The Plan for Pitt: Strengthen Communities

Dodd smiling in a white Giant Eagle branded apron
Through partnerships with grocery stores and government entities, Judy Dodd, an assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics, has been educating students and consumers on healthier eating habits for decades. The Retail Dietitians Business Alliance recently honored her work.
Students from Pittsburgh’s Hill District put their coding skills to the test to recreate the 1978 game Space Invaders, using a computer program provided by Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering and the School of Computing and Information. The coding exercise was part of a three-day STEM mini-camp hosted by Pitt’s Hill District Community Engagement Center.
Harry Colmery (LAW 1916) wrote the first draft of the GI Bill by hand, using up seven pens’ worth of ink. To celebrate the bill’s 75th anniversary, the dean of Pitt Law and the new director of the Office of Veterans Services visited Colmery’s niece to talk about his legacy — and give the family a gift.
young woman dressed in a blue dress and white headpiece
The new Philippine Nationality Room, designed after consultation with scholars and architects from Manila, represents the influence of cultures that make up the nation, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands. The Pittsburgh community celebrated the room's dedication with Philippine food, music, dance and culture on June 9.
two hands holding a bar of soap over a sink
In less than five years, Samir Lakhani (A&S ’15) has kept hundreds of tons of soap out of landfills and created jobs for disadvantaged women, all while saving lives. Now, this young social entrepreneur wants to do even more: Help 2.5 million people by the end of 2020.