Dr. Frank A. Cassell, the third and current president of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, began his duties on August 11, 1997. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Wabash College in 1963 and his Master of Arts and Ph.D. in history from Northwestern University in 1966 and 1968 respectively. He came here from the Albert A. Robin Campus of Roosevelt University near Chicago where he was provost and dean. "My experience at Roosevelt has taught me the importance of adapting to change. I've learned the importance of community relations. I've learned also that the roots to any university are in the community it serves."

Dr. Lillian Beeson
1997 Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award
Associate Professor of Communication

After graduating from Philippi High School in West Virginia, Dr. Beeson received her bachelor's degree from Duquesne University in 1969 and completed her master's and Ph.D. in speech communication at the University of Pittsburgh. She began teaching full-time at UPG in 1977 teaching a wide range of communication courses. Dr. Beeson was the first Director of the Humanities Academic Village. She also won the UPG Distinguished Teaching Award in 1995.

Dr. Richard Blevins
1999 Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award
Associate Professor of English

Dr. Blevins received his bachelor's degree in general studies from Kent State in 1972 and his master's degree in English from the University of Oregon. He began his employment with Pitt where he chose to complete his doctorate in Western American Literature and joined the UPG community in the fall of 1978. Dr. Blevins has published several books on poetry and has had essays and individual poems appear in print. He was cited for the Chancellor's Award for innovative approaches to teaching, for helping students to 'find their own voices'. He previously won the UPG Distinguished Teaching Award in 1994.

Prof. Joanne J. Viano
2000 Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award
Assistant Professor of French

Joanne Viano has been a full-time UPG faculty member since 1966. She earned her bachelor's degree in French/Italian/English at the University of Pittsburgh and her Master of Arts degree in comparative medieval literature/French at the University of Wisconsin. She completed her post-graduate work in Italian at the Universita di Firenze, Italy; French and higher education at the University of Pittsburgh, and medieval studies at Cambridge University, England. Prof. Viano was cited for her work in designing and teaching the College Skills Program that provides under-prepared but motivated students the opportunity to attend and succeed in college. She was also awarded the UPG Distinguished Teaching Award in 1996.

Dr. Mary Beth Spore
2002 Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award
Assistant Professor of English

A faculty member since 1983, Dr. Spore has taught english writing, literature, children's literature and composition. She directs UPG's Certificate Program in Children's Literature, and has been involved with UPG's annual Children's Literature Conference since 1997. She earned her doctorate in English education and master's degree in English literature at the University of Pittsburgh and bachelor's degrees in both English literature and elementary education at Saint Mary's College, Indiana. Dr. Spore was selected for the Chancellor's Award for her dedication to the undergraduate teaching of writing skills courses and children's literature and the numerous contributions she has made to her department and campus over the past nineteen years. She was the recipient of two other UPG awards, the President's Award for Excellence in 1998 and the Distinguished Service Award in 1995. She also was awarded the Saint Mary's College McDermott Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1979. Recently she co-authored Stories of the Academy: Learning from the Good Mother (2002).

Dr. Walter Orange
2002 Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award
Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Dr. Orange has taught mathematics and statistics at UPG since 1989. He earned his doctorate in mathematics education and master's degree in mathematics and statistics at the University of Pittsburgh after graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with both a bachelor's and master's degree in mathematics education. Prior to teaching at UPG, he had been a software engineer and statistician for Westinghouse where he taught statistical techniques to inspectors and supervisors. He was also awarded the 2000 UPG Distinguished Teaching Award. Dr. Orange was selected to receive the Chancellor's Award for his outstanding teaching skills, enthusiasm, meticulous preparation, clarity of presentation, excellent pacing and use of real-life examples.

Carol Ann Brosier Calloway
1997 Chancellor's Distinguished Service Award
for Staff Employees
Registrar and Special Assistant to the President for Minority & Diversity Affairs

Since 1985 Carol Calloway has been the registrar at UPG. Prior to joining the UPG family, Ms. Calloway worked in the Anthropology Department on the Pitt Oakland campus. While working full-time, she became a University Scholar and graduated magna cum laude in Information Science. Later she earned her master's degree in Business Administration though Pitt's Executive MBA program. She was cited for this award for her dedicated service "to make the University accessible to under-represented students" and "for distinguishing herself in volunteer activities with the NAACP, the Girl Scouts, and other organizations." In the late 1980's, she founded the Organization for Black Awareness at UPG. The group has grown and includes an alumni chapter and co-sponsors, with the Greensburg-Jeannette NAACP, an annual essay contest for elementary and high school students during Black History Month.

Janet "Dolly" Biskup
2001/2002 Chancellor's Distinguished Service Award
for Staff Employees
Administrative Assistant to the President

A graduate of the former Mount Pleasant Township High School and Robert Morris Junior College, Dolly Biskup joined the University of Pittsburgh in 1979 as Senior Secretary for the Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic. She moved to UPG the following year as Secretary to the President and was named Administrative Assistant in 1997. Ms. Biskup was instrumental in administrating the BASH (business after standard hours) program, a Greensburg/Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce program held on the Greensburg campus. She is an active fundraiser for the Frank Tosatto and Guy Rossetti memorial endowments at UPG and one of the "UPG Quilters" the group responsible for creating quilts to chronicle the ongoing history of UPG. Ms. Biskup is active with local charities, such as the Westmoreland County Food Bank, the Salvation Army's Adopt a Family Program, Scouting for Food, the American Heart Association, and with her local church.

Professor Juan Segura of Guanajuato, Mexico was the first Fulbright Scholar to teach at UPG, teaching classes on the government and politics of Latin America and Mexico. As part of the Fulbright grant, he was available to lecture at other colleges and high schools during his stay. "Building cultural bridges between Latin America, particularly Mexico, and the United States is what I most look forward to over the next four months," he said.

Professor Segura was also the first resident professor in the Rossetti House for International Studies.

This time-capsule in the form of a quilt, entitled "UPG Beginnings," recalls the early history of the campus. Included on the 10 panels are events during the tenure of the first UPG president, Albert B. Smith. Scenes included are the inaugural orientation, the purchase of the Charles McKenna Lynch estate, the first varsity men's basketball team, a group of students planning activities, 1960's cheerleaders, the university seal at the time of the school's founding, selected staff and school officials, and President Smith. This quilt is now on permanent display in the Millstein Library and the "Quilters" are currently working on the next quilt "Building UPG" which will include the history during the tenure of Dr. George Chambers.