Students

Kathryn Fleisher, a junior at the University of Pittsburgh, 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.

When a capstone celebration turned virtual this year, medical students pulled together to donate the money they had raised for the event to communities in need—and challenged faculty to do the same.

In-person commencement ceremonies have been postponed, but Pitt will offer a unique celebration honoring the achievements of the Class of 2020 virtually on Sunday, April 26.

Travel restrictions may have put the brakes on admitted student campus visits, but a team at Pitt admissions created an innovative way of bringing campus to students wherever they are.

Kayla Scoggin, a 21-year-old urban studies major, will enter service with the Peace Corps in Uganda upon graduation this spring. Her internship through the Elsie Hillman Civic Forum helped prepare her for her new role.

The University of Pittsburgh once again is among the nation’s top institutions for producing Fulbright students, breaking its own record with 14 students—who are now alumni—earning the prestigious scholarships for international study, teaching and research projects.

Thomas Freitag is the second winner from Pitt in the three years the scholarship has been offered. Freitag will study HIV prevention and treatment at the University of Cambridge next year.

Applying for scholarships can be intimidating, but Pitt-Bradford biology and pre-med student Jariatu Stallone found a perfect opportunity, thanks to her background with HIV/AIDS work in Sierra Leone and a tip from a resident advisor. The Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship will support her future efforts to combat the disease.

Pitt senior Rachel Noah created her own University experience on her way to a career in arts management during a dream summer internship: on Broadway with the producers of “Wicked.”

Emergency room professionals often see patients with mental health issues. School of Social work senior Brandon Thomas has developed a training module to address stigma and bias among medical professionals toward these patients. His research is showing some promising early results.