Academic Years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025
The Year of Discourse and Dialogue
Higher Education as a whole has been at a forefront of engagement around respecting divergent viewpoints—and the right for various viewpoints to find opportunities for expression. As a public university, we must and do uphold the principles of protected speech and expression. That is a tradition and an expectation as old as the University itself—and it lies at the heart of free and open inquiry and academic discourse.
Let us continue to travel along this critically important path together as a community of learners. Through this theme the University seeks to probe ways to harness the power of differing views and perceptions to enrich our campus community.
Visit the Year of Discourse and Dialogue website.
- Year of Discourse and Dialogue will continue into 2024-25, University Times, April 1, 2024
- Extension of the Year of Discourse and Dialogue, Interim Provost Announcement, March 28, 2024
- Year of Discourse capstone event will showcase funded projects, University Times, March 21, 2024
- Projects funded by Year of Discourse and Dialogue announced, University Times, January 25, 2024
- Clyde Pickett Named New "Year of" Co-chair, Interim Provost Announcement, December 7, 2023
- Year of Discourse and Dialogue means talking to each other and listening, University Times, October 20, 2023
- Discourse and Dialogue will be theme for 2023-24, University Times, April 27, 2023
- Read the Provost Announcement: Announcing the Year of Discourse and Dialogue
Past Years
Academic Year 2022-2023: The Year of Emotional Well-Being
This theme offers an opportunity to engage collectively with a focus on restoring and enhancing our emotional well-being. The pandemic certainly has underscored the importance of fully supporting the emotional welfare of students, faculty and staff as everyone navigates the new terrain. This is a time of burgeoning research and collective reflection on our emotional needs and the qualities that make for a good life. Undoubtedly, our Year Of topic will also yield learnings that better people's lives well beyond the boundaries of the University.
- Fourteen projects funded by Year of Emotional Well-being, University Times, February 4, 2023
- Year of Emotional Well-Being events, website coming soon, University Times, October 6, 2022
- The Year of Emotional Well-Being coming for 2022-23, University Times, April 28, 2022
- Read the Provost Announcement: Announcing the Year of Emotional Well-Being
- Year of Emotional Well-being website
2021-2022: The Year of Data and Society
A focus on data and society is ideal for a university setting because this is where we gather together to research, analyze and try to better understand, and improve the world around us. Data science now permeates education, government, medicine, engineering, entertainment, science, the arts, humanities, and business, touching nearly every facet of life. All parts of our university collect and use data and each offers unique perspectives on how data can contribute to student and faculty success, human well-being, and the greater social good. Looking ahead, in a year that the University trains its focus on data and society, we hope to ask profound questions and seek innovative and compassionate answers.
Read the Year of Data and Society in Review Report.
- Data@Pitt event designed for those new to analytics, University Times, May 26, 2022
- Third round of Year of Data and Society projects awarded, University Times, March 17, 2022
- Year of Data and Society awards second round of projects, Pittwire, January 18, 2022
- ‘Community of the eager’: Pitt’s Year of Data and Society plans for spring, The Pitt News, January 14, 2022
- Allegheny County Policing Project simplifies police policies for the community, Pittwire, December 14, 2021
- Year of Data and Society projects announced, University Times, November 19, 2021
- Data feminism takes aim at algorithms that discriminate, University Times, November 19, 2021
- Year of Data and Society will focus on people, University Times, August 27, 2021
- The Information Steward, Pittwire, May 21, 2021
- Year of …’ initiative will focus on Data and Society in 2021-22, University Times, April 28, 2021
- Read the Provost's Announcement: Announcing the Year of Data and Society
- Visit the Year of Data and Society website »
2020–2021: The Year of Engagement
Engagement with each other—whether civic, community, or campus—allows us to create new possibilities for humanity, for fellowship, and for innovation and discovery. Engagement is fundamental to community building, to deepening the connections between us, and to critical self-discovery. A Year of Engagement is ideal for a university setting because here we learn and teach about communities, while coming together to create new ones.
- "Year of Engagement Awards More Than $20,000 in First Grant Cycle," Pittwire, Nov. 10, 2020
- Request for Proposals: Year of Engagement Funding Opportunity (The first of three deadlines for proposals for the 2020-2021 academic year is October 1, 2020.)
- "The Making of the Year of Engagement," Pittwire, Sept. 1, 2020
- "Social media challenge kicks off Year of Engagement," University Times, Aug. 28, 2020
- ‘A pivotal year’: Preparations underway for the Year of Engagement, The Pitt News, July 20, 2020
- "Engagement chosen for 2020-21 ‘Year of’ theme," University Times, April 17, 2020
- View the Provost's announcement »
- Visit the Year of Engagement website »
2019–2020: The Year of Creativity
Creativity unites all of the University of Pittsburgh’s intellectual and artistic endeavors, from neuroscience to sculpture, from legal scholarship to computer science, from music to pharmacogenomics. No single virtue better describes what humans do best than creativity. The Year of Creativity aims to encourage the creative spark in all of us.
- "Year of Creativity helps Pitt explore its artistic side," The Pitt News, May 11, 2020
- "PARK(ing) Day Creativity to Last All Year," @Pitt, Sept. 25, 2019
- "The Call for Creativity," @Pitt, Aug. 7, 2019
- Year of Creativity isn’t just for artists and musicians," University Times, Aug. 5, 2019
- Video: Pitt Center for Creativity, July 31, 2019
- "Year of Creativity Fosters Makers' Spark," @Pitt, May 15, 2019
- "Welcome to the Year Of ... Creativity," University Times, May 1, 2019
- View the Provost's announcement »
2018–2019: Year of Pitt Global
The Year of Pitt Global sought to help mobilize and highlight the efforts of our schools, centers, institutes, and programs to integrate local and international perspectives that advance new knowledge and ground-breaking innovation while fostering cultural awareness, worldwide partnerships and life-changing research.
- "Perspectives and Projects Showcased at Year of PittGlobal Event," @Pitt, May 1, 2019
- "Year of Pitt Global Celebration Marks an End and a Beginning," University Times, April 26, 2019
- "Year of Pitt Global Is Bringing a Variety of Unique Events to all Pitt Campuses," University Times, February 6, 2019
- View the Provost's announcement »
- Visit the website »
2017–2018: Year of Healthy U
The Year of Healthy U, 2017–2018: A Year in Review
In Spring 2017, Provost Patricia E. Beeson announced that the academic year 2017-2018 would be the Year of Healthy U. During that time, University of Pittsburgh students, faculty and staff studied, recognized and benefited from practices that promote good health, showing how a cross-disciplinary understanding of wellness can lead to better and more productive lives. The Year of Healthy U engaged our various audiences, advanced our understanding of health in all of its forms and renewed our commitment to fostering a vigorous and lively community.
- "Year of Healthy U Offers Paths to Wellness," Pittwire, November 15, 2017
- Read the Year of Healthy U Year in Review Report
- Visit the website »
2016–2017: Year of Diversity
- "Year of Diversity Creates Framework for Continuing Exploration and Education," Pittwire, July 24, 2017
- "Year of Diversity: A Starting Point," Pitt Chronicle, October 21, 2016
- "Year of Diversity: Getting Comfortable with Differences," Pitt Chronicle, September 19, 2016
2015–2016: Year of the Humanities
- "Year of the Humanities: Schools and Disciplines Find Common Ground," Pitt Chronicle, May 30, 2016
- "The Year of the Humanities: Pitt Focuses on Education's 'Out-of-Favor' Bedrock," Pittsburgh Quarterly, 2016 Winter
- "Year of the Humanities Profile: The Science and Art of Care," Pitt Chronicle, October 12, 2015
- "'The Year of the Humanities in the University' in 2015–16," Pitt Chronicle, April 27, 2015
- Read the Year of the Humanities End-of-Year Report
- Visit the website »
2014–2015: Year of Sustainability
- "The Year of Sustainability," University Times, February 5, 2015
- "One Pitt, One Planet: The University of Pittsburgh"s Year of Sustainability," Pittsburgh Quarterly, 2015 Winter
- "The Year of Sustainability: It’s Not Just for Students," University Times, September 11, 2014