Accolades & Honors
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![Fall leaves with Cathedral of Learning in background](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-10/20191021_ao_fall_stock_0113_smallhero.jpg?h=d8076212&itok=3HQTa7_e)
Grad student Sean Sweat presented at a Smithsonian forum on reckoning with our racial past
Sweat, an MD/PhD student, spoke with other medical professionals on the topic of race, health and wealth.
![Kevin Kearns wearing black suit with red tie](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-10/kearns_-kevin_smallhero.jpg?h=d8076212&itok=tJ16YoZ0)
Kevin Kearns receives teaching excellence award
The Leslie A. Whittington Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes long-term excellence in teaching public policy and public affairs.
![Circuit board close up, RISC-V](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-10/risc-v_smallhero.jpg?h=d8076212&itok=I1N24LA7)
Engineering team studies new architecture for customized space computing
Students at Pitt’s NSF Center for Space, High-performance and Resilient Computing received the Best Paper Award for Research in Space Computing at the 2021 IEEE Space Computing Conference.
![Randi Congleton wearing black dress shirt with necklaces](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-09/congleton_pw_smallhero.png?h=d8076212&itok=dRC33d1P)
Randi Congleton is Pitt’s new assistant vice chancellor for equity and inclusion
Congleton will join Pitt in November from Chatham University.
![Cathedral of Learning viewed from between for two pillars](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-08/20210527_ao_leed_buildings_0221.jpg?h=a0e30e90&itok=m96SBfYY)
Google Arts & Culture features items from Pitt archives
Pittsburgh joins just four other American cities in being featured on the prestigious platform.
![Panther statue silhouette with sunlight shining in background](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-09/dsc_9458_hero.jpg?h=97950c0b&itok=ptjKoEDV)
Board of Trustees names emeritus members
September saw the addition of Robert M. Hernandez and Jack D. Smith as emeritus trustees.
![Keisha Blain smiling, wearing glasses with earrings and black shirt](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-09/keisha-blain-headshot_smallhero.jpg?h=d8076212&itok=QircxxZr)
Historian Keisha N. Blain named New America Fellow
New America is an organization committed to investing in thinkers who generate ideas that impact and spark new conversations about the most pressing issues of our day.
![Cathedral view through trees on sunny day](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-09/20190811_ta_3138_frank-kurtik_0086_smallhero.jpg?h=d8076212&itok=nHOOv26L)
Pitt named one of America's 'Coolest Schools' for sustainability leadership by Sierra Magazine
The University moved up 120 places in 2021 to rank in the Top 125 Most Sustainable Schools nationwide.
![Sabrina Helbig wearing black and red dress, smiling in front of large red door](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-09/img_9495-copy_smallhero.jpg?h=d8076212&itok=rgVZ5w9C)
Sabrina Helbig receives Charles LeGeyt Fortescue Graduate Scholarship
The award is given to a beginning graduate student for one year of full-time graduate work in electrical engineering.
![Woman with purple shirt holding thumbs up next to piles of backpacks](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-09/homewood-backpack-3_smallhero.jpg?h=d8076212&itok=EPhLFbAM)
Pitt Community Engagement Center exceeds backpack drive goal
The Community Engagement Center in Homewood packed more than 100 backpacks for area school children.
![Martin Weiss wearing suit with red tie, standing in front of satellite dishes](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-09/weiss_homepage_smallhero.jpg?h=d8076212&itok=hSJzeJI8)
$25 million grant-funded radio spectrum project includes Pitt professors
A new $25 million grant from the National Science Foundation will fund researchers from 29 organizations developing new approaches and techniques for divvying up the valuable and highly contested real
![Yunxing Lu standing in front of Pitt Swanson Engineering sign](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-09/img_8674_smallhero.png?h=d8076212&itok=aYAYBP9t)
Yunxing Lu receives Geothermal Rising Marcelo Lippmann Graduate Award
The award is given to five graduate students based on academic record, student activities, geothermal industry experience and career goals.
![Cathedral of Learning with red flowers in the foreground](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-08/20210723_ao_summer_stock_0010.jpg?h=aa833796&itok=5aNprcix)
See this year’s winners of the annual Pitt Alumni Awards
From law to healthcare, government hearings to courtside, these alumni from across six decades shine bright.
![Cathedral of Learning aerial shot with view of city in the background](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-09/20210407_ta_cl-drone_0072_smallhero.jpg?h=d8076212&itok=IW-ppxSp)
Pitt receives Forbes Best-In-State Employers 2021 recognition
The survey evaluated aspects such as working conditions, salary, potential for growth and diversity.
![Melissa Bilec posing in front of Mascaro poster](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-09/melissa-bilec-mcsi-2_smallhero.jpg?h=d8076212&itok=iu34w0d2)
Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation names Melissa Bilec as new co-director
The engineer has worked closely with the City of Pittsburgh and Green Building Alliance, as well as the Larimer community.
![Paul Supowitz in a dark suit](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-09/_p.supowitz_6692sm-accolade-crop.jpg?h=d8076212&itok=RgIegKHH)
Paul Supowitz named special assistant for strategic initiatives
The new role will be under the Office of the Chancellor.
![Charles Kotuby wearing grey suit with trees in background](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-09/kotuby_1_smallhero.jpg?h=d8076212&itok=2MxKVL73)
Charles Kotuby Jr. named executive director of Center for International Legal Education
The alum leaves a position in Washington, D.C., to return to Pitt.
![Darris Means wearing suit, smiling](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-09/darris-means_smallhero.jpg?h=d8076212&itok=a8eYEVtF)
Darris Means selected for Rockefeller Fellowship to study rural education
The Richard P. Nathan Policy Fellow of the Rockefeller Institute of Government will fund his work on state policy-focused research related to rural education and equity.
![Scott Bernotas portait, smiling with grey suit](/sites/default/files/styles/pittwire_home_hero/public/2021-09/scott-bernotas-head-shot.jpg?h=1ad4cf65&itok=4Sc9dQ1m)
Scott Bernotas promoted to vice chancellor, facilities management
Bernatos joined Pitt in 2015 and has built a strong safety culture.