Vice Provost for Graduate Studies
Office of the Provost

April 25, 2019

Dear Graduate and Professional Students,

From April 1–5, the University celebrated National Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week by hosting events for international scholars, student leaders, fellowship recipients and their advisors, doctoral students, and professional graduate students and their families. I enjoyed meeting many of you and some of your families and learning about your current work and future plans. The Three Minute Thesis Competition was especially fun, and the participants all did an outstanding job in communicating the essence of their thesis work to a broad and diverse audience.

In the final week of the semester, I am happy to see graduate and professional students dressed in their regalia taking pictures around campus. This year’s graduate Commencement Ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, at the John M. and Gertrude E. Petersen Events Center. Chancellor Patrick Gallagher will officially confer this year’s master's, professional doctoral, and doctoral degrees, and County Executive Rich Fitzgerald will deliver the commencement address. Two of your peers―Lashon Blackwell and David Givens―will speak on behalf of the professional and graduate students. They share their reflections on their time at Pitt in this newsletter. 

To all the graduates: Congratulations on completing your degree! I wish you continued success in your academic and personal pursuits. The Pitt community looks forward to the realization of your next steps. Please stay connected via the Pitt Alumni Association.

To all the continuing students: I wish you sustained progress toward your degrees and hope you are taking advantage of all Pitt can offer you. I hope that for many of you the summer will provide somewhat of a change of pace. I know that when I was a graduate student the summer seemed a bit less hectic and allowed me more time for in-depth discussions with my mentors and other students.

This newsletter highlights just some of the recent accomplishments of our students. Know that the Pitt community is very proud of all of your talents and achievements. Regardless of how you plan to spend your summer, remember to find an opportunity to take time for yourself and for your wellness.

UNIVERSITY-WIDE NEWS

Graduate Student Union Election Update and Thank You

On Friday, April 26, the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board will announce the results of the election. At this time, they will either certify the outcome or decide if additional proceedings are necessary. When this happens, we’ll email eligible voters the results and post them online.

To everyone who engaged in the graduate student union election by voting, asking questions, attending information sessions, and sharing their ideas and concerns: Thank you.

The road to the election week hasn’t always been easy, but it has reminded me that:

1. Our students are remarkable.
   We’ve spoken often about the graduate student experience at Pitt. During these conversations, you were passionate, articulate, and thoughtful—and didn’t always agree. Yet, you remained committed to your beliefs, this University, and each other.
2. We still have work to do.
   You have shared many concerns and ideas for improvement—and these conversations will continue. Together, we’ll keep making progress.
3. We all want a quality experience for our graduate students.
   We may have different ideas on how to get there, but we’re all working toward the same goals.

Regardless of the final vote count, it’s worth reiterating that both the University and I will remain dedicated to supporting all graduate students. So, keep asking me questions, stop by during my office hours, and bring me your ideas. I'll update you in this monthly newsletter. Together, we’ll keep working to create the best Pitt possible.

Counseling Center Services

Jay Darr, Pitt’s new Counseling Center Director, spoke to The Pitt News recently about changes he is already implementing and plans for expanded services beyond Nordenberg Hall.

2019 Graduate Student Commencement Speakers  

What are your post-graduation plans? 
I plan on continuing my current work directing a public health project here in Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health. I am very fortunate to be a part of a talented and caring group working to address the HIV epidemic in our state. Specifically, one program I am looking forward to developing further is increasing our state’s HIV outreach messaging to more faith-based organizations. 

Did you have a mentor or advisor who made a difference for you through your graduate training here at Pitt?
I am really fortunate to have had a number of people who have mentored me in various ways. Some I found through our department: Dr. Rachel Kranson was a wonderful source of advice and encouragement—both professionally and from a more personal standpoint after my wife and I became parents. My advisor, Dr. Paula Kane, was a continuous source of information and motivation, always prompting my thinking in new ways or suggesting new resources or contacts for my work. She was also very patient with my full-time job, and I will always be extremely grateful for all her support and understanding. But the mentor who influenced me the most was the one who recruited me into my current job. Dr. Tony Silvestre, in the Graduate School of Public Health, led by example, putting our academic knowledge and skills to practical use serving our communities. Specifically, he taught me constructive, supportive methods for assisting marginalized communities in making their voices heard and actualizing their choices for their identities, health, and futures.

Is there anything else you would like to share with your fellow students? 
I would encourage everyone—no matter how busy or overwhelming things seem—to take the time to nurture friendships and connections in your life. I’ve lost colleagues, friends, and professors to illness, violence, and suicide during my years here. Please never be afraid to reach out to others—friends, family, found family, coworkers, or your cohort and fellow students. We’re always stronger together!

Did you have a mentor or advisor who made a difference for you through your graduate training here at Pitt?
Dr. Amy Srsic has been truly a godsend the entire time that I have been at Pitt. Dr. Srsic called me after receiving my application for a different program and talked to me for over an hour to make sure I was in the program that fit my goals for life. She helped me change that major and worked with me through the transition into the program. I remember needing to register for classes and being in communication with her. I went into labor and without hesitation she finished everything for me. She told me to focus on AJ and she'd make sure everything else was handled. Since these moments, she has advocated on my behalf, not thought twice about AJ needing to come to class with me, and checked in on me as a student, as a mother, but, most importantly, as a person. In any field, it is important to see people as a whole person. Dr. Srsic has always seen, validated, and loved on all of Lashon and AJ. I am so grateful for her.

What advice would you have for incoming graduate students?
You can do this. You are entering the University of Pittsburgh because you have done your research and you know this is the place that will guide you and shape you into who you need to be, and you are correct. You are entering graduate school because you have found an issue in life that needs solving and you know that you have what it takes to find the solution; once again you are correct. Here you will meet like-minded people who are at Pitt to change the lives of others just like you; collaborate and be secure in the fact that you are in the right place, at the right time, with the right people to do exactly what you want to do! Best of luck!

GRADUATE STUDENT ACCOLADES

Six Graduate Students Receive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships and Seven Receive Honorable Mention
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships (GRFP) provides up to three years of support for outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in fields within NSF’s mission.

Graduate students who received NSF-GRFP are:

• Tiffany Lynn Betras, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Ecology
• Shirley Duong, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Developmental Psychology
• Samantha Fontaine, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Evolutionary Biology
• Charles D. Griego, Swanson School of Engineering, Chemical Engineering
• Dulce Maria Mariscal Olivares, Swanson School of Engineering, Bioengineering
• Esther Esmeralda Palacios-Barrios, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Developmental Psychology

Another seven graduates received honorable mention:

• Sommer Anjum, Swanson School of Engineering, Bioengineering
• Sarah L. Aghjayan, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Clinical Health Psychology
• Anthony Travis Bogetti, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Chemical Theory, Models and Computational Methods
• Kevin Christopher Cassidy, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Biophysics
• Nick Chehade, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Neurosciences
• Mattheus De Souza, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Macromolecular Chemistry, Supramolecular Chemistry, and Nanochemistry
• Julia Sarah Feldman, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Developmental Psychology

Note that two Pitt seniors won NSF-GRFP awards and one Pitt alum received an honorable mention.

Receipt of an NSF Fellowship award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students and to their faculty mentors and advisors. It is also one of the most highly recognized indicators of early success in a scientific research career. The University is committed to increasing support for future NSF-GRFP applicants through the application process, so look for more updates in fall 2019. Learn more about the NSF-GRFP.

Three Minute Thesis Competition Winners
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition celebrates the exciting research conducted by our doctoral students and was part of Pitt’s Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week. Developed by The University of Queensland, 3MT supports students’ capacities to effectively explain their research in three minutes, appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

Nathan Urban presents checks to Piyusha Gade, Gerald Ferrer, and Jacqueline Lombard (left to right).

Please congratulate the following doctoral students who placed in this year’s 3MT Competition held on April 1:

FIRST PLACE winning a $1,000 travel award: Piyusha Gade, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Swanson School of Engineering
Rational Design of Vascular Grafts in Aged Hosts

“It was great fun trying to sum up 5 years’ worth of work in 3 minutes! As scientists, we often talk only about the details of our work. 3MT made me think about what the details add up to. That was a lot of fun!”

RUNNER UP and PEOPLE’S CHOICE winning a $1,000 and a $500 travel award: Gerald Ferrer, Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering
Improving Rotator Cuff Tear Treatment Decisions

“I loved [hearing] all the presentations given at the 3MT. I became more aware about the various challenges in our society and the great research being done at Pitt to address these problems.”

RUNNER UP winning a $500 travel award: Jacqueline Lombard, History of Art and Architecture, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
Constructing Racial Identity in Medieval European Art

“…as a Humanist, I felt some need to pitch not only the importance of my own individual work but also the importance of the Humanities as a field, which is a real challenge when you only have so little time. I’m sure, however, that this won’t be the last time that will be necessary, so 3MT was good practice.”

The 3MT was sponsored by the Office of the Provost – Graduate Studies, the University Center for Teaching and Learning, and the University Library System.

OFFICE OF THE PROVOST – GRADUATE STUDIES  

National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD): NCFDD is designed to help graduate students successfully complete their dissertation and be successful in academia. You can register for access to webinars, Monday Motivator, and the 14-Day Writing Challenge. The Office of the Provost supports an institutional membership for the University, so you can register at no cost to you. The Provost Office hosted a panel on NCFDD that includes our faculty members talking about their use of NCFDD. View the recorded session.

Graduate Student-Organized Interdisciplinary Workshop Grant from the Office of the Provost – Graduate Studies: Two students from the Pitt Science Policy Group received funding to organize a Science to Policy: The Opioid Crisis workshop held on April 19, 2019: 

• Mondraya Howard, doctoral student in Molecular Virology and Microbiology, School of Medicine 
• Eileen Wong, recent PhD graduate and current post-doctoral associate in Molecular Virology and Microbiology, School of Medicine

The event featured the Honorable Dan Frankel, PA House of Representatives of the 23rd Legislative District (which includes Oakland and surrounding neighborhoods) and Dr. Janice Pringle from our School of Pharmacy. Frankel described how David’s Law was created and passed in Pennsylvania to prevent opioid overdoses, and Pringle presented an overview of the current situation and research of the opioid crisis in Pennsylvania.

Provost’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring
The Provost’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring annually recognizes outstanding mentoring of graduate students seeking a research doctorate degree. Join me in congratulating the 2019 awardees.

• William Layton, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Mathematics – Layton provides his students personalized guidance on all aspects of research and professional development to help them achieve their goals.
• John Markoff, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Sociology – Markoff helps students achieve their employment outcomes by carefully preparing letters of recommendation for fellowship and job applications and by coaching them on their job talks.
• Michael Sayette, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Psychology – Sayette continually talks to his students about their scholarly interests and career goals and, when needed, shifts research project assignments or finds students teaching opportunities.
• George C. Tseng, Graduate School of Public Health, Biostatistics – To help each student achieve their desired career outcomes, Tseng outlines meaningful goals, such as publications, collaborations, and communication skills, and tracks their progress.

GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDENT GOVERNMENT (GPSG)

Congratulations to the 2019 GPSG Leadership and Service Award Winners

• Kelsey Cummings, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Film Studies PhD program – Cummings has helped build an important sense of community, in particular with underrepresented populations in Pittsburgh.
• Camille Davis, School of Medicine, MD program – Davis has been engaged in international service work, particularly in Haiti.
• Christy Taylor, School of Medicine, MD program – Taylor has helped marginalized groups recognize their potential.
• Rachel Vinciguerra, School of Social Work, MSW program – Vinciguerra has provided extensive leadership service with an emphasis on supporting fellow graduate students.

Rachal Coombs, Kelsey Cummings, Christy Taylor, Rachel Vinciguerra, and Nathan Urban (left to right)

Thank you to the 2018–2019 GPSG Executive Board

• President: Rachel Coombs, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
• Vice President of Communications: Crystal Taylor, School of Medicine
• Vice President of Finance: Yashar Aucie, Swanson School of Engineering
• Vice President of Programming: J. Stephanie Rose, School of Computing and Information
• Vice President of Committees: Jennifer Enriquez, School of Social Work

During this past year, the Executive Board worked with fantastic student leaders across the University. To all those who dedicated their time this past year as Assembly Board representatives or as elected student body leaders: thank you for your time and effort!

Congratulations to all GPSG officers, Assembly Board representatives, and student body leaders who are graduating this spring!

Congratulation to the 2019–2020 GPSG Executive Board

• President: Rachel Coombs, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
• Vice President of Communications: Crystal Taylor, School of Medicine
• Vice President of Finance: Yashar Aucie, Swanson School of Engineering
• Vice President of Programming: J. Stephanie Rose, School of Computing and Information
• Vice President of Committees: Christy Taylor, School of Medicine

OFFICE HOURS

My next monthly office hour is on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, 4–5 p.m., in 809 Cathedral of Learning. No appointment is necessary. I welcome the opportunity to answer questions and discuss graduate studies at Pitt.

Nathan Urban
Vice Provost for Graduate Studies

Graduate resources: www.gradstudents.pitt.edu
Updates and News: provost.pitt.edu/students/graduate-studies
Follow: @PittGradStudies
Facebook: PittGradStudies 
E-mail: VPGraduate-Urban@pitt.edu