Alumni
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Remembering Alumna Who Paved the Way for Black Female Educators in Pittsburgh
Gertrude Wade (EDUC ’44, ’46G) helped break the color barrier in Pittsburgh by landing the job as the first African American female principal in Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Monday, February 24, 2020
See a Piece of Olympic Games History
The 1936 Berlin Olympic Games were famous for Jesse Owens’ sweeping victories, but did you know that Pitt shares in the history too? A 21-year-old runner named John Woodruff (A&S ’39) paused mid-race and still managed to win the 800 meter competition. Pitt has his gold medal.
Monday, February 24, 2020
Legacy of First Black Woman to Graduate from Pharmacy Lives On
In addition to making history at Pitt, Ella P. Stewart (PHARM 1916) was the first Black woman pharmacist licensed in Pennsylvania, as well as one of the first Black women licensed to practice pharmacy in the United States.
Friday, February 21, 2020
First Black Pan Am Pilot Reflects on Career, Time at Pitt
Though Perry Jones (ENGR ’59) encountered discrimination on his way to becoming a pilot, encouragement from his grandfather kept him going.
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Alumnus Carries on Family Legacy of Investing in Education
Coming from a family that cherished education, Tony Fountain (A&S '70) is demonstrating what it looks like to empower the educators who teach the next generation.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Alumna Inspires Questions About the Past
Margaret Weitekamp (A&S ’93), the curator and department chair of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Space History Department, uses her passion for storytelling to encourage visitors to inquire about the past, and ignite their interest in the 5,000 artifacts under her charge.
Monday, January 6, 2020
Alumna Sheds Light on Understudied Part of African American History
When Bridget Hunt-Tobey (MED ’19) took a course on human anatomy as part of Pitt’s Biomedical Master’s Program, she had no idea it would lead her to study bones of African American blast furnace workers in a first-ever internship program with the Smithsonian Institute.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
After More Than Two Decades, Alumna's Acclaimed ‘The Skin I’m In’ Still Resonates
The award-winning young adult novel “The Skin I'm In,” by Department of English alumna Sharon Flake (A&S ’78), has sold more than 1 million copies worldwide. The author's debut novel, it tells the story of a 13-year-old girl who learns to overcome being bullied for her dark skin.
Monday, September 30, 2019
Reviving a Masterpiece
The sleuthing skills of Pitt alumnus Costas Karakatsanis (A&S ’74, ’78G), who worked in materials science at Bayer for three decades before retiring and taking up volunteering at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum of Art, made him a critical investigator in the mission to restore a masterpiece.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Alumna's Nonprofit Extends Welcome, Support to New Immigrants and Refugees
For the children of refugees and immigrants settling throughout the United States, the new way of life can feel very foreign. Pitt alumna Jenna Baron — through her nonprofit Alliance for Refugee Youth Support and Education — is finding ways to make them feel that they are truly where they belong.