Accolades

Three faculty members in Pitt's Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences received funded professional development leaves for the 2026-27 academic year. 

The Professional Development Leave (PDL) program is a paid, one-semester leave opportunity that allows eligible faculty to step away from their regular teaching and service duties to focus on scholarly, curricular or community-engaged projects that advance Pitt’s educational and service missions and provide clear benefits to students and the broader community. 

Now in its second year in the Dietrich School, the program underscores the University’s commitment to recognizing and investing in the professional growth of appointment-stream faculty whose work is central to student learning. 

This year’s recipients and their projects are:

Liberty Ferda

Liberty Ferda is a teaching professor in the Department of English, where she teaches grant writing, professional and community-engaged writing, and creative nonfiction. Ferda co-leads long-running grant-writing workshops at Pitt’s Community Engagement Centers. During her professional development leave, she will expand these workshops by developing online and hybrid grant-writing courses and building structured partnerships with local foundations such as the Heinz Endowments and The Pittsburgh Foundation. This work will broaden access for working adults and neighborhood nonprofit leaders, help small community organizations become more competitive for funding and create online materials that can also enrich undergraduate grant-writing courses at Pitt.

Shannon Reed

Shannon Reed is a teaching professor and director of undergraduate studies in the Writing Program, where she teaches the full fiction curriculum and is an accomplished author of books and essays on reading, teaching and contemporary culture. Her professional development leave will support the completion and revision of “Briskaway,” a novel that explores memory, accountability and queer history through the lens of a theater director revisiting a pivotal summer at a performing arts camp. Immersing in the long-form fiction and revision process will directly strengthen the mentorship she offers students writing their own book-length projects, giving them concrete models of craft, revision and publication as well as deepening classroom conversations about ethics, identity and representation in contemporary fiction.

Evgeni “Eugene” Trofimov

Evgeni Trofimov is a teaching professor and undergraduate assistant director in the Department of Mathematics, where he oversees foundational courses in calculus and theoretical mathematics and supporting both campus and College in High School instruction. During his professional development leave, he will write a Pitt-aligned transition-to-proof textbook for Math 0413 and create standardized Canvas master shells for key lower-division math courses. These resources will improve students’ proof-writing skills, provide a more precise and more consistent learning experience for hundreds of undergraduates each semester, reduce course costs and give instructors — especially new and part-time faculty — a robust shared framework for high-quality math instruction.

Pitt's David C. Frederick Honors College celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Allen L. Cook Spring Creek Preserve gift in late January with the launch of a refreshed exhibit space in Posvar Hall. 

Allen L. Cook, a Wyoming rancher and conservationist, gifted the Spring Creek Preserve to Pitt in 2005, creating a permanent off-site learning environment for honors students. The preserve is one of the signature accomplishments of Founding Dean G. Alec Stewart and a cornerstone of the Frederick Honors College, the only honors college in the nation with its own dedicated off-site preserve.

“The Allen L. Cook Spring Creek Preserve is not only historically significant, but our stewardship of the land is a unique and distinctive honor,” Frederick Honors College Dean Nicola Foote said. “For 20 years, the preserve has enabled hundreds of Pitt students across majors and disciplines to take part in hands-on immersive research and creative projects.”

Located on the Jurassic Morrison Formation, the preserve provides students hands-on access to paleontology, archaeology, ecology and North American history. Since 2009, Pitt faculty and Wyoming-based experts have led more than 200 students representing 50-plus majors from all four of Pitt’s campuses in interdisciplinary research and creative projects there.

Jo Howell (pictured above), a history major, is one of those students. Howell, who spoke at the commemorative event, said the program gave her lifelong connections and had a profound effect on her scholarship.

“Being a part of the Wyoming Preserve Program during its 20th anniversary feels very special to me,” Howell said. “The preserve changed my life for the better, and I can only imagine how many other people were impacted in a similar manner and how many more will follow in my footsteps.”

— Donovan Harrell

A Pitt researcher and five alumni were named to the 2026 cohort of The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI) Emerging Leaders Program on Jan. 30. It’s the fifth year of the program, which is designed to educate, develop, connect and position Black leaders and professionals for success.

The Emerging Leaders Program — conducted in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business and in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh, Robert Morris University and Duquesne University — prepares early and established leaders for continued career growth. Through a new six-month hybrid learning model, participants will strengthen critical leadership competencies while exploring topics such as managerial effectiveness, executive presence, negotiation strategies, innovation and creative problem solving.

This year’s class includes 29 dynamic professionals representing a wide range of industries.

“Congratulations to all those selected for this year's Emerging Leaders Program cohort,” TALI President and CEO Evan Frazier said in a press release. “We created the program five years ago as a part of our continued commitment to supporting and cultivating the next generation of senior leaders. Given the exceptional talent in this year’s cohort, I am confident we will see meaningful and positive outcomes.”

The Pitt people in this year’s cohort are:

• Brandon Bell (BUS ’22)
• Alexus Brown (A&S ’22G, ’24G), senior social scientist at Pitt’s Center for Race and Social Problems
• Albert Garcia (SHRS ’15G)
• Gabrielle Green (A&S ’15)
• Christopher Pierre (BUS ’21)
• Cheriese Williams (A&S ’02)

Pitt-Bradford honored faculty and staff celebrating milestone anniversaries at special recognition dinner on Jan. 29.

Warren Fass, associate professor of psychology, was honored for 45 years of service. Fass has taught courses in statistics, experimental psychology, human memory, human learning, child development and assessment.

Recognized for 35 years of service was Pamela Krepps, administrative assistant in athletics and recreational sports.

Faculty and staff recognized for 25 years of service were Karen Branch, enrollment services assistant; Tad Haight, assistant director of admissions; Steven Ellison, senior technical analyst in Computing, Telecommunications and Media Services; and Kevin Ewert, professor of theater and chair of the Division of Communications and the Arts.

Those honored for 20 years of service were Mark Kelley, assistant professor of exercise science and director of the exercise science program, and Jean Truman, associate professor of nursing and director of the nursing program.

Employees reaching the 15 years of service mark were Alan Hancock, technical analyst II in Computing, Telecommunications and Media Services; James Pasacarella, web manager; Mihaela-Cristina Drignei, associate professor of mathematics; and Lynette Campogiani, assistant professor of hospitality management.

Those marking 10 years of service were Lt. Richard Harsen, director of campus police and safety; Mary Kafferlin, library specialist for serials and cataloging; Christy Ruffner, chief of staff; Matthew Foerstner, maintenance worker II; Anne McDonald, director of business affairs; Adina Frantescu, coordinator of international student services and global citizenship; Nathan Whitehurst, head coach of men’s soccer; Laurie Dufford, administrative assistant in Communications and Marketing; Tracee Howell, associate professor of English and director of the composition program and Writing Center; Catherine Kula, associate director of the Writing Center; and Ovidiu Frantescu, associate professor and director of environmental science.

Finally, honored for five years of service were Katherine Moyer, arts programming coordinator; Collin Maines, admissions counselor; Christopher Clifford, associate vice president of business affairs and director of auxiliary services; William L. Soto-Diaz, maintenance worker II; Rodney Valandra, director of counseling services; and Cassandra Preston, assistant professor of exercise science.

Three Institute for Learning (IFL) fellows in Pitt’s Learning Research and Development Center tell the story of their work collaborating with educators in a large urban district to improve literacy teaching and learning in a new book, “A Network for Instructional Improvement: How Teachers and Leaders Made it Work,” out now from Bloomsbury Publishing.

Coauthored by Sara DeMartino, Anthony Petrosky and Glenn Nolly, the book details a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded project that saw the group work with teachers and principals across 14 secondary schools to boost reading comprehension by elevating student voices and positioning them as active meaning-makers.

By the fall of 2020, just two years after the start of the project, the team saw significant gains on MAP reading comprehension and state English arts and reading assessment scores among students in classes where teachers implemented the practices on a regular basis.  In each subsequent year through 2025, that pattern continued and held up for students in grades six through nine, even when compared to like students in districts around the state.

DeMartino, an English language arts fellow, is a former high school English teacher who now works with pre-service and in-service educators at the IFL. Her work includes providing support for networks, professional learning communities, research, and curriculum development.

Petrosky directs the IFL at the Learning Research and Development Center, where he also serves as a research scientist. He is also an associate dean in Pitt’s School of Education.

Glenn Nolly, an IFL leadership fellow, has worked in public education for more than 35 years advocating for underrepresented students. Nolly is also an assistant professor of practice at the University of Texas at Austin.

For the first time, the American Psychological Association has awarded one of the most prestigious awards in psychological science to a faculty member in the Dietrich School's Department of Psychology.

Stephen Manuck, Emeritus Distinguished University Professor of Health Psychology, and Behavioral Medicine, received the 2026 Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions, which recognizes psychologists whose careers have produced distinguished theoretical or empirical contributions to psychological science. Manuck’s research has examined how psychological, social and biological factors interact to influence brain function, stress responses, inflammation, sleep, metabolic health and cardiovascular risk across the lifespan.

It’s the latest honor for Manuck who has previously earned the American Psychosomatic Society Patricia R. Barchas Award, the American Psychological Association Outstanding Contributions to Health Psychology Award and a distinguished alumnus award from Vanderbilt University.

Lillian Chong, professor in Pitt's Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Chemistry, has been named Graduate and Postdoc Alum of the Year by the University of California, San Francisco in recognition of her groundbreaking contributions to computational biophysics, leadership in advancing open science and commitment to training the next generation of scientific innovators.

The annual award is issued to UC San Francisco alumni who have made significant impacts in the fields of health care, research, education and community service. Chong earned a PhD in biophysics from the university in 2002.

Chong is internationally known for pioneering rare-event molecular simulations and for leading the development of WESTPA, an open-source tool used worldwide to model complex biomolecular processes, including high-impact SARS-CoV-2 studies that earned the prestigious Gordon Bell Prize from the Association for Computing Machinery. Her research has produced fundamental insights into protein folding, drug permeability and viral mechanisms, resulting in an extensive and influential publication record.

Kevin Washo (A&S ’04), senior vice chancellor for external relations, was named a 2026 government relations honoree by City & State PA, a news organization dedicated to covering Pennsylvania's state and local government.

According to the publication, the designation recognizes the under-the-radar government relations professionals who play a crucial role in connecting organizations to lawmakers and communities. In 2024, Washo was named to City & State PA’s Top 100 Higher Education Trailblazer list and won a Pittsburgh Business Times C-Suite Award.

As leader of Pitt’s External Relations, Washo oversees the University’s Division of Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement, Office of Engagement and Community Affairs, Office of Government Relations and Advocacy, and Office of University Communications and Marketing. His notable accomplishments include developing and implementing a brand platform that elevated Pitt’s national reputation and chairing a committee that established Pennsylvania’s State Board of Higher Education.

Pitt has been designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research (CAE-R) through 2030 by the National Security Agency (NSA). “A highly skilled cybersecurity workforce is a strategic national security advantage,” the agency wrote in its letter announcing the honor.

The U.S. faces a critical shortage of professionals with cybersecurity knowledge and skills; this program, the agency states, is “highlighting the importance of higher education as a solution to defending America’s cyberspace.”

CAE-R institutions must be associated with the Department of Defense or grant PhDs, and each demonstrates educational opportunities that further the understanding of cyber defense technology, policy and practices that will help the country respond to a catastrophic event.

Pitt is leading the way in developing a cybersecurity workforce pipeline — and has been for two decades. Since 2004, the University has also held a CAE in Cyber Defense thanks to the leadership of Ahmed Ibrahim and James Joshi, both faculty in the School of Computing and Information. As part of that work, Pitt has held summer CyberCamp programs for interested high schoolers to invite them into the field before college since 2016. The Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security, launched in 2017, is a multidisciplinary group of researchers studying critical questions of networks, data and algorithms with a focus on understanding the future as it arrives. Pitt-Greensburg, too, has earned accolades from the NSA for its cybersecurity program.