3 Pitt people were named Window Keepers by PA Humanities

Three Pitt affiliates have been named inaugural Window Keepers by PA Humanities, the statewide humanities council. Ervin Dyer (A&S ’11G, ’16G), Jessica Kiefer (SCI ’03G) and Pitt-Bradford student Allie O’Shea are among the first 25 Pennsylvanians recognized through the new initiative.

The initiative, inspired by Philadelphia Poet Laureate Yolanda Wisher’s poem “The Window Keeper,” recognizes Pennsylvanians whose everyday work helps shape strong communities and sustain civic life through the humanities.

The 25 inaugural honorees were selected by PA Humanities staff from across the state specializing in wide-ranging specialties, including education, history, culture, the arts and community development.

Here are the Pitt winners:

Ervin Dyer

A senior editor at Pitt Magazine and a sociologist by training, Dyer has built a career around telling stories that often go untold, particularly those rooted in Black life across Pittsburgh, the wider American experience and the African diaspora. He is a former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter, a board member of the August Wilson House in the Hill District and a co-founder of Feel Like Going On, a Pittsburgh photography collective that documents the joy and humanity of the region’s Black neighborhoods.

Jessica Kiefer

Kiefer is the head children’s librarian at the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library in Westmoreland County, where she has built early literacy programming, family maker days and summer reading challenges aimed at keeping kids engaged and curious. Her work brings together community partners across Greensburg to expand access to learning for local families.

Allie O’Shea

O’Shea, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration at Pitt-Bradford, was recognized for her work with Port Allegany Heart and Soul, a community-driven initiative that uses storytelling and resident input to shape the future of the McKean County borough.