IT News for Pitt Faculty & Staff (April 2025)
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Tech Tips for Trouble-Free Travel
As temperatures rise, you may be gearing up for summer travel. Whether you’ll be doing on-site research or just enjoying some well-earned rest and relaxation, keeping your devices safe while traveling is essential for a stress-free journey. We have your tech checklist for before, during, and after your trip.
- Before You Go: Get travel tech accessories, back up critical documents, save passwords and account info in LastPass, and inform family, the Post Office, and credit card companies about your trip.
- Safety While Traveling: Beware of public Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and outlets; use a VPN; and protect tech from heat, sand, and water.
- When You Get Back: Post about your travels, change your passwords, scan for viruses, and back up your pics.
Explore more about traveling with technology as your trusted companion.
Alert: Falcon Babies Coming!
On Jan. 10, staff from Pitt IT, Facilities Management, and the National Aviary braved -10°F weather to perform nest and camera maintenance for another season of FalconCam. Now, Carla and Ecco, the peregrine falcons who make their home atop Cathy, have begun their mating season. Carla laid four eggs from March 16 to 25, and hatching is expected in late April. Watch the FalconCam live.
Advanced CyberCamp 2.0
Pitt Cyber is pleased to offer a 3-day Advanced CyberCamp 2.0 for high school students who have previously attended both our Standard and Advanced CyberCamp. The free program runs from June 23-25 and will focus on advanced cybersecurity tactics. Submit your child's application by April 7.
Microsoft Learn for Educators: Foundational AI Bootcamp
Friday, April 18, at 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Friday, May 2, at 9 a.m. – Noon
Friday, May 9, at 9 a.m. – Noon
Faculty are invited to take part in hands-on training to increase their capacity to deliver AI skills in the classroom and to prepare students for jobs that are in demand today. The training consists of three sessions. Learn more and register.
Share Your Feedback on the Pitt IT 10-Year Horizon
Pitt Information Technology's 10-Year Horizon is an aspirational guide and strategic roadmap for Pitt IT in support of the Plan for Pitt. It provides the agility we need to meet looming challenges and seize new opportunities in uncertain times. We invite you to read the Horizon and share your feedback through a brief online survey. The Horizon is a working document that will benefit greatly from your perspective.
AIpril Fools - Voice Cloning
AI voice cloning is the worst prank ever. With just a few seconds of an audio clip, scammers can replicate the voice of friends, family, or coworkers to trick you into sending money or revealing passwords. Create a secret word with your loved ones or coworkers that you can use to differentiate between reality and scams! Another safeguard is to switch to a video call to verify their identity. Learn more.
Panther Bytes to Nibble On
Check out these bite-sized blogs about tech topics you should know.
LinkedIn Learning: Bite-Sized Courses with a Big Impact
All Pitt faculty and staff have access to the full range of LinkedIn Learning courses at no cost. Here are some of the newest and most popular courses on the platform.
- How to Have Productive One-on-One Meetings
- Animating an AI Image
- AI Trends
- Data Visualization: A Lesson and Listen Series
Beyond Basic PowerPoint Slides: Adding Visual Variety
