Awards & More

Pitt School of Medicine professors Yuan Chang and Patrick S. Moore will receive the 2017 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, one of medicine’s most prestigious prizes. The award is given annually to medical researchers who have made significant contributions in the fields of immunology, cancer research, microbiology, and chemotherapy. The duo’s lab, currently located within the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, is credited with discovering two of the seven known human viruses that directly cause cancer.

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law has named Federal Appeals Judge D. Michael Fisher to its newly created position of Distinguished Jurist in Residence. Fisher, who serves in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, began his appointment Feb. 1, 2017. Currently an adjunct professor at Pitt Law, he is expected to teach two courses every fall term and be on site during the spring term to meet with students and participate in other activities.

Recent alumna Briana F. Gasgonia has been awarded a Graduate Scholarship for Study from the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD), or, the German Academic Exchange Service. Gasgonia is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Eastern European Studies at Freie Universität in Berlin. Her research examines the influence of Germany’s Russian population on the German-Russian bilateral relationship. Gasgonia graduated from Pitt with a Bachelor of Arts degree in German and Russian in April 2016.

Valerie Kinloch has been named the Renée and Richard Goldman Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Education. Currently serving as a professor of literacy studies and the associate dean of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement in the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University, Kinloch will begin her deanship on July 1, 2017. 

Chancellor Gallagher and more than 35 members of the Pitt community recently gathered to bid a fond farewell to the University’s most senior staff member (see above). Jerome L. Rosenberg, a research integrity officer in the Department of Biological Sciences and chairman of Pitt’s Conflict of Interest Committee, was recognized with a special plaque during his retirement ceremony last month. Rosenberg served the University in various roles for 63 years.

The Vira I. Heinz (VIH) Program for Women in Global Leadership was recognized by University Business magazine as one of eight Winter 2016 Models of Excellence winners. The Models of Excellence program recognizes innovative approaches to encouraging and nurturing student success on campus. Supported by The Heinz Endowments and directed by Sarah Wagner, Pitt’s VIH Program prepares women for tomorrow's global challenges by offering unique opportunities for international experiences, leadership development, and community service.