Why all the anger? Minority students often face comments and prejudice that make them feel ashamed of who they are, Humphrey said. “Those feelings come to the surface and they’re very real to those students. Think of all of the questions that make them feel less than human: ‘Can I touch your hair?’ would be an example. ‘Can you touch my hair? What is this, a petting zoo? No, you can’t touch my hair.’” That is the kind of question asked by underdeveloped white students who themselves are trying to get comfortable with other cultures, she said. Students need to learn that if they establish relationships first, the rules change and some previously inappropriate questions become okay to ask. But that is not intuitive. “It’s our responsibility as faculty and adults to help them with that,” Humphrey said. Minority students also are angry about being criticized for socializing with students from their own race or culture. “For both groups, minority as well as the white group, when they first get here and they’re developing, it’s very hard to cross cultural lines. Often times we chock that up to racism, but the bottom line is where they are developmentally,” Humphrey said. “Minority students also continually have to prove that the negative stereotypes about their group are not true. And in their experiences are all the times they had to deal with an unequal playing field, which also makes them angry,” Humphrey said. Isolation and loneliness are other problems confronting minority students more so than whites, she said. “If you’re the only minority student in a class, it’s very clear. Or, in projects, the professor may put one person of color in every group as opposed to letting them be together.” In addition, minority students often are required to give the “cultural opinion” in class, furthering their isolation. “‘Tell us how Hispanics feel about that.’ ‘Tell us how Asian people — the whole continent — feel about that, because you’re one of them,’” she said. Moreover, under-represented students typically have to leave more cultural ties behind them than do white students, she said. International students, for example, often have to adjust to dietary changes. When colleges offer “special food days” to serve a particular culture’s customary offerings, ironically it can accentuate the isolation students feel, Humphrey noted. • Why all the fear? “Minority students have seen the statistics: They know their chances are not as good for graduation from college,” Humphrey said. “They’ve seen so many in their community come back from college without a degree. They feel that pressure of being successful, especially if they’re a firstgeneration college student. They fear they’re losing their cultural identity. That is a huge deal. The message they hear at home is, ‘Go to college and become white.’” • Why the confusion? “They’re confused because CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 

U N I V E R S I T Y TIMES



DECEMBER 10, 2009

Despite economic uncertainties, Pitt Class of 2013: bigger, better CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“We have to continue to get the best students we can get from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, recognizing that there will likely be fewer of them. So where can we go to fill the slots with highquality students who may not be from Pennsylvania?” Growth states including Texas, California and Florida are being targeted, Porter said. “For a whole variety of reasons they’re going to

increase high school graduation rates. They have more students in high schools and more of the high-quality ones are going to have to leave the state because the public systems can’t accommodate them,” Porter said. The ones that got away Porter said the nearby schools that once were big competitors for potential Pitt students, such

3 regionals exceed targets

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hree of Pitt’s regional campuses exceeded their enrollment goals for fall 2009, campus officials said. Combined, the regionals this year enrolled slightly more than 7,000 students. • Pitt-Bradford topped its long-standing enrollment goal of 1,500 full-time equivalent (FTE) students. UPB President Livingston Alexander said, “We’re very proud that we were able to reach this milestone three years in advance of our projected time frame.” This year the campus has 1,535 FTE students, a double-digit percentage increase over fall 2008’s total of 1,398 FTEs. The campus also has recorded the largest total enrollment in its history at 1,657 students — 1,455 full-time and 202 part-time students — and its biggest freshman class of 418 freshmen, an increase over the 372 freshmen enrolled last fall. • Pitt-Johnstown enrolled 28 FTE students over the campus’s FTE enrollment goal of 2,950. UPJ enrolled 3,057 students in fall 2009, up slightly over fall 2008’s 3,032 students. This fall the campus enrolled 2,978 FTE students, a small increase over fall 2008’s 2,945. Full-time students now number 2,925 (an increase over 2008’s 2,887) with 132 part-timers, according to Robert Knipple, executive director of external relations at UPJ. • Pitt-Titusville also exceeded its enrollment goal of 490 FTEs with 498 FTEs enrolled this fall. UPT has broken its enrollment records with the largest number of full-time students in campus history. The campus enrolled 545 full- and part-time students for the 2009-10 academic year. The total of 466 full-time students exceeds the previous record of 455 such students set in 2007. According to UPT President William A. Shields, “The positive enrollment figures are the result of a great deal of effort on the part of many individuals who devoted considerable time and energy into meeting, counseling and advising students throughout the summer and the days before the start of the fall term.” • Pitt-Greensburg fell slightly below its fall 2009 goal of 1,750 full-time equivalent students, with an FTE enrollment of 1,729 students. Last year the campus enrolled 1,737 FTEs. Included in the 1,808 total enrollment in fall 2009 (down from 1,826 total students in fall 2008) are 1,676 full-time and 132 part-time students. While UPG fell short of its enrollment goals, officials said the campus has made considerable progress toward meeting its companion strategic goal of increasing the academic profile of its classes. For fall 2009, academic quality measures increased in all categories, including a 5.2 point increase in the SAT average and a 0.08 point increase in high school GPA average. “We increased our selectivity by 6 percent,” said Heather Kabala, Pitt-Greensburg’s director of Admissions. —Peter Hart n

as Duquesne, Indiana University of Pennsylvania or West Virginia University, have given way to other large, urban schools or students’ home-state institutions. “Mostly we’re competing with schools like George Washington, NYU, Boston University,” Porter said. Still, Pitt’s biggest competitor remains Penn State, both for instate and out-of-state students, Porter said. Additional freshman class demographics can be found at www.oafa.pitt.edu/stats.aspx. q In other business at the Dec. 4 BPC meeting: • Vice Chancellor for Budget and Controller Arthur G. Ramicone noted that the University had made its annual budget request to the state for fiscal year 2011 support. In Pitt’s Nov. 12 request to the state Department of Education, the University stated it intended to limit tuition increases

to 4 percent and to increase the compensation pool by at least 3 percent if it receives the requested $194.68 million in state support, a 5 percent increase. (See Nov. 25 University Times.) • The committee noted that the University’s consolidated financial statement for fiscal year 2009 now is available online at www.bc.pitt.edu/afs.html. • BPC chair John Baker reported that the medical school salary issues he raised earlier this year (see May 14 University Times) have been resolved by the Senate tenure and academic freedom committee. “It appears to have been an isolated case,” Baker said. • Committee members agreed to continue meeting in 501 CL at 12:10 p.m. on the last Friday of the month during the spring term. The next meeting is set for Jan. 29. • As a follow-up to a prior BPC request, in a closed session Baker said he updated the committee on the status of the attribution study. In September, BPC directed Baker to ask the University planning and budgeting committee (UPBC) about the future of Pitt’s attribution study and to request it or some other document contain-

ing similar financial information. The report, prepared by the Office of Budget and Controller as a tool for UPBC, attributes annual revenues and expenses to each of the University’s responsibility centers. The attribution study has been a bone of contention for more than a year since BPC requested the public release of the fiscal year 2007 report in order to facilitate discussion in an open session. Administrators balked and have since declared the report a private document for the use of UPBC. UPBC members have since called into question the document’s usefulness, but BPC members have pushed for the production of the report or a similar document to aid their committee’s participation in the University planning and budgeting system. (See Oct. 1 University Times.) Baker said the matter was discussed in closed session because the attribution study is not a public document. In a statement following the meeting, Baker told the University Times that UPBC has agreed to try to simplify the attribution study and that BPC will work with UPBC to achieve that goal. —Kimberly K. Barlow n

Pitt awaits appropriation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Sam Smith (R-Jefferson). After Katharine Watson (R-Bucks) did so, the speaker broke for caucus discussions. As the University Times went to press Wednesday afternoon, the House had extended its recess several times and had not returned. The state budget requires a simple majority in order to pass, but non-preferred appropriations — for institutions not completely under the state’s control — need a two-thirds majority and are set via separate appropriations bills for the individual institutions. Democrats have a 104-99 majority in the 203-member house. Gov. Edward G. Rendell told reporters Wednesday afternoon he was disappointed by the delay in

reaching a table games agreement and threatened that state workers could be laid off if additional revenues aren’t forthcoming. The state has budgeted nearly $168 million for Pitt: $160.49 million in state money and $7.5 million in federal stimulus funding, but Pitt’s appropriation is nearing a record-breaking delay. The longest the University has gone without a state appropriation came in 2003, when Rendell signed Pitt’s appropriation bill on Dec. 23 — 176 days after the July 1, 2003 start of the FY04 fiscal year. This year, Rendell signed a state budget on Oct. 9 — 101 days late. —Kimberly K. Barlow n

Kimberly K. Barlow Pitt police visited children at the University Child Development Center Dec. 3 to talk about their work and offer lessons about the use of 911, safe bicycling and car safety. As part of their presentation, officers David Nanz, Michelle McDaniel and Jon Beck talked with UCDC 3-year-olds about dog safety with the help of the department’s explosives detection dog, Officer Riggs.



U N I V E R S I T Y TIMES

Philanthropic twist: Using business concepts to tackle poverty

A broken system Our financial systems and aid systems are broken, Novogratz said in her Dec. 1 talk, “The Future of Philanthropy: Making Markets Work to Serve the Poor,” at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association. “We have an opportunity to reimagine, reinvent and think about what it would take to build a real and inclusive economy.” She argued against the classic economic measures that define poverty in terms of earnings. “Dignity is more important to the human spirit than wealth,” she said, adding that it is essential to move past the concept that poverty equates to earning less than a few dollars a day. “We have to start thinking beyond that and look at the quality of life. What does it mean for us to be agents of our own lives, decision makers, problem solvers? And if we can think in that term, then we wouldn’t be as focused on income as our metric, because certainly it isn’t the only one,” she said. Tr a d i t i o n a l t o p - d o w n approaches to charity and development typically won’t solve poverty, she said. “What we’ve seen increasingly over the past 50 years is too much dependence and too 

many failed systems. And at the same time, the markets alone will not solve problems of poverty,” she said, noting that although nearly 100 million people in China and India moved out of poverty over the past two decades, nearly that many have slipped back into poverty as a result of the recent economic downturn. Equally important, Novogratz said, “We’ve seen the gap between rich and poor widen and it’s clearly not a sustainable world and certainly not an interconnected world.” Novogratz said, “One of my favorite quotes is from Martin Luther King: He says that love without power is anemic and sentimental. And that power without love is reckless and abusive. “My dream for our generation who has seen the ‘love alone’ group not work and the ‘power alone’ group not work is to have the courage and, if you will, the moral wisdom to walk holding love and power simultaneously; to think about what it takes not only to build new economic models, new economic systems where we

used by people in India who lack access to electricity. The $30 lamp can light an entire hut; a smaller, $10 version also is available. Novogratz said 120,000 have been sold in 17 months. Within two or three months, she said, households that have switched from the expensive and dangerous kerosene lamps report 30-50 percent increases in income. • A partnership in maternity hospitals in India that offer more dignity to patients than public hospitals at a fraction of the price of private ones. Nine hospitals are in operation, with the business on track to have 15 by the end of next year. The enterprise soon will be the largest such provider in India. • An ambulance service in India that operates with the underlying aim to build a corruption-free company offering service to all. The company has won several government contracts. “We believe it will be the model for a public-private company to provide services to all people in a way that’s more effective and more

11 locations, with plans to expand to 37 locations by the end of 2010, Novogratz said. “In each of these cases, we’re really starting to see patient capital taking a longer time to get started and then really moving up the Jcurve of showing what’s possible, allowing the imagination, not just for us around what’s possible, but for the poor themselves to think about what they deserve and what they can access.” Novogratz said she pondered the question of poverty as she observed a successful businesswoman in Africa. A former prostitute, the woman received a loan to buy a sewing machine and became a tailor, making a business of converting discarded formal dresses into special-occasion outfits for girls. “Is she poor or isn’t she poor?” Novogratz considered as she watched the woman sell her dresses. She concluded, “What poverty really is about for me is choice: The lack of choice; the lack of freedom — and that really is about the lack of dignity.”

Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of the Acumen Fund, discussed a new vision of philanthropy in a lecture here Dec. 1.

Harold Aughton

S

upporting enterprises that serve the needs of the poor is producing both social and financial results for one international nonprofit whose founder spoke on campus recently. The Acumen Fund’s philanthropic philosophy combines business concepts with charitable aims to fight poverty through the concept of “patient capital.” Patient capital is a strategy of long term, risk-tolerant investment in partnerships and businesses that provide affordable products and services for the poor in developing nations. The New York-based Acumen Fund, established in 2001, uses money it raises from individuals, foundations and corporations to invest in equity or loans to companies or entrepreneurs who view the poor as customers, rather than passive recipients of charity, said founder Jacqueline Novogratz. The fund has invested $40 million — about half in India and the rest in Pakistan and Africa in segments that aim not only to make a financial impact but a social one as well. The nonprofit’s investments in health care, housing, alternative energy, clean water and agriculture have leveraged an additional $170 million from more traditional sources, created more than 22,000 jobs and provided services for tens of millions of people, Novogratz said. Novogratz, who describes the Acumen Fund as “a nonprofit venture capital fund for the poor,” outlined her vision for a new philanthropic philosophy in a forum sponsored by the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership in conjunction with the Swanson School of Engineering, the Center for Global Health and the international executive MBA program at the Katz Graduate School of Business. Philanthropist Sunil Wadhwani, co-chair of Pittsburgh-based IT firm iGate, provided a response.

all have opportunity, but at the end of the day, ultimately and fundamentally to extend the precious proposition on which this country was built: That all men were created equal to every human being on the planet,” she said. Patient capital “The cornerstone of everything we do is called patient capital,” Novogratz said, offering examples of Acumen’s investments and their results: • A partnership in India to develop and market affordable water-saving drip irrigation systems designed for small, individual farms. The company has sold systems to 370,000 farmers, who have seen their yields and incomes double or triple. Patient capital enabled the entrepreneur to build a prototype. “No investors in their right mind would invest in the most riskaverse people on the planet with an unproven technology, knowing that their target market made about $1 a day,” Novogratz said. Another company has been developed to build distribution systems in India and to export the technology to other countries, and a similar company, half-owned by Acumen, has been launched in Pakistan. • A solar rechargeable “DLamp” developed by the design and business schools at Stanford University. The aim is to replace the hazardous kerosene lanterns

efficient than what we’ve seen,” Novogratz said. • Investment in clean-water plants in India. Acumen’s $600,000 investment has been turned into about $40 million in additional capital raised for the company, which now has plants that serve more than 2 million people through 400,000 paying customers in 285 villages. Novogratz said the company won a state contract to expand to 600 branches in the next 18 months. • A partnership in a manufacturer of long-lasting bed nets to fight malaria in Tanzania. The company employs 7,000 and makes 20 million bed nets a year. • Investments in a microfinance bank and low-cost housing initiatives in Pakistan. An Acumen Fund fellow is establishing a forprofit affordable housing company for the poor in that country. • A partnership with an entrepreneur in Kenya who established pay toilet buildings as an alternative to dirty and unsafe public toilets that often are havens for drug deals and prostitution. The firm emphasizes safety and cleanliness, with the toilets featuring uniformed attendants and pipedin music. Some offer showers and additional amenities such as shoeshines or adjacent sundry shops. The profitable enterprise serves 22,000 customers a day at

Response “I’m a huge believer in this approach,” said Sunil Wadhwani, who has been involved in philanthropic efforts ranging from large global nonprofits to tiny charities and non-governmental organizations in India. He agreed with Novogratz’s assessment: “The development world and the aid world is broken,” he said. “There has been no innovation in this field for centuries.” Traditional large aid organizations, which tend to be bureaucratic and inefficient with high overhead costs, represent a model that is not working, he said. Solutions too often are topdown, susceptible to corruption and sometimes are outright scams, he said, adding that it’s hard to know whether donations are getting to the people who need them. He cited his IT company’s own experience in donating outdated computers to charities in India. Often the equipment is held up at customs and released only after the customs officer receives a bribe. “It’s tough to deal with,” Wadhwani said. Added challenges to successful charitable work in developing nations include some organizations’ reluctance to be held accountable or to keep accurate books, making it hard to know if the donations are being well spent, Wadhwani said. Technological

illiteracy may also hinder recordkeeping and accountability. Small charities may say they want to grow, but often don’t know how to expand their organizations. Moreover, sometimes they don’t want to grow, fearing that they will lose control of their operation, he said. “What I love about Acumen Fund and about Jacqueline’s work is it deals with very many of these issues in a very practical, down-toearth way,” he said, praising it as “pragmatic idealism.” He especially admires that solutions aren’t imposed from the outside but are developed locally by people within the community who have insight into what works and what doesn’t. In addition, the Acumen Fund’s approach, using loans and equity investments rather than outright grants, requires that the recipients be accountable and over the long term provide a way for the fund to be sustainable, Wadhwani said. And Acumen’s policy of not only providing funding, but training as well, helps recipients learn how to expand their businesses. “I love the fact that they look for impact. Acumen selects ideas, selects NGOs to work with, selects small companies to work with that have major impact,” he said. Although it may take longer to achieve results, that’s true of any new startup funded by venture capital, Wadhwani pointed out. Such non-traditional approaches are beginning to be noticed by larger aid organizations, he said, although he cautioned that there may be some challenges ahead for Acumen and its peers. Wadhwani said he found it surprising that few of the social venture funds that were started over the past six or seven years have scaled up. “Given the innovation involved in this approach you would expect it would be easy to raise money, you give out more funds, have more money come back from these ventures in which you’re investing and I haven’t seen that scaling up yet.” Wadhwani admitted he didn’t know why that appeared to be the case, but posited that part of the reason could be that no studies have been done to demonstrate that this approach to venture philanthropy or social venture investing is significantly more effective than the traditional approach. The next challenge to smaller groups such as Acumen will come after bigger, traditional charitable agencies adopt similar strategies, he said. “How do you get people to give you money ... when all the bigger guys are doing it too?” The other threat comes from the private sector, which also is active in low-cost “bottom of the pyramid” markets. In spite of the challenges, Wadhwani said he remains supportive of the Acumen Fund’s approach. “It’s not just about a better way of philanthropy, it’s really about daring to dream.” The entire lecture is available online as “Patient Capital for an Impatient World” at http://mediasite.cidde.pitt.edu/mediasite/ Viewer/?peid=76d226cd-6022486e-bae4-9379cb3b10d5. —Kimberly K. Barlow n

DECEMBER 10, 2009

University recognizes long-term staff 40+ years

Long-term staff who reached 20, 30, 40 and 40+ years of employment in 2009 were honored Dec. 4 at the annual recognition ceremony and reception in the William Pitt Union. The lists of names of those staff members with 40+, 40, 30, 20, 10 and 5 years of service were provided to the University Times by the Office of Human Resources.

Office of the Chancellor Bayus, Sandra S. — 44 years Moore, Fred M. — 50

Associate Vice Chancellor Human Resources Gilkes, Nancy — 41

School of Arts and Sciences Austin, Gail — 41 Barr, Cathleen M. — 41 Hunt, Barbara — 41 Tomko, Constance T. — 41 Funtal, Cynthia L. — 43 Henry, Patricia L. — 43

Business Operations Carson, William III — 41 Culley, Russell E. Jr. 41 Erdlen, William E. — 42 Kierzkowski, Russell — 43

Office of the Provost Bates, Roberta M. — 41 Heron, Barbara Repasi — 43 Hoffmeyer, Veronica L. — 43 Kreiling, Delia A. — 43 School of Education Capson, Carol Ann — 42 Bost, Carole A. — 43 Swanson School of Engineering Van Ormer, Cole M. — 42 Victor, Betty F. — 50 Graduate School of Public and International Affairs Schetley, Grace L. — 42 School of Social Work Rinella, Rosemary A. — 41 School of Dental Medicine Watson, Sherman Jr. — 49 School of Pharmacy Haberle, Francis G. — 45 Graduate School of Public Health White, Mary E. — 50

School of Information Sciences Benedek, Theresa — 42

40 years Student Affairs Close, Donna Sue Sosso, Mary L. Office of the Provost Kanarkowski, Rita A. School of Dental Medicine Salvador-Murillo, Rosa M. School of Pharmacy Stofka, Andrea M. School of Medicine Alexander, Henry L. Lovas, Monica T. Margaros, Anna Helen Szalkuski, Christine

University Library System DiClemente, Tina M. Grodsky, Marcia A. Facilities Management Holtzinger, Bernard A. Vaughn, Brenda D.

Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business Hess, Karen J.

Vice Chancellor Budget and Controller Bell, John E. Selzer, Irene

School of Law Salopek, Barbara A.

Business Operations Thomas, Janet D.

30 years Office of the Chancellor Brown, Nancy J. Secretary of Board of Trustees Vasko, Mary Beth Student Affairs Giangarlo, Joyce M. School of Arts and Sciences Harper, Thomas R.  Hicks, Linda I. Nigro, L. Evon

School of Education Harden, Jacquelyn A.

School of Dental Medicine Jones, Candace L.  Mattiko, Linda J.  Salva, Susan G. Graduate School of Public Health Antenucci, Patricia A.  Derkach, Mary M. Hauth, Beth Ann Kenna, Marie E. Sufka, Pamela A. School of Medicine Barry, Matthew R.  Wesoloski, Beth A. University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Michlena, Ronald F.  Wilson, Sharon E. University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Biskup, Janet C.

University of Pittsburgh at Titusville Renn, Audrey M. University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Buchheit, Peter J. University Library System Caler, Clara E. Praschkauer, Inge Stibrik, Mary L. Computing Services and Systems Development Valles, Raul R. Facilities Management Jones, Mary L.  Pahler, Gerald A.  Sampson, Rosa L. Learning Research and Development Center Guzzi, Patsy B. Jr. University Center for Social and Urban Research King, Donna M. Business Operations Bridge, Ronald M.  Dipaolo, Anthony Gasswint, Lisa P.  Marshall, Marcel Mitchell, Alcuin R. Packard, Jack E. Pyptyk-Mcstay, Irene C. Troutman, David J.    

Office of the Provost Hartner, Colleen C.  Mccolloch, Suzanne K.  Sakanich, Lynn A.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

School of Medicine Edwards, Elizabeth A. — 41 Patrene, Kenneth D. — 41 Cicco, Michael A. — 42 Shab, Linda A. — 43 Ellis, Ethel M. — 49 University Center for International Studies Bruhns, E. Maxine — 44 General Counsel Rosenberg, Jerome L. — 56 University Library System Duff, Patricia E. — 41 Lynch, Cathy A. — 43 McEndoo, Bettie R. — 43 Computing Services and Systems Development Novicki, Harry H. — 42 Facilities Management Settles, John T. — 41 English, Charles — 50 Learning Research and Development Center Kraly, Pauline M. — 42 Vice Chancellor Budget and Controller Cafeo, Dianne M. — 41 Ostroski, Linda L. — 41 Mcgettigan, Geraldine L. — 43

Sixteen staffers were recognized for 40 years of service to the University. In attendance to receive their awards were:

Mary Jane Bent/CIDDE

Front row, from left: Janet D. Thomas; Mary L. Sosso; Christine Szalkuski; Rita A. Kanarkowski; Irene Selzer, and Bernard A. Holtzinger. Back row, with Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg are, from left: John E. Bell; Donna Sue Close; Anna Helen Margaros; Andrea M. Stofka, and Henry L. Alexander. 

U N I V E R S I T Y TIMES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

20 years Office of the Chancellor Barca, Joseph Murphy, Daniel J.  Wood, James J.   Young, William K. Secretary of Board of Trustees Donehue, Wendy Ellen Student Affairs Ghion, Diane Lynn Rhody, Marjorie J. School of Arts and Sciences Graham, Lauree Havran, Margaret Anne Machi, Lisa Marie Walker, Donna L.  Wood, Richard Ziolkowski, Debra Ann Office of the Provost Allan, Pamela Jean Burke, James V.  Getsy, Joanne M. Rubinstein, Elaine N. Shaw, John C.  Vega, Linda Ziegler, Sara K. Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business Bednar, Michael C. Kanhofer, Sondra L. School of Education Mulvey, Laurie Aronoff Swanson School of Engineering Bazaz, Rama Bergman, Billie L. Toplak, Robert F. Williamson, Joan L. Senior Vice Chancellor Health Sciences Burke, Susan A.  May, Barbara A. School of Dental Medicine Nomides, Lauren Mae Turner, Martin School of Nursing Podobinski, Gale B. School of Pharmacy Waters, Thomas C. Graduate School of Public Health Buhari, Alhaji M.  Heath, Nancy Lambing Kolodziej, Barbara J. Mcmahon, Mary Eileen Misko, Susan L. Pambianco, Georgia Passano, Elizabeth M.  Snyder, Marilyn Joyce Tomkowitz, Edward M. Zieger, Shirley School of Medicine Beatty, Barbara Catherine Bratetich, Anne Colligan, Joanne Kashur Conway, Susan Marie Dobrich, Constance I. Edwards, Diana Lynn Fertig, Noreen Nestico, Judith C. Nie, Suhua Pantazes, Zachary Rossi, Jeanette D. Wagener, Marilyn M. Williams, Debra Wilson, Robb R.



University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Coffman, Scott W.  King, Linda S.  Miller, Todd D. Prinkey, James C. Trout, Nelson E. University of Pittsburgh at Titusville Andrews, Susan M. Staub, Roger C. University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Dilks, Robert C. Jr. Gregg, Pierre C. Vice Chancellor Institutional Advancement Dragan, Susan Catherine Hlatky, Laraine University Library System Jerin, Margarette Noreen LaMont, Valerie A. Computing Services and Systems Development Brenen, Amy Jo Bucci, Linda Ann Caretto, Joseph Cummings, Cynthia M. Schatz, David Turner, Linda R. Facilities Management Cain, Marie B. Chergi, Theodore J.  Frison, Clarence Frontera, Timothy C. Golvash, Paul J. Mcgowan, Paul Francis O’Connor, John J. Palmer, John R. Scanlon, Thomas A. Wong, Dewi Learning Research and Development Center Day, Kathy Stainton, Catherine S. School of Medicine Division Administration Downey, Sharon L. Petrovich, Paul J. Executive Vice Chancellor Castro Scheirer, Sandra Vice Chancellor Budget and Controller DeNezza, Dianne L. Jarzynka, Terri L. Pavia, Michael R.  Roberts, Cynthia A. Vesco, James Kennedy Business Operations Catone, Joseph M. Dionisio, Julie L. Hackett, Gary L.  Kneib, Paul F.  Kuchta, Paul G. Jr. Manns, Florence P. McKinnon, Marlene M.   Montz, William M. Moran, Ann Nemmer, John F. Quast, Eric T.

Pitt recognizes 10 years Office of the Chancellor Desantes, Lisa Fedele, John Andrew Gibbs, Karen H.  Jones, Christopher W. Lemenager, Michelle S. Mckaveney, Teresa Pascoe School of Arts and Sciences Berry, Linda S. Buhrman, James L. Dean, Patricia A. Dice, Marilyn A. Kannair, Charles D.  Mihailoff, Nick III  Spears, Georgia D.  Whatule, Stephanie L. Office of the Provost Anderson, Marieva B.  Johovic, Kelley Hope Larson, Eric M.  Mcginnis, Tiffany J.  Miller, Carol Mae  Oneil, Colleen M.  Paulson, Mary Theresa Ranieri, Michael Thomas Sciulli, Karen Marie Strosnider, Kellie Jeanne Swift, Harold Eugene Trout, Rachel Anne Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business Kaiser, Sandra J.  School of Education Dick, Doris A.  Harper, Patricia H. Sherlock, Susan Katz Trimbur, Catherine Mary Wilson, Maria R. Swanson School of Engineering Cooper, Timothy J.  Donaldson, Nancy A.  Slagle, Charles Eugene School of Law Jeffries, Meme Chi Mei Senior Vice Chancellor Health Sciences Enrietto, Kathy Mary School of Dental Medicine Angelo, Elizabeth J. Brandon, Carla Ann Burdin, Suzanne Classens, Robert Leonard Kasinec, Nadia Jean Limbacher, Colleen T.  Swedowski, Lisa Rose Whitfield, Debora L.  Williams, Pamela D. School of Nursing Kennedy, Kathleen Thiry, Lori Gaston School of Pharmacy Borrelli, Marcia Graduate School of Public Health Bhambwani, Annette R. Butch, Cheryl Flint Calhoun, Bridget Colleen Colangelo, Linda Henry Donnelly, Carole Ann Harris, Pamela Lynn Johnston, Cindy S. 

Jones, James W.  Kerpedjieva, Radka Iankova Kimak, Mark A.  Lann, Michael F.  Lucchino, Laverne A.  Macey-Kalcevic, Melody Mangan, Judith M.  Mukhopadhyay, Nandita Nesbitt, Lois Jane Protivnak, Darina Sashin, Courtenay A.  Sebula, Nicole M.  Stragand, Juley Anne Yothers, Aaron P.

Stonebraker, Cynthia Marie  Tripoli, Christine Amelia  Vadnais, Julianne  Viaropulos, John  Walker, Jennifer L.  Wietharn, Margaret M.  Williams, Melissa Renee  Wolf-Johnston, Amanda Sue  Zaldonis, Diana

School of Medicine Bengston, Shawn G.  Bowler, Mary Beth Buntain, Jodi Lynn Butch, Mary L.  Caldwell, Betty Ann Carlins, Darius Hudson Coulter, Janet M. Culligan, Emma Louise Culver, Sherman L.  Dedousis, Nikolaos L.  Digiacomo, Kathleen Ford, Sylvia J.  Foster, Gloria J.  Freeman, Miriam Funderburgh, Martha Lou Cunning Ihrig, Lynda L.  Jaworski, Amy Marie Johnson, Carla Jean Klym, Amy H.  Kubic, Crystal Lynn Lincoln, Rhonda A.  Lukcic, Eileen G.  Mangan, Terry L.  Mann, Mary M.  Merranko, Mary Ann Nathaniel, Paula D.  Nero, Elizabeth Ohara, Dorothy A.  Paulson, Patricia Carroll Pealer, Karen M.  Peters, Grant William Peters, Patricia Elizabeth Puchalski, Frank S.  Rice, Kristen Renee Shields, Donna Sue Shirley, Eleanor Edna Singh, Sarita G.  Solarczyk, Jeanne A.  Sours, Emily M.  Stone, Cynthia E. 

University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Keim, Dwight L.

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Ruffing, Joseph K.  Szczepanski, Linda L.

University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Albright, William Frederick Confer, Sheila Elaine Rossman, Carl Albert Jr.  Shuey, Michele Lee University of Pittsburgh at Titusville Bloom, Sue Anne Feily, Stephanie R.  Fowkes, Ronald Earl Neely, Nicole Yvonne Plyler, Kathleen A. University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Anderson, Heidi A.   Buchholz, Michelle L.  Colosimo, Patricia M.   Ellison, Robert J.  Graham, Christina L.   Ibanez, Melissa Jean Nazemetz, Alexander P. University Center for International Studies Knox, Euleda A.  Larson, Carol Ruth Peirce, Gina M. General Counsel Mccarthy, Susan Kay University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Katsur, Alice D.  Kelly, Lori Ann Odom, Dominic T.

DECEMBER 10, 2009

long-term staff Vice Chancellor Institutional Advancement Joshi, Jui M.  Milliren, Jon  Quick, Allison Putnam Sobehart, Christine M.  Zischkau, Barbara Ann Education-University Service Programs Fennell, Ronald L. University Library System Anderson, Delvon Iddings, Daniel Harold Jasneski, Sharon L.  Kirby, James E.  McGill, Margaret P.  Pedrazzani, Petronella J. Computing Services and Systems Development Blatt, Steven Eric Bruno, Michael W.  Kinney, Joseph A. Facilities Management Cole, Edward David Ford, Gerald Gerard Jr.  Hall, Jeremiah Wilbur Henderson, Robert Darnell Johnson, Granville Mccoy, Nathaniel Mcguire, Eric McNelis, Kimberly A. Muska, Alan R.  Oneill, William J.  Papp, David Payne, Tracy Dianne Perry, Michael II Reynolds, Elaine A.  Rogers, Vaughnette Rucker, Celia Thomas, Laverne Vaughn, Antoine M.   Weadon, Lamont Tyrone Weber, Frank Joseph Zahorchak, Joseph F.

5 years

University Center for Social and Urban Research Aivaliotis, Elaine Bissell, Jennifer Kathlyn Zdaniuk, Bozena School of Medicine Division Administration Akers, Christine H.  Bodnar, Jennifer D.  Crnkovic, Jennifer Marie Eubanks, Dorothy J.  Hanbury, Paul W.  Maringo, Robert A. Jr. Moore, Jason T.  Nowicki, Rani Carol Schreiber, Emanuel Morris Executive Vice Chancellor Duval, Keith M.  Slagel, Susan L. Vice Chancellor Budget and Controller Digregorio, Anthony G. Edwards, Louella E.  Gutowski-Budd, Bernice Eleanore Janicki, Jason J.  Lego, Heather Lynn Siniawski, Nilla Maria Winbush, Arlene A. Associate Vice Chancellor Human Resources McCoy, Warren J.  Wincovitch, Jamie Michelle Business Operations Charles, Guy P.  Fennell, Kathleen Mary Halbleib, Sean S.  Joyce, Holly Lynn Mercadante, Felice Ohara, Roslyn Ann Robinson, Clayton Dennis Rose, Alvin T.

Mary Jane Bent/CIDDE

Learning Research and Development Center Artz, Nancy J.  Fussenegger, Eric J.  Laughlin, Michael P.

Athletics Ferris, Christopher Charles Niceswanger, Amy D.  Nock, Jennifer L.  Pendleton, Elizabeth L.  Schoedel, Beth

Kimberly K. Barlow

More than 900 staff members were honored for their years of service to Pitt, including staffers who reached the 5-year and 10-year marks. Longer-term staff members were invited to this year’s ceremony in the William Pitt Union. Honorees included 107 staffers who marked 20-year anniversaries, 44 30-year employees, 16 40-year employees and 44 who reached the 40+ milestone. Above: Charles English of Facilities Management and Fred M. Moore of the radiation safety office are among four staffers marking a halfcentury of employment at the University in 2009. Next year’s event will include a new milestone category in recognition of the growing number of 50-year employees, according to Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Ronald Frisch.

Office of the Chancellor Diril, Maria Lynn Hollabaugh, Kim Renee Holloway, Melanie Ann McFarland, Amy Christine Miklos, Melissa Germaine Ochsenhirt, William D.   Rogers, Hannelore N.  Sangl, Anna M.  Weprich, Thomas M.    Student Affairs  Bonner, Kenyon Robert Cheripka, Erin Michelle Jacob, A.M.  Kyle, Kathleen A.  Weber, Joyce Denise Weston, Gregory Whittaker, Kathleen Marie   School of Arts and Sciences Erkel, Tracie Ann Espino, Jason Fury, Jacqueline Marie Gross, Heather Elizabeth Jones, Joshua C.  Landon, Patricia Ann Lanz, Darlene Gloria Lemmon, LaShanda T.  Lickey, Sara A.  Lisowitz, Alicia A.   Maiers, Russell Regis Migliorese, Kenneth George Orourke, Flannery Erin Otter, Kelly Joyce Provolt, Laura J.  Sinclair, Brandi Marie Truhan, Deborah L.  Weidman, Melissa Ann Grube   Office of the Provost Beu, William J.  Brady, Ashley Britson, Lowell L.  Carosi, Melanie J.  Downing, Kelly Cesaretti Ducruet, Alexander Pelletier Glick, Linnea P.   Johnson, Matt T.   Litzinger, Cheryl L.   Longwill, Leanne Recchia Music, Admir Reft, Jean M.   Schmitt, Andrew H.   Secen, Kathleen Joanne Tuscano, Jennifer L.     School of Arts and Sciences Carroll, Paul John Hopkins, Jean Marie Lander, Stephen L.   Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business Agey, Elizabeth L.   Cecchetti, Gina V.   Hermenault, Patricia Mary Lieb, William W.  Nardiello, Judith Rafferty, Kathleen Ann School of Education Degel, Jessica L.   Fink, Susan Martin French, Barbara Fedison Geibel, Sharon Louise Pristas, Martha J.    

Swanson School of Engineering Demoise, Linda Weigel Gill, Sonia Harvey, Jill Garon Jones, Jackie Lynn Prinkey, Jarad W.   Wisniewski, Kimberly Ann    School of Law Arnstein, Mary K.   Gentille, Phyllis Theresa Walton, Jason M.   Yu, Hong Graduate School of Public and International Affairs Pollack, Ann Lee   School of Social Work Collins-McDaniels, Catherine Danielle Davis, Kathleen A.   Dougherty, William Francis Fraker, Ellen L.   Gilbert, Brandie Marie Marchi, Maryann F.   Minnich, Gail P. Peters, Amy E. Price, Jody L.   Shaffer, Toni Ann Marie Shiffler, Jessica Marie Senior Vice Chancellor Health Sciences Ward, Suzanne Rae   School of Dental Medicine Conrad, Patricia Ann Donahoe, Rosann J.   Gida, Amy L.   Kuzmovich, Michelle L.   Latta, Diane R.   Matthews, Rhonda L. Nelson, John David Jr.   Resick, Judith Morya   School of Nursing Aubrecht, Jill Ann Britten, Joan E.   Bruce, April Darlene Kieda, Carol Elizabeth Lang, Tracey Lynn Roberge, Mary Celeste Russell, Cassandra R.   Senter, Carole Shimko School of Pharmacy Gosney, Roberta Keyes, Michael C.   Koutsavlis, Lucy L.   Rapport, Sarah F.   Shaw, Jan Kuhar Sobchak, Robert E.     Graduate School of Public Health Alcorn, Charles W.   Barron, Justin Michael Benchoff, Catherine Marie Cecchini, Reena Sundry D’Aurelio, Kathleen A.   Dellinger, Sarah R.   Fletcher, Linda L.   Fouse, Michelle Anne Hreha, Judith A.   Jeffries, Susan L.   Junker, Stefanie Pilotte Fiddner Kernan, Peggy Ann Loos, Arnaud C.   Newman, Mark A.   Perkins, Karen Marie Powala Schuck, Patricia Hope Rimer, Carole Kay Scottodiluzio, Jessica Lynn Utz-Kiley, Michelle Elizabeth Walton, Elliott Lamont Yaacob-Ritz, Haniza Mo

School of Medicine Ahmad, Sjarif Aburrachman Aippersbach, Michelle Lynn Albrecht, Ingrid N.   Anderson, Collene E.   Anderson, Miyoshi U.   Anthony, Steven J.   Arbujas Silva, Norma Josefina Badway, Andrea G.   Barthelemy, Lisa Jeanne Benedetti, Mary Louise Blake, Ronette Gabrial Board, Kathryn F.   Bond, Maria Ann Boyden, Marsha Ann Branca, Maria F.   Brandon, Nicole Renee Cardamone, Veronica A.   Carter, Donald M. Jr.  Chavan, Girish Ramesh Chen, Jian  Christoff, Gregory G.   Coast, Mary Catherine Detwiler, Daniel R.   Dobransky, Theresa A.   Donati, Lesa J.   Drewery, Kenneth Fedorowich, Marlane R.   Fitzgerald, Susan Louise Flaherty-Thomas, Celeste Genevieve Fox, Dwight E.   Garrett, Beverly Larue Garver, Jessica A.   Giconi, Sandra Lee Green, Stephanie Griffin, Patricia M.   Grzyb, Melissa Ann Harris, Marla Hegedus, Anastasia Theodora Hulland, Shelley Hussar, Donna Nora Ickes, Lorraine M.   Javor, Michael Edward Kant, Peter Merriam Keenan, Joseph J.   Kerchner, Laurie Jean Kerr, Jennifer L.   Kerstetter, Buffie J.   Kniolek, Laura L.   Lathrop, Kira L.   Li, Yue Hua Liao, Hong Limetti, Kristine M.   Luster, Tienna N.   Maley, Christopher E.   Markuss, Justin T.   Martik, Nicole L.   Mazzacurati, Lucia Michael, Heather Marie Miller, Megan Paige Misplay, Sara Anne Musher, Andrea Elizabeth Nolder, Christi L.   Nys, Julie Palmisano, Catherine H.   Policicchio, Davina Michelle Quirin, Patricia T. Quiroz, Marisol Elena Rago, Lynn Martin Rao, Jayashree Roberts, Robert John Romano, Lia C.   Santelices, Linda C.   Sivrich, Frances L.   Spokas, Laima Strelinski, Susan B.   Strope, Nancy L.   Swartz, Martin E.   Synnott, Mary Taylor, Jennifer Lynn Thomas, Elizabeth Ann Tierno, Mark Lynn Ulanowicz, Hollie Lynn Vita, Tina M.   Weamer, Elise Ashley Welsh, Cynthia N.   Whelan, Nancy B.   White, Pamela M.   Witt, William Thomas Xiang, Wenyu Yang, Yanmei  

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Long-term staff honored CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Cherok, Linda W. Martin, Tonya L. University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Bodenschatz, Susanne Cigich, Patricia A. Gay, Susan Carol Grove, Janet M. Jones, JoAnne M. Lees, Richard D. Sadvari, Andrea J. Shaffer, Todd Andrew Updyke, Matthew D. University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Antal, Jeffrey T. Kerns, Denise A. Kraisinger, Jodi B. Netzel, Stacy Marie Soltis, Linda U.

University of Pittsburgh at Titusville Foley, Paula G. University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Buhite, Leslie A. Demjan, Patricia F. Dennis, Laurie B. Fitzsimmons, Lisa M. Harris, Robert E. Munday, Marsha Lee Perkins, Denise Danyelle Ward, Amy Louise Woodley, Deborah A. University Center for International Studies Whitehead, Jeffrey R. General Counsel Noonan, Patrick T.

Holiday Shopping

from Thursday, December 10th to Friday, December 18th Wrap it Up will feature free gift wrapping from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm from Thursday December 10th through Friday December 18th (excluding Sunday, December 13th). The gift wrapping will take place at 3605 Fifth Avenue except on Saturday, December 12th gift wrapping will be provided at Touch of Gold and Silver Jewelry Store 3800 Forbes Avenue. The event will also feature a free prize giveaway to include an Apple iPod! PLEASE FILL OUT FORM BELOW AND SUBMIT TO A PARTICIPATING ESTABLISHMENT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FREE PRIZE GIVEAWAY

Name: Phone: E-mail:

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University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Dickinson, Richard DiTommaso, Denise A. Flowers, Judith Ann Gangewere, Mary Linda George, Lisa Dawn Hedges, Jeremy A. Myers, Nicole T. Nigam, Archana Nolen, Brian Michael Petrosko, Patricia Sciulli, Christin M. Thompson, Lola Ann Turk, Jo Ann Williams, Thomas H. Jr. Yester, Matthew W. Vice Chancellor Institutional Advancement Kavalukas, Alyson Wallach Keyes, Jacquelyn Suzanne Koza, Carrie A. Kudrick, Mara C. Lippert, Carol A. Zucca, Carey Anne

Education-University Service Programs Clarke, Jennifer L. University Library System Beck, Paul Michael Horbal, Andrew R. McAllister-Erickson, Jonah Yan Yang, Nan Computing Services and Systems Development Bartek, Angela Beth Bollinger, Bruce A. Bowman, Mark Clyde Bratkovich, Jason M. Doroshkevich, Ludmila Gordon, John Robert Jessup, Ronald Michael Johnson, Kevin Francis Keslar, Christopher R. Kohut, Cynthia L. Misho, Celeste Marie OConnor, Brian M. Peck, Anthony S. Regas, Lorie A. Rekitt, Norman R. Jr. Spino, Cristy Stengel, Brian S. Streiner, Justin Matthew Vislocky, Richard J. Vitunic, Joseph S.

Facilities Management Adams, David Cox Allen, Harry Levingstomd Babeji, Jason J. Bigley, Patrick Robert Brownfield-Perkins, Kimberly J. Daniels, Bryant Wilson Davis, Benjamin Grigsby, Canard S. Hoerner, Jennifer L. Paterniti, Mary K. Radakovich, Terri A. Reid, Eric J. Stahl, Jeffrey James Trent, Kathryn L. Wallace, Venatta M. Wilborn, Yvonne Learning Research and Development Center Flotta, Jeffrey Mark Athletics Barto, Paul J. III Duncan, Nora Hilary Patterson, Reed W. Semaia, Penny N. Welsh, Celeste M. University Center for Social and Urban Research Dodds, Angela Bucci Wilson, Olivia L. School of Medicine Division Administration Alford, Jeanette Cashman, Stacy Lee Chalmers, Paula A. Cooney, Marjery J. Dinwiddie, Patti J. Ellis, Delfonte D. Ernst, Dorothy Ann Hassett, Robert P. Henry, Ann M. Hrala, Frederick A. Kapko, Bernadette E. Lydic, Maragret A. Narkevic, Karen D. Reddinger, Julie A. Roskov, Larry S. Scheer, Michael William Verdish, Paula J. Walsh, Barry Gregory Zellars, Karen Donna

Finish your holiday shopping in Oakland, choose from a variety of shops and boutiques! Got Used Bookstore / 3601 Forbes Avenue / 412-687-2780 T- M o b i l e 3 8 0 7 / F o r b e s Av e n u e / 4 1 2 - 6 8 7 - 3 4 3 9 New Balance / 3810 Forbes Avenue / 412-697-1333 Touch of Gold and Silver Jewelry Store / 3800 Forbes Avenue / 412-687-3867 Maggie and Stella's Cards and Gifts / 209 Oakland Avenue / 412-648-1353 Medical Center Opticians / 3524 Fifth Avenue / 412-621-6773 Eureka Bank / 3455 Forbes Avenue / 412-681-8400 Irish Design Center / 303 S. Craig Street / 412-682-6125 Made by Hand / 303 S. Craig Street / 412-681-8346 Buy Back / 3609 Forbes Avenue / 412-687-4715 P e t e r ' s O p t i c a l / 1 2 4 O a k l a n d Av e n u e / 4 1 2 - 6 8 1 - 8 9 1 3

Executive Vice Chancellor Lundy, Jonathan Patrick Vice Chancellor Budget and Controller Carpinelli, Paula A. Daniels, Lisa Janee Johnson, Tammy Sue Koch, Stephen C. Marcej, Rebecca Jean Rodgers, Robert G. Ward, Rosella Marie Associate Vice Chancellor Human Resources Curry, Teresa Elaine Fertelmes, Mary E. Kinavey, Carol Jean Lazar, Maureen L. Pratt, Kathleen Schenck, Marlene D. Business Operations Debellis, Lisa Marie Fields, Arlis Ray Jr. Herman, Nancy L. Holler, Robert L. Huey, David R. Lowe, Joshua Jay McPherson, Carla R. Miller, Bruce W. Munson, Louise M. Rosol, Derek J. Spagna, Matthew B. Stephens, Daneal A. Talvola, Michael D. Thomas, Timothy G. Wiggins, David Anthony

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Transplantation milestone reported

Scientists report in the December issue of the American Journal of Transplantation that they have achieved survival of islet cells and normal glucose regulation without diet restrictions or insulin injections in a diabetic primate for longer than one year. The findings, involving genetically altered islet cells from donor pigs, are an important step toward the potential clinical application of islet cell xenotransplantation, according to senior author Massimo Trucco, director of the Division of Immunogenetics at Children’s Hospital and Hillman Professor of Pediatric Immunology at the School of Medicine. In the study, Trucco and colleagues isolated the genetically altered pig pancreas cells and then transplanted them into several monkeys with diabetes by infusion into a large liver vein. Sufficient numbers of the infused cells survived, resulting in correction of blood glucose levels — without the use of insulin or diet modification — for longer than three months in four out of five subjects. One monkey was followed for more than one year and maintained normal blood sugar levels. The gene manipulation of the cells transplanted by Trucco’s team also may have influenced the antibody-driven rejection response to foreign cells, which reduced the need for immunosuppression to preserve a sufficient mass of islet cells for glucose control over the long term. “Until now, long-term survival of transplanted pig islet cells has not been achieved, clinically or in the laboratory, without significant rejection and other issues,” Trucco said. “Now, we have been able to achieve functionality of transplanted cells, and complete reversal of diabetes, for longer than one year in a monkey.” The islet cells were isolated from genetically altered pigs produced by Revivicor, a regenerative medicine company. The company, of which UPMC is a shareholder, is a long-time collaborator with Trucco. Islet cells from these pigs contain a gene that produces the human version of a cell surface protein called CD46, which plays a key role in modulating an immunological pathway that leads to immediate rejection of foreign cells. Human islet cell transplantation has been performed for approximately a decade to treat patients with type 1 diabetes, in which the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells (a type of islet cell) of the pancreas. Patients with type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day to live, and the vast majority of those who have received islet cell transplants have been forced to return to insulin injections because the transplanted cells lose function within months, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The potential use of donor cells from pigs in human islet cell transplantation also alleviates the problem of lack of pancreases available for transplant, according

to Trucco. Co-authors of the paper included researchers from Erasmus University Medical Center in The Netherlands; Revivicor, and Austin Research Institute in Australia. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Heat resistant nanomaterial developed

A Pitt team has overcome a major hurdle plaguing the development of nanomaterials such as those that could lead to more efficient catalysts used to produce hydrogen and render car exhaust less toxic. The researchers reported Nov. 29 in the journal Nature Materials the first demonstration of hightemperature stability in metallic nanoparticles, materials typically hampered by a vulnerability to extreme heat. Götz Veser, CNG Faculty Fellow of chemical and petroleum engineering in Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering, and Anmin Cao, the paper’s lead author and a postdoctoral researcher in Veser’s lab, created metal-alloy particles in the range of 4 nanometers that can withstand temperatures of more than 850 degrees Celsius — at least 250 degrees more than typical metallic nanoparticles. Forged from the catalytic metals platinum and rhodium, the highly reactive particles work by dumping their heat-susceptible components as temperatures rise, a quality Cao likened to a gecko shedding its tail in self-defense. “The natural instability of particles at this scale is an obstacle for many applications, from sensors to fuel production,” Veser said. “The amazing potential of nanoparticles to open up completely new fields and allow for dramatically more efficient processes has been shown in laboratory applications, but very little of it has translated to real life because of such issues as heat sensitivity. For us to reap the benefits of nanoparticles, they must withstand the harsh conditions of actual use.” Veser and Cao present an

original approach to stabilizing metallic catalysts smaller than 5 nanometers. Materials of this size have a higher surface area and permit near-total particle utilization, allowing for more efficient reactions. But they also fuse together at around 600 degrees Celsius — lower than usual reaction temperatures for many catalytic processes — and become too large. To overcome this, Veser and Cao blended platinum with rhodium, which has a high melting point. They tested the alloy via a methane combustion reaction and found that the composite was not only a highly reactive catalyst, but that the particles maintained an average size of 4.3 nanometers, even during extended exposure to 850-degree heat. And, small amounts of 4-nanometer particles remained after the temperature topped 950 degrees Celsius, although most had become eight times that size. Veser and Cao were surprised to find that the alloy did not simply endure the heat. Instead it sacrificed the low-tolerance platinum then reconstituted itself as a rhodium-rich catalyst to finish the reaction. At around 700 degrees Celsius, the platinumrhodium alloy began to melt. The platinum “bled” from the particle and formed larger particles with other errant platinum, leaving the more durable alloyed particles to weather on. Veser and Cao predicted that this self-stabilization would occur for all metal catalysts alloyed with a second, more durable metal. Their work was conducted with support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, the DOE’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences and the National Science Foundation.

STI research center set up

Researchers at the School of Medicine have received a $12.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish the UPMC Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Cooperative Research Center.

The University Times Research Notes column reports on funding awarded to Pitt researchers and on findings arising from University research. We welcome submissions from all areas of the University. Submit information via email to: utimes@ pitt.edu, by fax to 412/6244579 or by campus mail to 308 Bellefield Hall. For submission guidelines, visit www.utimes.pitt. edu/?page_id=6807. The center will be led by principal investigator Toni Darville, faculty member in pediatrics and immunology and chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital. Scientists in the center will focus their research on the prevention of female reproductive tract complications caused by sexually transmitted infections. Their research, based in the School of Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Children’s Hospital and the Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI), will be funded through a five-year grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “This center will bring together many promising research initiatives already underway at Children’s Hospital and the Magee-Womens Research Institute and is led by scientists with many years of experience leading basic science and clinical research trials related to sexually transmitted diseases,” said Darville, whose laboratory at Children’s Hospital is recognized internationally for its research related to chlamydia infections. “Through our collaboration, we hope to speed the development of interventions that will limit or prevent genital tract disease in millions of women worldwide and ultimately limit ectopic pregnancy and protect fertility.” The research projects will focus on bacterial infections of the female upper genital tract that produce pelvic inflammatory disease. PID is a complication of some sexually transmitted

pathogens, including chlamydia and gonorrhea. It can damage the fallopian tubes and tissues in and near the uterus and ovaries, and can lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy, abscess formation and chronic pelvic pain. The UPMC STI Cooperative Research Center will consist of four projects: • Harold Wiesenfeld, director of the Division of Reproductive Infectious Diseases at the School of Medicine and associate investigator at MWRI, will lead a project that seeks to determine the importance of anti-anaerobic therapy in the treatment of women with PID. • Sharon Hillier, faculty member in obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences, and in microbiology and molecular genetics at the School of Medicine, and director of reproductive infectious disease research at MWRI, will lead a project that seeks to identify novel bacteria that might play a role in the development of PID. • Darville will lead a project to determine the role of Toll-like receptor 2 signaling in innate and adaptive responses to chlamydiae. Toll-like receptor 2 is a protein important in the innate immune system. • Thomas Cherpes, faculty member in obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences and MWRI researcher, will lead a project that seeks to identify the specific lymphocyte-mediated immune responses most strongly associated with protection against chlamydia trachomatis infection and containment of the pathogen to the lower genital tract in a cohort of women at high risk for PID.

GSPH center to analyze environmental threats

The Center for Healthy Environments and Communities (CHEC) at the Graduate School of Public Health will conduct an analysis of the major threats to the environment and health of people who live and work in southwestern Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh Regional EnvironCONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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mental Threat Analysis (PRETA), funded through a $250,000 grant from the Heinz Endowments, will identify these threats throughout the region’s 10 counties. Conrad D. Volz, faculty member in environmental and occupational health and director of CHEC, is PRETA principal investigator. Volz said: “Environmental health encompasses all aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human health. Given southwestern Pennsylvania’s industrial legacy and diverse topography, this kind of analysis is vitally important to the health of residents across the region.”

Study investigators plan to identify and interview key informants from southwestern Pennsylvania about their perspectives of the most important local environmental threats. The data they gather will guide the development of an online survey targeting environmental, regulatory, academic and policy-making organizations in the region. Analyses also will involve scanning and surveying related databases, publications, web sites, newspapers and the monitoring of well-documented regional environmental threats. Data gathered and analyzed will be compared to current regulatory standards and national

norms. Other CHEC faculty and staff involved in PRETA include Ravi Sharma, faculty member in behavioral and community health sciences; Charles Christian, director of operations; Andrew Michanowicz, research assistant, and Samantha Malone, communications specialist.

Gene therapy research continues

Dexi Liu of pharmaceutical sciences has received a two-year $485,889 grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue development of an image-guided hydrodynamic gene delivery system for site-specific gene delivery to the liver that someday could be used in humans. Gene therapy has been studied as an alternative method for treatment of many different diseases, ranging from a single gene defect to complex conditions due to both genetic and environmental factors. However, its potential to provide highly specific, safe and effective treatments can be realized only with development of safe and effective gene delivery system. Liu’s hydrodynamic gene delivery procedure involves the injection of a relatively large volume of saline containing plasmid DNA. Prior research has demonstrated in rodents that the hydrodynamics-based procedure is superior in gene delivery to liver cells. More recent work, using pigs, also has demonstrated that image-guided hydrodynamic gene delivery is highly effective and safe for liver gene delivery. The new study will evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the

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the University community. ADVERTISE in the University Times.

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gene delivery system in baboons in order to establish the hydrodynamic parameters that can be used for development of a computer program to guide gene delivery in humans.

Smokers’ craving, zoning linked

Pitt researchers have found that craving a cigarette while performing a cognitive task not only increases the chances of a person’s mind wandering, but also makes that person less likely to notice when his or her mind has wandered. The research, titled “Out for a Smoke: The Impact of Cigarette Craving on Zoning Out During Reading,” is published in the January issue of Psychological Science.   Pitt psychology faculty member Michael Sayette; Erik Reichle, chair of Pitt’s cognitive program in psychology, and Jonathan Schooler of the University of California-Santa Barbara recruited 44 smokers who each smoked nearly a pack a day and refrained from smoking before arriving at the lab. Participants were assigned at random to either a crave-condition or low-crave group. Those in the latter group were permitted to smoke throughout the study; members of the crave-condition group had to abstain. Participants were asked to read portions of Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” from a computer screen and instructed to press a ZO key if they caught themselves zoning out. Periodically, a tone sounded, and they were asked via the computer, “Were you zoning out?” to which they responded by pressing a “Yes” or “No” key. After 30 minutes, a reading comprehension test was administered. Although both groups were prompted a similar number of times, the people craving cigarettes acknowledged three times as many mind-wandering episodes as those in the low-crave group. But as far as independently recognizing (meta-awareness) that they were zoning out, those who were craving were no more likely to do so than the other group. The cravers had at least three times

Mary Jane Bent/CIDDE Sophomore Lindsay Johnson, daughter of Lori Johnson of dental medicine, was presented with a $200 Staff Association Council endowed book fund award during the long-term staff awards event Dec. 4. Three other recipients were unable to attend. They are junior Brendan Dawson, son of Margaret ClementsDawson of the University Library System; junior Amy Goldstein, daughter of Margie Bachman of the University of Pittsburgh Press, and sophomore Elly Schmitmeyer, daughter of Linda Schmitmeyer of Public Affairs.

as many opportunities to catch themselves zoning out, but did not. They were impaired in their ability to notice their own mindwandering episodes. The findings could be of interest to those who study workplace accidents, where smokers must refrain. The study also offers a new way to examine factors that interfere with learning among college students who smoke and must abstain for extended periods during classes. Sayette said, “Similar to what we found in a previous study about the impaired concentration of people who drank, this ‘double whammy’ (i.e., more zoneouts that take longer to recognize) may explain why craving often disrupts efforts to exercise selfcontrol — a process requiring the ability to become aware of your current state in order to regulate it.” n

Alzheimer-related grants available The Alzheimer Disease Research Center (ADRC) seed monies grant program is seeking proposals for pilot grants to stimulate new research relevant to Alzheimer’s disease. Proposals can range from basic to psychosocial science in methodology, with priority given to novel approaches. Proposed research may involve humans, other animals or in vitro studies. The patient registry, clinical and neuropathological databases of ADRC are available resources for approved proposals. A brief description of the proposed pilot study should be emailed by Dec. 14 to Leslie Dunn, ADRC administrator, at [email protected]. The funding period for the grants is April 1, 2010-March 31, 2011, with $25,000 in direct costs available per project. The application deadline is Jan. 25. Full-time Pitt faculty and post-doctoral fellows are eligible; previous recipients of ADRC seed monies are not. For more information, contact Dunn at 412/692-2731. n

DECEMBER 10, 2009 P E O P L E

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Men’s head basketball coach Jamie Dixon has been named the 2009 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year. USA Basketball, based in Colorado Springs, is the national governing body for men’s and women’s basketball in the United States. Among its members are the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The organization oversees U.S. teams in a number of arenas, including the Olympic Games and the Pan American Games. It also fields men’s and women’s national teams for players 19 years old and younger (U19), as well as a U17 team for players 17 and younger. Dixon’s coached the USA Basketball team that won a gold medal

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at the 2009 FIBA (International Basketball Federation) U19 world championship in July. USA Basketball also nominated Dixon for the U.S. Olympic Committee’s 2009 National Coach of the Year award, which is expected to be announced in January. In his sixth season at Pitt in 2008-09, Dixon guided the Panthers to their first-ever NCAA regional final and “Elite Eight” appearance, the school’s first No. 1 national ranking and the program’s first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He was named the 2009 Naismith National Coach of the Year, college basketball’s most prestigious national award. Carolyn Weisberger Mendelson of the Katz Graduate School of Business has been honored with the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) Distinguished Service Award of 2009. The award

recognizes outstanding work in the area of securities law and investor protection. Mendelson began work with the Pennsylvania Securities Commission in 2004. On behalf of Pennsylvania, she has been a member of NASAA’s 12-state auction rate securities task force which has returned more than $60 billion to investors and $600 million in penalties and fines against Wall Street firms for their marketing and sales practices involving auction rate securities. Mendelson also chairs NASAA’s broker dealer market regulatory committee. Previously, Mendelson was a lawyer in the corporate sector for two Fortune 100 companies; she also has served as an appellate judicial clerk on the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. She

Bradford campus gets 2 new scholarships Pitt-Bradford recently announced two new scholarships — both matched by the Agnes L. and Lewis Lyle Scholarship Challenge — have been established to aid UPB students. The Dr. Rebecca J. Mowrey Excellence in Sport Studies Scholarship will benefit students pursuing careers in the sport sciences. The scholarship was endowed by Mowrey, who served on the Pitt-Bradford faculty for 13 years; her parents, James and Thelma Mowrey, and Holly J. Spittler, associate dean of student affairs, a colleague and friend of Rebecca Mowrey’s. Mowrey, who currently is professor of sport management and director of the graduate sport management program at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, began her professional career as an educator at Pitt-Bradford, where she helped establish the sport and recreation management and sports medicine majors. The scholarship is for a returning senior, junior or sophomore majoring in athletic training, sports medicine or sport and recreation management with a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. Also on the Bradford campus, Pitt alumni David and Dawn Jardini have established a scholarship. The Jardinis are co-founders of

C/G Electrodes in St. Marys, Pa.; David Jardini serves as company president. David Jardini earned his master’s degree in social history at the Pittsburgh campus, where his wife, Dawn Jardini, earned her master’s of business administration degree.

The People of the Times column features recent news on faculty and staff, including awards and other honors, accomplishments and administrative appointments. We welcome submissions from all areas of the University. Send information via email to: [email protected], by fax at 412/624-4579 or by campus mail to 308 Bellefield Hall. For submission guidelines, visit www.utimes.pitt.edu/ ?page_id=6807. has been a licensed lawyer since 1994 and has taught at Pitt since 1996. Mendelson has chaired Pennsylvania continuing legal education forums on financial servicesrelated law. She is the recipient of the Dr. Howard Mermelstein Leadership Award. Edward Krenzelok, Gordon J. Vanscoy Chair of Pharmacy; director of the Pittsburgh Poison Center and Drug Information Center at UPMC, and a faculty member in pharmacy and pediatrics, received the American

Academy of Clinical Toxicology Career Achievement Award. The award is presented to an academy member in recognition of a lifetime of exceptional dedication to and distinction in the field of clinical toxicology. Siobhan Vivian of English was recognized by Kirkus Reviews for her second novel, “Same Difference.” Kirkus named the book one of the best young adult novels of 2009. Inspired by her own high school experiences, Vivian’s novel concerns a 16-year-old girl struggling to define herself during a summer away from home. n

A $1 million gift from Agnes L. Thomas doubles gifts between $5,000 and $50,000 made to new or existing UPB scholarships. For more information, contact the Pitt-Bradford Institutional Advancement office, 814/362-5104 or Joelle Warner, [email protected]. n

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Managing students’ cultural differences CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

they don’t know who can be trusted,” Humphrey said. “They don’t know if they can trust that adviser, that faculty member, that roommate. They’re encountering the realities of their own stereotyping of other cultures.” Students also have to learn that “your skin is not necessarily your kin. Just because somebody looks like you does not automatically mean you can be comfortable [with that person],” she said. “That happens on both sides. White students as well as our students of color deal with that issue. That’s one of the reasons why there’s a division: They don’t understand that the skin is not really what creates a real relationship.” She said other confusing questions confronting college students include: What are the false stereotypes? What are the unspoken rules of engagement? For example, in some cultures, being late is commonplace, Humphrey noted. “Students have to adjust to those unspoken rules.” Moreover, students are confused about how to fit in among other cultures. “What is the school’s commitment to diversity? Students are looking for it in the curriculum, in the artwork, in theatre productions and in personnel. They’re looking for it as signs they belong here,” Humphrey said. Moving from theory to practice at Pitt First, Humphrey said, Pitt trains its Student Affairs staff in diversity issues and teaches them that diversity has value. “Our counseling staff is extremely diverse, and we’re pleased with that, so that students can go to someone they feel comfortable with to talk about some of these issues,” she said. “At Pitt, we encourage all students to take risks and include people who don’t look like them in their activities and to seek opportunities to learn about other

14

cultures,” Humphrey said. As an example, Pitt is developing a program of alternative spring breaks, where students become immersed in another culture for a week, “as opposed to popping into a workshop or a lecture for an hour and popping out again,” she said. Pitt also encourages forming cross-cultural relationships. “Why are all students in one group sitting together in a cafeteria? It’s because they’re not comfortable enough to cross those lines. In our orientation courses we talk about that. How do you enter into conversations with people who are very different from you?” Humphrey said. “Then after we talk about how to do it, we send them out and they come back and talk about how it went. Sometimes, a student will come back and say, ‘I just couldn’t do it. I was just too afraid.’ “Why were you too afraid? This gives us a great opportunity to talk about that,” she said. “We also talk with students about the issues I mentioned earlier: anger, isolation, loneliness, fear and confusion. We know if we don’t deal with these issues on the college campus, the students will take them to the workplace,” Humphrey said. “We inform every student about our institutional values in the very first session of orientation. We have every student say the Pitt Promise,” a code of honor oath that commits the student to principles of civility, mutual respect, self-restraint, concern for others and academic integrity, she said. “One of the goals for our students is that before they graduate they become globally and culturally competent and aware. We ask them to attend the learning opportunities in this area all through their college experience, especially through the outside the classroom curriculum [program]. Cultural awareness is a very

important piece of that puzzle. We try to encourage students to relate cross-culturally and the message is: There are rewards for doing that,” Humphrey said. Two years ago, Pitt opened the Office of Cross-Cultural and Leadership Development, with offices for more than 20 student groups of all kinds. “What we wanted to do is create a center where students would have to communicate cross-culturally, with everybody. So every race, every group we put in that suite,” she said. “We created it that way as opposed to being a haven for

under-represented students.” Pitt also offers virtual communities for entering freshmen to get to know their roommates prior to arriving on campus, Humphrey said. “At the request of some students, last year we created a multicultural living-learning community. We’re constantly asking students: How can we make your cultural group more comfortable on campus?” she added. “There is something here for everybody. We have over 1,000 programs where students can interact and we encourage

students to do that. We try to get different culturally based organizations to program together,” Humphrey said. “We talk about respecting cultural norms. For example, we provide a prayer space for our Muslim students. We have awareness weeks all year long. We have created all these mechanisms to help them connect and to find their community. We try to create a warm, nurturing environment for under-represented students so that they know they belong to the community.” —Peter Hart n

Pitt and the nine other member institutions of the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education have opposed the tax as illegal under state law, and have argued that pursuing voluntary contributions from the city’s nonprofits and/or developing “other funding streams” is the appropriate alternative to taxing students. In a Dec. 2 letter to the mayor, Chancellor Mark Nordenberg argued against the tuition tax as “an undue burden on a single, particularly vulnerable, group.” Stating first that he was not speaking for any other group, Nordenberg wrote, “It is my sense that leaders from [the higher education, broader nonprofit and business community groups] would welcome the opportunity to become actively engaged in a unified approach to secure the revenues essential to meet these long-standing obligations, whether through an increase to the local services tax or in some other way.” (The local services tax is $52 a year for those employed within the city’s boundaries.) The chancellor warned, however, that “it is impossible for us to become involved in the joint pursuit of such alternatives as long as the ‘tuition tax’ is being advanced through the legislative processes of the city. Instead, as long as that proposal is being pursued, all of our energies necessarily will be directed toward defeating it and protecting our students. ...

Please remove that proposal from the council’s agenda so that others can join forces with you.” Pitt also has launched an antituition tax marketing campaign featuring testimonials from Pitt students about what they already contribute to the city’s coffers, as well as Internet banner ads denouncing the tuition tax. In addition, Pitt’s Graduate and Professional Student Assembly has posted an online petition on its web site (www.gpsa.pitt.edu/studenttax.php) for those who wish to protest the tax. As of Dec. 9, the petition had registered 2,292 online “signatures.” To date, City Council, the mayor and the universities have not budged from their respective positions, which likely will prompt a legal battle if the tuition tax proposal is enacted, Pitt officials have said. q Meanwhile, on Monday state Rep. Paul Costa (D-34) introduced legislation to prohibit taxing tuition statewide. Costa’s bill has 30 co-sponsors. “My first proposal would prohibit the tuition tax outright,” Costa wrote to colleagues in the Pennsylvania House Nov. 20. “The second portion of the package would require that any increased taxing legislation considered by municipalities must pass by a two-thirds vote rather than by a simple majority.” Reacting to Costa’s proposal, Ravenstahl said on Dec. 7, “We intend to, of course, vehemently oppose Rep. Costa’s bill, and will ask the residents of the city to do so as well.” On another commonwealth front, state Sen. Wayne Fontana (D-42) and state Rep. Tim Solobay (D-48) plan to introduce legislation designed to allow cities and municipalities to draw revenue from tax-exempt properties. The legislation, which is expected to be introduced this month, proposes to give municipalities the option of continuing agreements with tax-exempt property owners for voluntary contributions, or to impose a fee based on the total square footage of their properties. Last month, a similar proposal initially passed by Allegheny County Council to assess an “essential services fee” on county tax-exempt properties was vetoed by Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, whose counter proposal is to seek voluntary contributions from the county’s nonprofits beginning with the county’s 2011 budget. —Peter Hart n

Council delays vote on tuition tax CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The state-appointed Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, which oversees the city’s finances, rejected the mayor’s proposal on the grounds that the new tax did not have prior legislative authority. The city has to have a balanced budget in place by Dec. 31. Ravenstahl has pulled the tuition tax proposal from his revised 2010 budget, but continues to pursue separate passage by City Council of the tuition tax proposal for future budgets. The tax proposal initially was set for the first of two required votes on Dec. 2, but that was postponed until Dec. 9 at the request of the universities, and further postponed yesterday at the request of the mayor, who said he had engaged in productive talks with local university presidents. Council members voted 5-3 to delay action until Dec. 16, according to the city clerk’s office. All nine City Council members have weighed in on the tuition tax, with a bare majority, 5-4, saying they will support it reluctantly unless viable alternative funding streams are approved. Council member Ricky Burgess, who favors the tax, said passing it provides leverage to force the universities into discussions of alternatives to the tuition tax. “We can [amend] it so the bill doesn’t go into effect until July 1, and that will give everybody six months to negotiate alternatives,” Burgess said at the Dec. 2 council meeting.

DECEMBER 10, 2009

Deadlines

C A L E N D A R CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

Men’s Basketball Vs. Mt. St. Mary’s; Petersen, TBA

Sunday 20 • Residence halls close. • Winter recess through Jan. 5 for students, all schools. Music Performance IonSound; Bellefield aud., 7 pm

Tuesday 22 • Fall term grades must be approved by instructors by 5 pm before final posting can begin. Men’s Basketball Vs. Ohio U; Petersen, 7 pm

Thursday 24 • Winter recess through Jan. 3 for faculty & staff; designated Univ. offices, including major responsibility centers & research projects, will be staffed as necessary during this period.

Monday 28 Men’s Basketball Vs. DePaul; Petersen, 7 pm

Tuesday 29 Women’s Basketball Vs. Duquesne; Petersen, 2 pm

Thursday 31 Women’s Basketball Vs. Mt. St. Mary’s; Petersen, 1 pm

January Monday 4 • All Univ. offices & buildings reopen.

Tuesday 5

Renal Research Seminar “O’Brien Overview,” Thomas Kleyman & John Johnson; F1145 Presby, noon

PhD Defenses A&S/Hispanic Languages & Literatures “Can Silence Speak? Reading the Marginalized Woman in Three Novels of Female Development,” Leah Strobel; Dec. 10, 1528 CL, 2 pm GSPH/Behavioral & Community Sciences “Evaluating Patient Medications & Complementary Therapies Documentation: Comparative Analysis of Sources, Discrepancies & the Potential Impact of Errors on Patient Care,” Tammy Mah-Fraser; Dec. 14, 226 Parran, 1 pm A&S/Chemistry “Synthetic Studies on Haouamine A,” Chenbo Wang; Dec. 16, 325 Eberly, 2 pm Engineering/Bioengineering “Developing Instrumentation for Multi-Parametric Investigation of Mechanisms of Mechanosensitivity in Ion Channels,” Kalpesh Upadhye; Dec. 18, 306 Bridgeside Point, 2 pm

Exhibits Nationality Rms. Holiday Displays CL; Taped tours weekends through Jan. 10, except Dec. 27 & 28, Sat. 9 am-2:30 pm, Sun. 11 am-2:30 pm; Dec. 27-31, 10 am2:30 pm, first-come, first-served guided tours (4-6000)

Barco Law Library Exhibit “Spin Art Meets Photographic Art” by Michael Rosella; through Jan. 22, M-Th 7:30 am-11:45 pm, F 7:30 am-8 pm, Sat. 10 am-8 pm, Sun. 10 am-11:45 pm (8-1376) Falk Library Exhibit “Opening Doors: Contemporary African-American Surgeons”; through Jan. 28, M-Th 7 ammid., F 7 am-10 pm, Sat. 9:30 am-10 pm, Sun. 9:30 am-mid., Falk Library, Scaife African-American Alumni Council Exhibit “Then & Now: A Historical Exhibition of African-American Progress at the University of Pittsburgh”; through Feb., Hillman Library ground fl. lobby, reg. library hours

EUCE Faculty Research Grant Application deadline is Dec. 11. (info & application procedure: www.ucis.pitt.edu/euce/faculty/ index.html) Salvation Army Hat & Glove Donations Donations requested for the Salvation Army Christmas dinner for the homeless & needy; deliver hat & glove sets to 710 Alumni by Dec. 14. (4-7702) ADRC Seed Monies Grant A brief description of the proposed pilot study should be emailed to Leslie Dunn at [email protected] by Dec. 14; application deadline is Jan. 25. (info: 412/692-2731) Greensburg Campus La Cultura Dinner Advance ticket deadline Dec. 15. (info: 724/836-7497) UCIS-EUCE Faculty Fellowship for Fall 2010 or Spring 2011 Deadline is Jan. 15. (info & application procedures: www.ucis.pitt. edu/euce/faculty/index.html)

University Times Books, Journals & More Supplement Submissions for annual supplement due Jan. 31. Submit online at http://www.utimes. pitt.edu/?page_id=8465. (info: 4-4644) Dick Thornburgh Forum on Law & Public Policy Faculty Grant Proposals due Jan. 31. (info & application procedure: jak49@ pitt.edu) GSPIA Johnson Award for Best Paper in Ethics, Accountability & Leadership Submissions due April 2. (info: www.johnsoninstitute-gspia. org/research.asp or 8-1336)

Event Deadline The next issue of the University Times will include events of Jan. 7-21. Information for events during that period must be received by 5 pm Dec. 23 at 308 Bellefield Hall. Information may be sent by fax to 4-4579 or email to [email protected].

A HOLIDAY REMINDER FROM THE OFFICE OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

All faculty, staff and students are reminded to turn off computers, radios, copiers, printers, fax machines, automatic coffee machines, lights & other items in their area before leaving for Winter Recess. Please take a moment to shut these items off. This will help reduce University utility costs and lessen the potential for physical damage to this equipment.

Facilities Management thanks you for your consideration and wishes you a Happy Holiday!

)DON6FKRRO. 4060 Allequippa Street • Pittsburgh, PA 15261

On the campus of the University of Pittsburgh

• Residence halls open. Basic & Translational Research Seminar “Distinct Roles of E2F Transcription Factors & the Retinoblastoma Tumor Suppressor Pathway in Progenitor & Differentiating Cells,” James Pipas; Cooper Conf. Ctr. classrm. D, noon Health Services Research Seminar “Body Mass Index, Neighborhood Fast Food & Restaurant Concentration & Car Ownership,” Sanae Inagami; 305 Parkvale, noon

Wednesday 6 • Spring term registration period ends; classes begin. Clinical Oncology & Hematology Grand Rounds “Recent Advancements in the Management of Childhood Brain Tumors,” Ian Pollack; Herberman Conf. Ctr. 2nd fl. aud., 8 am

Applications now being accepted for all grade levels for the 2010-11 school year. School tours by appointment. Call 412-624-8024. Child-Centered Quality Education since 1931.

University of Pittsburgh falk-school.org



U N I V E R S I T Y TIMES Health Services Research Seminar “Life Adversity as a Correlate of Cardiovascular Risk,” Danielle Beatty; 305 Parkvale, noon Pitt Communicators Session “Forging New Alumni Connections,” Mimi Koral, Pitt Alumni Assn., & Jasmine Hoffman, IA; IA offices lower level conf. rm., 128 N. Craig St., noon-1:30 pm (4-5821) Pharmacology & Chemical Biology Seminar Guillermo Calero, structural biology; 1395 Starzl BST, 3:30 pm

C A L E N D A R

December

• Deadline for continuing students to register for spring term without penalty.

Thursday 10 EOH Seminar “Sensing Danger in Sterile Inflammation,” Allan Tsung; 540 Bridgeside Point, noon Endocrine Research Conference “DNA Repair, NAD+ Biosynthesis & Autophagy: A Coordinated Process Governing DNA Damage Induced Cell Death & Survival,” Robert Sobol; 1195 Starzl BST, noon Epidemiology Seminar “Policy Advocacy & the Public Health Researcher,” Maggie Potter; A115 Crabtree, noon Biostatistics Seminar “Using a Case-Crossover Design to Assess Injury Patterns in Wheelchair Occupations in Motor Vehicles,” Thomas Songer, epidemiology; A115 Crabtree, 3:30 pm Geology & Planetary Science Colloquium “American Geophysical Union Mtg. Practice Talks,” G&PS grad students; 203 Thaw, 4 pm REES/Humanities Lecture “The Industry of Truing: Socialist Realism, Reality, Realization,” Petre Petrov, Princeton; 501 CL, 4:30 pm African Studies Film “Where the Water Meets the Sky”; 4130 Posvar, 5-7 pm (48143) Global Health Film “Pandemic: Facing AIDS”; A115 Crabtree, 6-8 pm



SBDC Workshop “The 2nd Step: Developing a Business Plan”; Mervis, 7:30-10 am (8-1542) Ctr. for Philosophy of Science Workshop “Emergence & Reduction in the Sciences”; 817R CL, 9 am (also Dec. 12 & 13; info: www. pitt.edu/~pittcntr; registration: [email protected]) WPIC Meet the PI Lecture “Lost in Translation: Risk, Epidemiology & Alzheimer’s Disease,” Mary Ganguli; Detre 2nd fl. aud., 11 am-12:30 pm Medical Education Grand Rounds “Collective Competence? Rethinking the Discourse of Competence in the Context of Teamwork,” Lorelei Lingard, U of W. Ontario; Scaife 4th fl. lecture rm. 3, noon (8-9000) Sr. VC’s Research Seminar “New Frontiers in Structural Biology: X-Ray Studies of Macromolecular Complexes,” Guillermo Calero, structural biology; Scaife aud. 6, noon Information Sciences Colloquium “Studying Science From LargeScale Usage Data: An Overview of the MESUR Project,” Johan Bollen, IN U; IS, 1 pm



Saturday 12 • Reading day.

Friday 11 • Last day for fall term undergrad day classes.

• CGS, Sat., grad & evening classes continue to meet through Dec. 19. Final exams should be held during the last scheduled class meeting. CGS Info Session McCarl Ctr. 4th fl. CL, 10 am (4-6600) Men’s Basketball Vs. Kent State; Petersen, 2 pm European Studies Lecture “Religion Unbound: Converting Transnational Communities in America & the Hapsburg Empire, 1890-1914,” Joel Brady, religious studies; 3703 Posvar, 3 pm Women’s Choral Ensemble Holiday Concert Heinz Chapel, 8 pm (4-4125)



Monday 14 • Final exam period for undergrad day classes through Dec. 19.



Tuesday 15 GI Fellows Educational Program “Journal Club: Population-Based Studies, Assessing Risk,” Su Min Cho; M2 conf. rm. Presby, 7:30 am Johnson Inst. SW PA Regional Equitable Development Summit “Going Regional on Addressing Blighted & Abandoned Properties”; 20th Century Club, 8:30 am-12:30 pm (412/258-6642) Osher Lifelong Learning Inst. Open House 4th fl. CL, 10 am-noon (47308)

TIMES

publication schedule Events occurring

Submit by

For publication

Jan. 21-Feb. 4

Jan. 14

Jan. 21

Feb. 4-18

Feb. 18-March 4 March 4-18

March 18-April 1 April 1-15

April 15-29

April 29-May 13 May 13-27

May 27-June 10 June 10-24

June 24-July 8 July 8-22

July 22-Sept. 2

Dec. 23 (Wed.) Jan. 28 Feb. 11

Feb. 25

March 11

March 25 April 8

April 22 May 6

May 20 June 3

June 17 July 1

July 15

• $8 for up to 15 words; $9 for 16-30 words; $10 for 31-50 words.

• All other ads should be accompanied by a check for the full amount made payable to the University of Pittsburgh. • Reserve space by submitting ad copy one week prior to publication. Copy and payment should be sent to University Times, 308 Bellefield Hall, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh 15260.

Feb. 4

SANTA BABY! Shiny gold 2001 Sebring LX convertible for sale. 6-cyl. automatic; AM/FM, A/C; 130K mi. Fun car; runs well. Inspected through Feb. 2010. $3,795. 412/759-2554.

March 4

March 18 April 1

April 15

April 29 May 13

May 27 June 10

June 24 July 8

July 22

Friday 18 Faculty Development Workshop for Medical Educators “Bedside Teaching,” Hollis Day; Scaife lecture rm. 3, noon



Saturday 19 • Fall term ends; official date for degrees awarded for fall term.

C L A S S I F I E D

• For more information, call Barbara DelRaso, 412/624-4644.

Feb. 18



CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

Jan. 7

Information submitted for the calendar should identify the type of event, such as lecture or concert, and the program’s specific title, sponsor, location and time. The name and phone number of a contact person should be included. Information should be sent by email to: [email protected], by FAX to: 412/624-4579, or by campus mail to: 308 Bellefield Hall. We cannot guarantee publication of events received after the deadline. 16

Clinical Oncology & Hematology Grand Rounds “Larynx Preservation: Lessons Learned & Future Directions,” Arlene Forastiere; Herberman Conf. Ctr. 2nd fl. aud., 8 am Multidisciplinary Thyroid Cancer Conference “Controversies in Prophylactic Central Compartment Lymph Node Dissection for PTC,” Linwah Yip; 1195 Starzl BST, 8 am Pathology Research Seminar “Profilin-1: Pro- or Anti-Migratory?” Partha Roy, bioengineering; 1105 Scaife, noon (8-1040) PACWC Happy Hour UClub bar, 4-6 pm GI Grand Rounds “Endoscopic & Radiologic Unknowns,” Vinay Sundaram, Julie Holinga, Elie Aoun & Bridget Clarke; 11 Scaife, 5 pm

Thursday 17 Emergency Medicine Grand Rounds “ED Eye Stuff Made Easy,” Evan Waxman; “NSAIDs Review,” Robert Kaliappan & Clare Wallner; “Morbidity & Mortality Conference,” John Sangl; 230 McKee Pl. 5th fl. classrm. A, 8 am-noon HSLS Workshop “Advanced PowerPoint for Presentations,” Sam Lewis; Falk Library classrm. 2, 10 am-noon ADRC Lecture “Palliative Care in Alzheimer’s Disease: Selected Topics,” Robert Arnold, palliative care & medical ethics; S439 Montefiore ADRC conf. rm., noon (412/692-2700) Epidemiology Seminar “A New Look on HIV Infection & Aging,” James Becker; A115 Crabtree, noon Greensburg Campus Lecture Thomas Ogoreuc, US Steel Co.; Ferguson Theater, UPG, 5:30 pm

Wednesday 16

• For University ads, submit an account number for transfer of funds.

UNIVERSITY

Jan. 7-21





FOR SALE

HOUSING/RENT

SQUIRREL HILL Lg. 1-BR apt. Separate office, full bath, W&D, integral garage, W/W, A/C, ample closet space. Convenient to universities/hospitals. 6 or 12 mo. lease required. $690/mo. + gas & electric. Email [email protected] for details & pictures. PARKING

OAKLAND OFF-STREET PARKING 1 block from Forbes. $95/mo. Robb RE: 412/682-7622.

SUBJECTS NEEDED

POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN Caucasian, Asian or Hispanic women wanted for a 3-month osteoporosis study. Must qualify by having low bone density on screening DXA Scan. 5 study visits at UPMC Montefiore. Requires daily injections of either an approved or investigational drug for osteoporosis. Contact coordinator @ 412/864-3266 or endoresearch@ dom.pitt.edu.

Buy it, sell it, find it in the

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SERVICES

ELDER LAW—ESTATE ATTORNEYS Michael H. Marks & Associates. Elder law; nursing home/Medicaid cost-of-care planning; wills; POAs; trusts; probate & estate administration; real estate. Squirrel Hill: 412/421-8944; Monroeville: 412/373-4235; email: michael@ marks-law.com. Free initial consultation. Fees quoted in advance. Personal & informative. HOUSING/SALE

MUSIC LESSONS Private piano lessons for busy people. It’s never too late! Downtown. 412/642-2920.

Call

412/624-4644.