Academic Accolades AY 2018-2019

Gill-Peterson Wins Lambda Literary Awards Prize

Julian Gill-Peterson, an assistant professor in the Department of English, received top honors in the category of Transgender Nonfiction during the 31st Annual Lambda Literacy Awards in June.


Hall Receives Outstanding Educator Award

Martica Hall, professor of psychiatry, psychology, and clinical and translational science, recently received the Mary A. Carskadon Outstanding Educator Award for excellence in education related to sleep and circadian research.


Meriney Receives Neuromuscular Disease Research Grant

Pitt’s Stephen D. Meriney has received one of 26 The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) grants for rare neuromuscular disease research.


Runyan Named Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences

Caroline Runyan, assistant professor of neuroscience, has been named a Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences by The Pew Charitable Trusts.


Swan Receives Award from President of Poland

Oscar E. Swan, professor in the department of Slavic Languages and Literatures and advisor for the Polish minor, was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit from the Republic of Poland.


Delitto Appointed Member of National Advisory Council

Anthony Delitto, dean of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, was appointed as a member of the National Advisory Council for Complementary and Integrative Health.


Blain Wins Book Prize

Keisha N. Blain, associate professor in the Department of History, was awarded the annual Berkshire Conference of Women Historians Book Prize for “Set the World on Fire: Black Nationalist Women and the Global Struggle for Freedom.”


Chair of Religious Studies Receives AAJR Grant

Adam Shear, associate professor of history and associate professor and chair of religious studies, is part of a team of scholars who received a Special Initiatives Grant from the American Academy for Jewish Research.


Mpourmpakis Earns Prestigious Grecian Award

Giannis Mpourmpakis, assistant professor of chemical engineering at the Swanson School of Engineering, was honored with the Bodossaki Award in the Applied Chemical Sciences.


Rogers Inducted as Fellow of the ACSM

Renee J. Rogers, assistant professor in the Department of Health and Physical Activity in the School of Education, was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine.


Kinloch Elected Vice President of NCTE

Valerie Kinloch, the Renée and Richard Goldman Dean of the School of Education, has been elected vice president of the National Council of Teachers of English.


Pinsky Becomes Society Fellow

Michael Pinsky, professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, has been elevated to the rank of APS Fellow by the American Physiological Society.


13 Pitt Alumni Receive Fulbright Scholarships

A record-breaking 13 Pitt alumni won Fulbright scholarships in 2019, shattering the University’s historical record of 11 recipients that was set in 2015.


Jakicic Wins Prestigious ACSM Citation Award

John Jakicic, chair of the Department of Health and Physical Activity in the School of Education, received the Citation Award from the American College of Sports Medicine.


Hornyak Recognized as Geriatrics Teacher of the Year

Victoria Hornyak, assistant professor of physical therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, recently received the 2019 Geriatrics Teacher of the Year Award from the Pennsylvania Geriatrics Society — Western Division.


Gaskew Appointed to NCAA Committee

Tony Gaskew, professor of criminal justice at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, has been appointed to a three-year term on the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee.


Cooper Joins Hall of Inventors

Rory A. Cooper, director of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, was recently honored with his U.S. Patent and Trademark Office inventor trading card and portrait.


Ressin Receives Udall Scholarship

Sam Ressin, rising senior in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, is one of only 55 college students out of 443 nationwide candidates to receive a 2019 Udall Scholarship.


Runyan Wins Searle Scholarship

Caroline Runyan, assistant professor of neuroscience, has been named a 2019 Searle Scholar—one of 15 young scientists selected for recognition this year.


Chaves-Gnecco Named 2019 Pediatrician of the Year

Diego Chaves-Gnecco, associate professor at the School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics, has been named Pediatrician of the Year by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania Chapter.


Iordanova Funded for Research Gender in Alzheimer's Disease

Bistra Iordanova, assistant professor of bioengineering, received a $25,000 award from the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center to examine gender in onset and progression of AD.


Staggenborg Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

Suzanne Staggenborg, chair of the Department of Sociology, has been honored with the John D. McCarthy Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Scholarship of Social Movements and Collective Behavior from the University of Notre Dame Center for the Study of Social Movements.


Four Earn 2019 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships

Four Pitt students have been named recipients of the 2019 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships, which support outstanding students who are pursuing careers in the fields of engineering, mathematics, and the natural sciences.


Smith Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

Peg (Margaret) Smith, a professor emerita of mathematics education and a senior scientist in the LRDC, has been awarded a 2019 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Lifetime Achievement Award.


Blain Awarded Best Book in African American Women’s and Gender History

Keisha N. Blain, assistant professor in the Department of History, received the 2019 Darlene Clark Hine Award from the Organization of American Historians.


Dostilio Named First Research Fellow for CUMU

The Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) has named Lina Dostilio CUMU’s first research fellow.


Feng Xiong Receives NSF Grant for Conversion Method for Heat Energy

Feng Xiong, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Swanson School of Engineering, and Jonathan Malen, professor of mechanical engineering at CMU, received a $500,000 National Science Foundation award to develop a thermoelectric semiconductor using tungsten disulfide to convert waste heat into energy.


Researchers Earn NSF Grant for Autism Therapy Development

A University of Pittsburgh research team recently received a $550,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a new brain-computer therapy method to help people with autism.


Bamyeh Elected President of Arab Council for the Social Sciences

Mohammed A. Bamyeh, professor of sociology, was elected president of the Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS) during its fourth conference this April.


Ganguli Receives Distinguished Scientist Award

Mary Ganguli, professor of psychiatry, epidemiology and neurology in the Department of Psychiatry, was honored with the 2019 Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry .


Sweet Honored By American College of Psychiatrists

Robert Sweet, a UPMC Endowed Professor in Psychiatric Neuroscience and Professor of Neurology and Clinical and Translational Science, was given the Award for Research in Geriatric Psychiatry.


Larkins-Pettigrew Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, an adjunct professor at the School of Medicine, will be honored with the Gateway Medical Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award.


Starr Wins Beinecke Scholarship

Undergraduate student John R. Starr has been awarded a Beinecke Scholarship worth $34,000 in support of his graduate education.


Quigley Named PA STEM Ambassador

Cassie Quigley, an associate professor of science education in the School of Education, has been named a 2019 Pennsylvania STEM Ambassador.


T-Cell Project Awarded Major Funding

Gary Kohanbash, assistant professor of neurological surgery and director of the Pediatric Neurosurgery ImmunoOncology Laboratory (PNIO) received funding from the Brain Tumor Funders’ Collaborative for his work on anti-tumor T-cells.


Datta Receives DoD Award to Design Biochemical Marker Technology

Moni K. Datta, assistant professor of bioengineering at the Swanson School of Engineering, received a $300,000 award from the Department of Defense for development of new cardiomyopathy diagnostic technology.


Three Faculty Members Recognized for Teaching Excellence

Julie Beaulieu, Geoffrey Glover, and Jeffrey Wheeler have won the 2019 Tina and David Bellet Teaching Excellence Award, honoring exceptional undergraduate teaching in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences.


Martin Wins Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award

Dawn Lundy Martin, a professor in the Writing Program in the Department of English and director and cofounder of the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics, is the recipient of the prestigious Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award for 2019.


Carla Ng Receives $500K NSF CAREER Award

Carla Ng, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Swanson School of Engineering, received a five-year, $500,000 NSF CAREER award to research per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances.


Nachega Recognized by African Science Institutions

Jean Nachega, associate professor of epidemiology and infectious diseases and microbiology in the Graduate School of Public Health, recently received recognition from two Africa-based science organizations.


Rodakowski Receives $3 Million from NIA

Juleen Rodakowski, assistant professor of occupational therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, recently received over $3 million from the National Institute on Aging to support aging study.


Kinloch Named 2019 AERA Fellow

Valerie Kinloch, dean of the School of Education, was named a 2019 American Educational Research Association fellow.


Wallace Named Fellow of AASWSW

John Wallace, Dave E. Epperson Chair and Professor of Social Work, has been named a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.


Costello Begins Tenure as Medical Association President

Bernard J. Costello, dean of the School of Dental Medicine, has begun his year as president of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association.


Kovashka Receives Funding from Amazon Research Awards

Assistant professor of computer science Adriana Kovashka recently received funding from the Amazon Research Awards for her project studying how objects foreshadow film plots and explain advertisements.


Russell Receives $1.4 Million Grant to Improve Schools

Jennifer Russell, associate professor in the School of Education and research scientist in the LRDC, was awarded a $1.4 million grant from the Gates Foundation for her project "Conceptualizing and Measuring Network Health in the Networks for School Improvement Initiative."


Ming-Te Wang Receives APA Award

Ming-Te Wang, associate professor in the School of Education and the Department of Psychology, and a research scientist in the LRDC, received the 2019 American Psychological Association Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contributions to Psychology.


Kavalieratos Honored for Work in Palliative Care

Dio Kavalieratos, assistant professor of medicine, palliative care and medical ethics, and director of implementation research for the UPMC Palliative and Supportive Institute, has been awarded the 2019 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Early Career Investigator Award.


Yu-Ru Lin Receives Funding from Adobe Research

Associate Professor Yu-Ru Lin recently received a funding from Adobe Research which not only supports her work in data science and computational social science but will also help strengthen the collaboration between Adobe Research and School of Computing and Information.


Fullerton Research Earns NSF Funding

Susan Fullerton, assistant professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at the Swanson School of Engineering, recently received the $540,000 CAREER Award for her research in super-thin “2D” materials.


Evans Receives Lifetime Contribution Award

John H. Evans III, the Katz Alumni Professor of Accounting and professor of business administration, received the 2019 AAA Lifetime Contribution Award for his 40-plus years of research and teachings of key management accounting issues and other contributions to the profession.


Engineering Team Wins Award for Brain Data Research

The National Science Foundation BIGDATA program awarded $1.2 million to a research team led by the Swanson School of Engineering to study data of complex brain disorders and design algorithms to address computational challenges in multi-site collaborative data mining.


Murphy Earns ‘Educator of the Year’ Honor

Emily Murphy, assistant professor and clinical coordinator in the Physician Assistant Studies Program, won the Pennsylvania PSPA's Physician Assistant Educator of the Year Award.


Petek Honored by American Chemical Society

Hrvoje Petek, R.K. Mellon Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has received the ACS's Ahmed Zewali Award in Ultrafast Science & Technology.


Leland Named Gerontological Society Fellow

Natalie Leland, an associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, has been named a fellow of The Gerontological Society of America.


Balaban and Team Report on Havana Embassy Phenomenon

Carey Balaban, professor of otolaryngology in the School of Medicine, and fellow authors released their findings on symptoms reported by U.S. diplomats stationed in Cuba.


3 Professors Named AAAS Fellows

The American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) has appointed professors James Woodward, Jeremy Levy, and Adam Leibovich as members of its 2018 lifetime fellowship cohort.


Pitt Alumna Petrose Named 2019 Rhodes Scholar

Lia Petrose (A&S ’17), who earned degrees in neuroscience and economics at the University of Pittsburgh, has been named a 2019 Rhodes Scholarship winner.


Fullerton Receives Chemical Sciences Award

Susan Fullerton, assistant professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at the Swanson School of Engineering, was one of five recipients of the 2019 Marion Milligan Mason Award for Women in the Chemical Sciences.


3 Pitt Researchers Named to National Academy of Medicine

Amy Houtrow and Robert Friedlander, of Pitt’s School of Medicine, and Clifton Callaway, of Pitt’s Department of Emergency Medicine, were recently elected to the National Academy of Medicine.


Associate Professors Lee and Farzan Receive NSF Award

Adam Lee and Rosta Farzan, associate professors in the School of Computing and Information, received more than $280,000 from the National Science Foundation for privacy work.


Epidemiologist Cauley Wins Prestigious Service Award

Jane A. Cauley, distinguished professor and executive vice chair of the Graduate School of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology, has received the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2018 Shirley Hohl Service Award.


Two Female Faculty Members Recognized for Research

Professor Diane Litman and Associate Professor Yu-ru Lin were named among 39 women doing amazing research in computational social science.


Binion Wins 2018 Sherman Prize

David Binion, professor of medicine and co-director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, was recently awarded the 2018 Sherman Prize.


Three Pitt Researchers Win NIH Awards

Peter Strick earned the Transformative Research Award, while Warren Ruder and Erik Wright each won NIH Director’s New Innovator Awards. Read more.


Allias Named Distinguished Fellow of AAPA

Mary Allias, assistant professor in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, has been recognized as a distinguished fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.


Engineering Pair Awarded NSF Grant

Swanson School of Engineering Professors Samuel Dickerson and Renee Clark pick up two-year, $200,000 NSF grant.


Pringle Earns Grant for New Program

Janice L. Pringle, professor in the School of Pharmacy, received a grant to develop a curriculum for a program to be used by the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to train First Responder Champions.


Harms Awarded AATG/Goethe-Institute Certificate of Merit

Viktoria Harms, lecturer in the Department of German, has been recognized for outstanding achievement in furthering the teaching of German in schools of the United States.


Sant Receives Cancer Research Grant

PittPharmacy faculty member Shilpa Sant has received an award from the National Cancer Institute funded by the NCI under the Cancer Tissue Engineering Collaborative research program.


Asher Receives ICORS Raman Lifetime Award

Chemistry Professor Sanford Asher is the recipient of the 2018 International Conference on Raman Spectroscopy (ICORS) Raman Lifetime Award.


Kinloch Receives NCTE Leadership Award

Valerie Kinloch, the Renée and Richard Goldman Dean of the School of Education, received the 2018 Advancement of People of Color Leadership Award from the National Council of Teachers of English.


Elliott Receives 2018 Sulzman Award

Emily Elliott, an associate professor in the Department of Geology and Environmental Science, is the recipient of the American Geophysical Union's 2018 Sulzman Award for Excellence in Education and Mentoring.


Islam Awarded $650,000 from NSF to Study Cell Lineage

Kabirul Islam, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry, recently won a three-year $650,000 grant from the Molecular and Cellular Biosciences area of the National Science Foundation.


Litman Awarded Research Grant from Institute of Education Sciences

Diane Litman, director of the Intelligent Systems Program, professor in the School of Computing and Information, and senior scientist at the Learning Research and Development Center has been awarded a research grant from the Institute of Education Sciences to study undergraduate STEM education.


Swanson School Pair Receives Gilliam Fellowship

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has selected PhD student Emily Ackerman and her thesis adviser Jason Shoemaker as one of 45 doctoral student-adviser pairs to receive a 2018 Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study.


Pitt Cyber Announces First Awardees of Accelerator Grants Program

Pitt's Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security has announced the first 10 awardees of the first cycle of its Accelerator Grants Program.


Thompson Receives GWIMS Leadership Award

The Group on Women in Medicine and Science honored Ann E. Thompson, MD, Vice Dean of the School of Medicine, with its 2018 GWIMS Leadership Award for an Individual.


Hesselbein Global Academy Celebrates 10 Years

The Hesselbein Global Academy for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement brought students from 15 countries to Pittsburgh for a four-day Student Leadership Summit in July.


Tan Wins Grant to Research Blood Vessels in Kidney

Roderick Tan, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Renal-Electrolyte at Pitt’s Department of Medicine, has been awarded the 2018 Edith H. Blattner Grant Young Investigator Grant.


Glorioso Awarded $500,000 to Advance Melanoma Vaccine

School of Medicine faculty member Joseph Glorioso is among the recipients of a 2018 Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy research grant.


Bedewy Awarded $330,000 National Science Foundation Grant

Mostafa Bedewy, assistant professor of industrial engineering at Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering, was awarded $330,000 by the National Science Foundation to better understand and control the internal structure of nanotube-based materials for emerging applications.


Mpourmpakis Named Emerging Investigator by American Chemical Society

The American Chemical Society (ACS) Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data named Giannis Mpourmpakis, assistant professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, an “Emerging Investigator.”


Brandom Named Fellow of the British Academy

Robert Brandom, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Philosophy, has been named a Fellow of the British Academy.