News from around Pitt for Nov. 29

There’s so much activity on Pitt’s campuses that sometimes news gets overlooked by the wider University community. We’ll spotlight some changes and achievements here each issue of the University Times. If you have news you want to share, email editor Susan Jones at suejones@pitt.edu.

UNIVERSITY LIBRARY SYSTEM

Work will start early next year on the third floor of Hillman Library.

The Archives & Special Collections Reading room located in 363 Hillman will close on Dec. 3 for the renovation and will re-open on Jan. 2 in room G-20, on the ground floor of the library near the Cup & Chaucer.

Anyone who wishes to access to collections between Dec. 3 and 21 will be directed to the Archives Service Center, 7500 Thomas Blvd., in Point Breeze. Call 412-648-3232 or contact the archivist if you have any questions.

The entire third floor will be closing in March and is scheduled to reopen in January 2020.

The library system is collecting feedback about what you like about the fourth floor, and what you would change about it.

Many have commented about the bathrooms on the floor, which have not been remodeled. The plan for the building has the core (which includes the elevators and bathrooms) being done at the same time, after all the floors are finished.

OFFICE OF THE PROVOST

Lucy Sankey RussellLucy Sankey Russell has been named vice provost and chief of staff. In the newly created role, Russell will advise Provost Ann E. Cudd on matters of policy, academic affairs, procedural issues and strategic and fundraising initiatives.

Prior to coming to Pitt, she served as associate dean for strategic initiatives at Boston University, where Cudd was dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and as assistant vice provost for undergraduate studies at the University of Kansas, where Cudd served in various positions over 25 years.

Russell begins at Pitt on Dec. 1 and can be reached via email at LRUSSELL@pitt.edu. For more details, go to @Pitt.

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Two College of Business Administration professors have been named in Poets & Quant's “Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professors.”

Ray Jones, clinical associate professor of Business Administration. Jones has been named Pitt’s best professor 10 times by students, according to Poets & Quant’s. He also won the 2018 Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Jones teaches introductory undergraduate courses in business ethics and organizational behavior as well as advanced undergraduate courses in gender and diversity in management and governance and management.

Deborah Good, clinical assistant professor of Business Administration

Good also is the recipient of the Pitt Business Service Award and Best Teaching awards in both Human Resource Management and General Management. Additionally, she received the school’s Doris & Douglas Bernstein Award for Faculty Teaching Excellence. She teaches courses in general human resources, compensation, business communication, employee/labor relations, managing diversity in organizations, and HR analytics.

JEWISH STUDIES

The Jewish Studies program has grants available for faculty research, travel and course development.

  • Grants to support faculty research and travel related to Jewish Studies are available for amounts up to $10,000, although typical grants will be in the $2,000 to $5,000 range.  Click here for complete guidelines. Deadlines are: Dec. 20 for fund to be spent Jan. 1-Aug. 31, 2019; March 1 to fund work May 1-Dec. 31, 2019; and Nov. 1, 2019 for work Jan. 1-Aug. 31, 2020.
  • Grants up to $15,000 are available for creating new courses or significantly revamping existing courses that may be taught as Jewish Studies courses, and can be used for library research, travel, student assistance and any other expenses related to the development of new courses or major revamping of existing courses. Click here for complete guidelines. Applications are due by March 1, 2019

AFRICANA STUDIES

Clapperton Chakanetsa Mavhunga, an associate professor of History and Science and Technology Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will give a lecture in the Race, Science, and Technology in the Global African World series called “Black Science and Technology Studies: An African in a White (Man’s) Discipline” from 2 to 4 p.m. Dec. 3 at 4130 Posvar Hall.