Awards & More: Pitt’s Office of Public Affairs and Alumni Win Awards From Pittsburgh Black Media Federation

The University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Public Affairs won three Robert L. Vann Journalism Awards, which are presented annually by the Pittsburgh Black Media Foundation to celebrate outstanding achievements in journalism related to the coverage of Western Pennsylvania’s African American community. 

This year’s winning entries were published or broadcast during 2011. The awards evening, held July 19 in Pitt’s O’Hara Student Center, marked the foundation’s 29th Annual Robert L. Vann Awards. 

Gary Cravener, Pitt Magazine’s art director, won first place in the Magazine Illustrations category for his design of  “A Century of Black Athletes at Pitt,” which ran in the magazine’s Summer 2011 issue.

First place in the Print/Series category was awarded to four writers for the Pitt Chronicle’s February 2011 Black History Month series. Writers were senior news representatives Sharon S. Blake, Morgan Kelly, and Amanda Ritchie, as well as Chronicle editor Jane-Ellen Robinet.

Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Robert Hill won first place in the Print/Public Relations category for his written introduction in the commemorative program created for the University’s May 10, 2011, Centennial Celebration of Black Athletes. The introduction was titled “Athletics at Pitt: The Forefront of a Century of Change.”

In addition, one alumni’s organization and another alumni received awards from the Pittsburgh Black Media Foundation. PNC Foundation chair Eva Tansky Blum (A&S ’70, LAW ’73) accepted the Corporate Award on behalf of the foundation’s Grow Up Great program, a 10-year, $100 million initiative to enhance early-childhood education across the nation. 

Blum also serves as senior vice president and director of community affairs for PNC Bank. She’s a University trustee and co-chair of Pitt’s capital campaign, which recently surpassed its goal of raising $2 billion. 

Alumnus Elwin Green (CGS ’01) received the foundation’s Community Service Award. He is an award-winning journalist for his citizen-journalist news website, Homewood Nation (www.homewoodnation.com).