Sharing Stories of Pitt’s Impact with Harrisburg—Virtually

Today, instead of loading buses in Pittsburgh, Bradford, Greensburg, Johnstown and Titusville to make the early morning journey to the state Capitol, students, faculty, staff and alumni advocates logged online for the first-ever virtual Pitt Day in Harrisburg.

The annual day of advocacy, co-organized by the Office of Community and Governmental Relations and the Pitt Alumni Association, gives University supporters an opportunity to engage with their elected legislators and share their stories about why state funding is crucial for Pitt. (If you didn’t get to participate in Pitt Day in Harrisburg but would like to support the University by communicating with elected officials about Pitt’s accomplishments, goals and needs and other activities, sign up to be a Pitt Advocate.)

In a year that’s been unusual and uncertain, the University has met the challenges of the moment. Below are just a few stories that tell how Pitt continues to find the edge and push further in student excellence, COVID-19 innovation and access and affordability.

Record 15 from Pitt Earn Fulbright Scholarships
Of the record 15 scholarship winners, 10 are from the commonwealth. For the 10th time in 11 years, Pitt is one of the nation’s top producing Fulbright institutions.

Pitt Student Awarded 2020 Harry S. Truman Scholarship
Kathryn Fleisher, a junior, is the 13th Truman Scholar in Pitt’s history and the first since 2016. The competitive national scholarship awards $30,000 for two to three years of graduate study.

University of Pittsburgh To Begin Work on Novel Coronavirus Vaccine
In February 2020, Pitt was among a select few institutions expected to receive samples of the coronavirus for study. Paul Duprex, director of the Center for Vaccine Research, highlighted the tremendous history the University has in working on vaccines and why this matters.

Vaccinating the Vaccinators
Students and faculty from Pitt’s School of Pharmacy made history at a vaccinating the vaccinators event on Dec. 16, 2020. It’s just the beginning of the massive effort to inoculate health care workers against COVID-19.

Health Sciences Students and Faculty Join Forces to Support Vaccination Clinic
Earlier this year, Pitt and the Allegheny County Health Department held a vaccination clinic for 800 patient-facing health care students and professionals in the Pittsburgh region. The event showcased collaboration among Pitt’s health sciences, and its success has led to ongoing partnerships with the county on clinics in Pittsburgh communities and on the Pittsburgh campus.

Research Aims to Understand, Curb Misinformation on COVID-19 Vaccines
Fueled by a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, researchers in Pitt’s Center for Research on Behavioral Health, Media and Technology are studying and combating false online information about vaccines.

Closing the Retention Gap: Pitt Success Pell Match Program Celebrates New Milestone
Pitt celebrated a milestone for its Pitt Success Pell Match Program, the largest-ever restructuring of financial aid in the University’s history. In its first year, the program has virtually closed the retention gap for students eligible for the U.S. Department of Education’s Pell Grants programs.

Student Debt Relief Program Provides More Than Financial Support
Although her senior year at Pitt didn’t end the way she anticipated due to COVID-19, one student credits the Panthers Forward program for helping her prepare for her future in more ways than one.