Dear Graduate and Professional Students,

I hope you have been enjoying the beautiful snow in Pittsburgh and are staying warm as the semester gets started. I’d like to extend a warm welcome to graduate and professional students who are beginning their programs at the University of Pittsburgh this term and welcome back continuing students.  

For most of you, in-person classes and activities will start today, Thursday, January 27. Some graduate and professional programs have already begun meeting in person. If you have questions about classes in your program, please contact your advisor or program director.

A great way to get to know other graduate students and take advantage of all that Pitt has to offer is by taking part in free events and activities across the University. Below you will find a range of upcoming events that may interest you. I encourage you to engage with the excellent programs and events Pitt is hosting in honor of Black History Month, which is celebrated annually during the month of February. Events range from social gatherings for students to scholarly webinars and distinguished speakers. 

In addition to my monthly messages and the Graduate Studies website, the Graduate Studies Twitter account is a great place to get notifications about events, professional development opportunities, fellowships, student achievements and other relevant information for graduate and professional students. To encourage you to follow and share news from @PittGradStudies, we are sponsoring a prize giveaway via Twitter from Monday, February 7, through Sunday, February 13, 2022. One student will win a collection of University Store prizes. As more students participate by retweeting, additional prizes will be added. Be sure to encourage your friends and classmates to participate so that the prize pool increases! Keep an eye on @PittGradStudies for more details.

My February office hour is on Tuesday, February 15, from 3 to 4 p.m., and I hope you will take the opportunity to sign up for a one-on-one conversation with me.

As always, I wish you a successful, safe and productive term!

Graduate Students of Color: Research Show and Tell, Monday, January 31, 2022, 4-5 p.m.: For 30 years, Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh have partnered to bring together graduate and professional students of color to help build community. In January, several students from both universities will talk about their current research projects. Register here to join the informal online conversation and to meet others.

Wednesday Monthly Coffee, February 2, 2022, Saxbys in the Cathedral of Learning: Join your fellow graduate and professional students on the first Wednesday of each month for a free cup of coffee, courtesy of the Pitt Alumni Association. Additional information will be emailed to your Pitt account. Future dates and locations are: March 2 at Bottom Line Bistro in Mervis Hall; April 6 at Saxbys in Hillman Library; and May 4 at Morning Grounds in Scaife Hall.

University of Pittsburgh's K. Leroy Irvis Black History Month Celebration, February 2022: A catalogue of Black History Month University-wide programs is available on the University calendar, which continues to be updated. This year’s K. Leroy Irvis Black History Month program–Blue, Gold, & Black: Reflections of the Black Pitt Experience through the Years–will feature a cross-generational panel of Black Pitt community members reflecting on their Pitt experiences in the midst of volatile racial climates as well as the preview of the new living digital archive meant to capture and curate the Black Pitt experience through the years.

Haben Girma: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law, Wednesday, February 2, 2022, 4:45 p.m.-6 p.m.: The first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma is a human rights lawyer advancing disability justice. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change. Register here to join the Florence Gibbs Momeyer Endowed Lecture featuring Haben Girma.

Assessment and Teaching Conference, Friday, February 18, 2022: Save the date for the virtual 10th annual Assessment and Teaching conference. New information including registration will be added to the webpage regularly. In the interactive keynote address from Dr. Claire Howell, participants will learn what student engagement is and explore ideas for promoting it in their own courses.

Advising and Mentoring Summit, Friday, March 4, 2022: Register for the virtual Mentoring and Advising Summit: Inclusive Excellence in Mentoring and Advising. Workshops focusing on mentoring graduate students and postdocs will be offered. The schedule and speakers will be added to the web page soon.

Black Excellence Service Award Nominations Due January 28, 2022: This inaugural award celebrates Black community members affiliated with University of Pittsburgh who are making significant contributions to the community through their time, actions, talents, and dedication. Nominees must either be a current or former Black student, faculty member or staff member of the University, and self-nominations are welcomed. All submissions should be made through this Google form.

Provost’s Dissertation Year Fellowship for Historically Underrepresented Doctoral Students, applications due March 4, 2022: The fellowship provides dedicated time for PhD students to work full-time on finishing their dissertation during the last year of doctoral work. View the Provost’s Dissertation Year Fellowship for complete details including eligibility and the application process.

LGBTQIA+ Research and Outreach Endowed Fund, applications due February 15, 2022: This is a new resource for Pitt graduate and undergraduate students conducting research relating to LGBTQIA+ Studies, including, but not limited to, research projects, internships, travel to conferences/seminars, on-campus involvement and volunteerism. Awards range from $500 to $1500. Apply through PittFund$Me, where you can search for the name of the fund.

Call for Candidates for 2022-2023 GPSG Executive Board

GPSG is calling for candidates for its 2022 Election NOW! The call for candidates window is open from January 26–February 25, 2022. All graduate and professional students who are accepted to begin or who are enrolled during the Fall 2022 semester are eligible to apply.

Available positions include President, Vice President of Committees, Vice President of Communications, Vice President of Finance, and Vice President of Programming. This opportunity is open to all University of Pittsburgh graduate and professional students regardless of prior experience in student government or graduate student organizations. Officer positions are eligible to receive a stipend, contingent upon University policy.

For more information or questions, please contact GPSG at gpsg@pitt.edu.

Furthermore, you can follow GPSG on Facebook and Instagram @pittgpsg for details and updates.