Advocate for Pitt at the State Capitol

Pitt Day in Harrisburg is an annual event that gives Panthers a chance to visit the Pennsylvania State Capitol to advocate for the University.

Pitt Advocates—a partnership between the Pitt Alumni Association and the Office of Community and Governmental Relations—invites faculty, staff, current students, proud alums or simply friends of the University to share their Pitt pride in Harrisburg on Tuesday, March 17.

Transportation and lunch will be provided, and participants will receive packets containing information about the University to help guide conversations with legislators. Visit the website for registration information for both the Pittsburgh and regional campuses.

“Pitt Day is the day when we come together as a community across all campuses to convey the importance of the commonwealth’s support,” said Paul Supowitz, vice chancellor for community and governmental relations. “We hear from legislators every year that it makes a difference. When legislators see their constituents in person, hear personal Pitt stories and see the impact that the institution has on people’s lives, it strengthens all of our advocacy efforts.”

Such efforts are critical to persuading lawmakers to make Pitt—a state-related public University—a budget priority.

Pitt is more than a school. It’s more than teaching. We’re an economic driver, we have fingertips all across the world and the research we do changes people’s lives—and saved my daughter’s.

Amy Kleebank

For Amy Kleebank, art director in the Office of University Communications and Marketing, advocacy is personal; her daughter, Amelia, has a rare liver disease and is a participant in a University study whose budget is affected by the commonwealth appropriation.

Kleebank, who has attended Pitt Day in Harrisburg all but one year since 2016, said: “We got there and it felt like it was all of Pitt. There were tons of people shouting ‘Hail to Pitt!’ I’m walking down halls of the Capitol to hand out my packets and there were people coming out of offices and greeting us,” she said.

“I just felt like I got to say something, and somebody listened. And it’s because Pitt is more than a school. It’s more than teaching. We’re an economic driver, we have fingertips all across the world and the research we do changes people’s lives—and saved my daughter’s.”

Read more about Kleebank’s advocacy and more stories behind Pitt Day in Harrisburg.