It may not come as a surprise that Pitt neighbor Mister Rogers left an imprint on the School of Education and related programs, but the Department of English, too? His approach to childhood development is alive on campus and beyond even today.

Pitt's University Library System is the publisher of a new journal dedicated to Pittsburgh native son and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. The inaugural issue features contributions from the Department of History's Laurence Glasco and English faculty member emeritus Christopher Rawson.

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.

Alumnus Kevin Smith brought his expertise back to Pitt after a 17-year Hollywood career writing movie and TV screenplays to instruct the innovative new course.

Props, screenplays, script notes and more — Pitt now has more than 50 years’ worth of items from George A. Romero, the filmmaker who revolutionized the horror genre, beginning with “Night of the Living Dead.” The new collection marks a growth in horror studies resources available to scholars and the public.

Chemistry, poetry, puppies. As Emma Oaks' undergrad career at Pitt comes to a close, she leaves behind the Perfect Fit Canines Campus Scholars — a club that trains service dogs to help people with disabilities.

Rachael Lippincott (A&S ’17) wrote the young adult book “Five Feet Apart" with the support of Siobhan Vivian of Pitt's English department. A film version hits theaters in March.

Pitt’s Vibrant Media Lab is helping to answer complex questions of technology and culture, exploring past forms of media and experimenting with new ones in a cultural and social context. The OdysseyNow Project exemplifies the lab’s goals.

With support from Pitt’s Department of English and the Center for Creativity, Jeanne Marie Laskas sifted through hundreds of citizens’ letters to President Obama, resulting in an acclaimed magazine story and full-length book.

The 18-year-old founder, president and CEO of The Queen’s Gambit Chess Institute, Ashley Priore, is coming to Pitt as an English major this fall, bringing with her the message that the skills of the game are the skills of life.