Welcome to the University of Pittsburgh
“Only Big Dreams”
university of pittsburgh
World Class Institution Pitt Quick Facts: Location: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Total schools: 18
Founded: 1787
School type: state-related
Total enrollment: 28,328
Student: Teacher Ratio: 16:1
Faculty members: 4,184
Library volumes: 5.89 million
Total employees: 12,652
Periodical subscriptions: 35,000
Degree programs: 440
Total alumni: 250,000+
Main campus area size: 132 acres
Website: www.pitt.edu
Campus buildings: 92
Varsity sports: 19
Academic Calendar: Semester
Colors: Blue & Gold
Motto: Truth & Virtue
The University of Pittsburgh campus is a place of delightful contrasts: unabashedly urban, yet dotted with gardens and trees. Situated on the edge of 456-acre wooded Schenley Park, the campus weaves in and out of an exciting section of the city known as Oakland. Pittsburgh’s cultural and medical center, Oakland is home to the University’s 132-acre main campus that includes more than 90 academic, research, administrative buildings and residence halls. •F ounded in a log cabin in 1787, Pitt is among the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States. The University has more than 250,000 alumni living in all 50 states and territories and 119 foreign countries. •A mong the campus’ most impressive attractions is the 42-story structure known as the Cathedral of Learning. The tallest academic building in the western world, the Gothic Revival skyscraper is home to several of the institution’s classrooms and the famed 26 Nationality Classrooms authentically designed to depict ethnic art and culture. •A mong the new freshmen entering the University in 2009, 56 percent were in the top-10 percent of their high school graduating class and 75 percent were in the top-20 percent. •P ittsburgh’s academic record is outstanding, rating among the leading national and international universities in the United States. Pitt offers 440 distinct degree programs. Its faculty includes many world-renowned scholars, researchers and innovators. A number of academic departments are rated at the top of their respective fields. •A t Pitt, an education can come to life. Learning is not relegated to textbooks and chalkboards. An English writing major can put their studies to use by working at the student newspaper, The Pitt News. Students involved in the sciences can visit the Carnegie Science Center or the Allegheny Observatory. Business students can gain hands-on experience while interning with one of the many corporations headquartered downtown. •A long with its formal education, Pitt offers a wide range of over 400 clubs and organizations - a spanning from auto racing to the pre-med society - to supplement a student’s learning experience. •O ne of Pitt’s most exciting advantages is its close proximity to downtown Pittsburgh, one of the nation’s largest cities. Consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities by various publications, Pittsburgh provides an abundance of opportunities for its students in career exploration from internships at Fortune 500 companies, clerkships and residencies in major law and medical facilities.
Top American Research Universities Cal-Berkeley Illinois Michigan North Carolina
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PITT UCLA Wisconsin
According to the Center for Measuring University Performance in 2007
Nation’s Top Universities For National Institute of Health Funding 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Harvard Johns Hopkins Penn UC-San Francisco Washington
6. PITT 7. UCLA 8. Duke 9. Michigan 10. Washington Univ. (St. Louis)
According to Educational Institutions and Affiliates
university of pittsburgh
Cathedral of Learning The Cathedral of Learning, which is the tallest educational building in the United States, is a 42-story gothic cathedral. Inspired by the vision of Chancellor John Bowman, the Cathedral was partially funded by 97,000 area school children, each of whom contributed a dime to buy a brick for the cathedral. “They shall find wisdom here and faith—in steel and stone, in character and thought—they shall find beauty, adventure, and moments of high victory,” said former Chancellor Bowman.
Our City is our Campus From the “old” Allegheny Observatory on the North Side, to the Applied Research Center in Harmarville, to the brand new Duratz Athletic Complex on the South Side, it is really true that the city is our campus. Factors like performing arts, museums, sports, healthcare, and safety make Pittsburgh the “second-most attractive college town” in the United States. among cities of its size, according to a recent survey. Pitt Arts connect our students to the extensive cultural life of the region, providing free admission to many of our neighboring museums and city events.
Pitt: A World-Class Institution Pitt ranked No. 37 on Newsweek’s “Top-100 Global Universities” list. Including a variety of factors, the list ranked the world’s top colleges and universities.
Key Numbers at the University of Pittsburgh •9 0 percent of Pittsburgh faculty hold earned doctorates and/or first professional degrees. • Student: Teacher Ratio: 16:1. • 60 percent of classes have less than 30 students and offer small group sessions for questions and answers.
• 90 percent of freshmen return the subsequent year. •P itt is ranked among the “100 Best Colleges for African American Students” by Amazon.com • 23,241 is the full-time undergraduate enrollment for the Pittsburgh campus. •T he 2001 U.S. News & World Report rankings rated the University of Pittsburgh’s College of Business Administration among the nation’s top-10 percent of accredited U.S. business programs. •A ccording to U.S. News & World Report, the University of Pittsburgh ranks among the nation’s top-10 programs in information systems, engineering medicine, education, business, metallurgy, and computer engineering. • The University of Pittsburgh is one of 66 members of the Association of American Universities, a prestigious group whose members include the major research universities of North America. • For the third time in four years, the University of Pittsburgh ranked among the nation’s best in the 2009 edition of the Top American Research Universities.
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World Class Institution “Besides being one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the United States, the University of Pittsburgh is also among the nation’s most distinguished comprehensive universities, with a wide variety of high-quality programs in both the arts and sciences and professional fields.”
About the University A “World-Class Institution” the University of Pittsburgh is an internationally respected center of learning and research, offering exceptional educational opportunities in the arts, sciences and professions.
Mission The University of Pittsburgh’s mission is to advance teaching, research and public service. This three-part commitment enables the University to serve others by educating diverse students from the region, the nation and the world; expanding boundaries of knowledge, discovery and technology; and enhancing quality of life in the Western Pennsylvania region and beyond.
History The University began in the Pennsylvania wilderness as the Pittsburgh Academy in 1787, the year the U.S. Constitution was adopted. Thirty-two years later, the Pittsburgh Academy became the Western University of Pittsburgh, and in 1908, the school changed its name to the University of Pittsburgh. Graduate degrees have been conferred since 1836, and the first doctoral program was developed in 1884. A private institution for most of its past, the University of Pittsburgh became state-related in 1966, establishing a relationship with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that continues to benefit both partners. Today, as an elected member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Pittsburgh claims its place among the top public research universities in the nation.
Accreditation All campuses of the University of Pittsburgh are accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on High Education. Schools, programs and departments may furthermore be accredited by discipline-specific accrediting bodies.
Academic Organization As an independent, state-related, coeducational institution, the University of Pittsburgh’s main campus offers a multitude of degree-granting and other programs housed in 16 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. The University system includes the Pittsburgh campus and four regional campuses at Bradford, Greensburg, Johnstown and Titusville. There are approximately 122 academic research and administrative buildings and residence halls located on the Pittsburgh campus, which covers 132 acres in the culturally rich Oakland neighborhood. At the heart of the campus stands a central landmark- the Cathedral of Learning, a 42-story Gothic tower, which is the tallest school building in the western hemisphere. The cathedral contains the Nationality Rooms, 26 classrooms, each designed to reflect a distinct culture and providing an overall, multi-dimensional understanding of America’s heritage. At the Pittsburgh campus, over 12,000 employees and 4,600 faculty serve approximately 27,562 students, including over 10,000 graduate and over 17,000 undergraduate students. Alumni accomplishments range from managing Fortune 500 corporations, to writing bestselling novels, to unlocking the secrets of DNA…and more.
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As we enter the 21st century, Pitt remains a place of enduring tradition and vitality, true to the work ethic of western Pennsylvania, rich in intellectual rigor, and committed to preparing students for their lives and careers.
university of pittsburgh
Pitt’s Academic Programs Arts and Sciences Africana Studies Anthropology Architectural Studies Bioethics Biological Sciences Chemistry Children’s Literature Classics Classics, Philosophy & Ancient Science Communication Computer Science Cultural Studies East Asian Languages & Literatures Economics English Environmental Studies Film Studies French & Italian Languages & Literatures German Geology & Planetary Science Hispanic Languages & Literatures History History and Philosophy of Science History of Art & Architecture Intelligent Systems Jewish Studies Linguistics
Mathematics Medieval and Renaissance Studies Music Neuroscience Philosophy Physics and Astronomy Political Science Psychology Religious Studies Slavic Languages and Literatures Sociology Spanish Statistics Studio Arts Theatre Arts Urban Studies Women’s Studies
Business Katz Graduate School of Business College & Business Administration
Dental Medicine Education Administrative and Policy Studies Health, Physical, & Recreation Education Instruction and Learning Psychology in Education
John A. Swanson School of Engineering Bioengineering
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Civil and Environmental Engineering Computer Engineering Electrical Engineering Engineering Physics Industrial Engineering Materials Science and Engineering Mechanical Engineering
General Studies Health & Rehabilitation Sciences Communication Science & Disorders Emergency Medicine Health Information Management Occupational Therapy Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science & Technology Sports Medicine and Nutrition
Honors College Information Sciences Information Science & Telecommunications Library & Information Science
Law Medicine Anesthesiology Biomedical Informatics
Cell Biology and Physiology Clinical Research Computational Research Critical Care Medicine Dermatology Emergency Medicine Family Medicine Immunology Institute of Aging Interdisciplinary Biomedical Graduate Program Integrative Molecular Biology Medicine Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Neurobiology Neurological Surgery Neurology OB/GYN and Reproductive Sciences Ophthalmology Orthopaedic Surgery Otolaryngology Pathology Pediatrics Pharmacology and Chemical Biology Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Psychiatry Radiation Oncology Radiology
Structural Biology Surgery Urology
Nursing Pharmacy Public and International Affairs Public Health Behavioral & Community Health Sciences Biostatistics Environmental & Occupational Health Epidemiology Health and Policy & Management Human Genetics Infectious Diseases & Microbiology Multidisciplinary MPH Program
Social Work University Center for International Studies Asian Studies Center Center for Latin American Studies Center for Russian & East European Studies European Union Center of Excellence and European Studies Center
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university of pittsburgh
Pitt: A Premier Reseach University
Key Numbers at the University of Pittsburgh • The UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh has been ranked 10th out of 113 hospitals that completed the most recent U.S. News & World Report survey for its 2008 “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” issue. • According to a survey by the Top American Research Universities, Pitt ranked as the nation’s No. 25 overall academic institution, the Big East Conference’s top public institution and the nation’s 12th best public university.
“What distinguishes Pitt from many other organizations struggling to move through the recession is that there is an increasing demand for higher quality higher education and cutting-edge research, our most basic products.”
-Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg in 2009
The Pitt Panther The University of Pittsburgh adopted the Panther as its mascot at a meeting of students and alumni in the fall of 1909. The Panther was adopted for five reasons: •The Panther was a fearsome animal & indigenous to the area •It was historically considered noble •The happy accident of alliteration
• Pitt’s research expenditures during the 2009-10 academic year totaled $654 million—and having claimed some $150 million in stimulus-supported grants, the school expects to pass the $700 million mark in research expenditures this year. Over the past decade, Pitt’s research expenditures totaled an astounding $5.33 billion. • Pitt’s community contributions extend far beyond numbers. The University is a dedicated institutional citizen, a commitment evidenced by the fact that Pitt was the country’s top-ranked public • Pitt’s high-achieving faculty also has made the University an internationally respected center of pioneering research. At the close of the decade in 2010, Pitt ranked fifth nationally in terms of funds annually attracted by members of our faculty from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and also ranks among the nation’s top-10 in total Federal Science and Engineering Research and Development support. • A report from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education called Pitt’s undergraduate programs “impressive” in both variety and strength. And with a student-to-faculty-ratio of 16:1 and more than 60 percent of classes with few than 30 students, undergraduates at Pitt have the opportunity to interact with world-class faculty.
•Panthers can be naturally gold in color, thus matching one of Pitt’s colors. •No other college or university had a Panther mascot at the time.
Pitt Alma Mater Alma Mater, wise and glorious, Child of Light and Bride of Truth, Over fate and foe victorious, Dowered with eternal youth, Crowned with love of son and daughter, Thou shalt conquer as of yore,
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Dear old Pittsburgh, Alma Mater, God preserve Thee evermore!
National Institute of Health Annual Funding Top 5 Scholars • Harvard • Johns Hopkins • Penn • Univ. of California-San Francisco • PITTSBURGH
university of pittsburgh
Federal Science and Engineering Research Development Support Institutions ranked among the national top-10 include PITT, Johns Hopkins, University of Washington, Michigan, Penn, UCLA, Duke, Columbia, Stanford and the University of California-San Francisco.
A Pitt Freshman Profile in 2009 According to www.pitt.edu
• Applications: 21,737; Students Admitted: 12,722 • Six out of 10 freshmen who apply, receive need-based aid. • Percentage of students from Allegheny County: 16% • Percentage of students from the state of Pennsylvania: 70%
U.S. News & World Report College Academic Rankings (Top-120) Pitt ranked as the highest rated public institution in the Big East Conference by U.S. News & World Report. 65. Rutgers 20. Notre Dame 66. Connecticut 23. Georgetown 84. Marquette 56. PITT 58. Syracuse Note: Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Providence, Seton Hall, South Florida, St. John’s, Villanova and West Virginia did not rank among the nation’s top-120 institutions.
Pitt’s Incoming Student Statistics According to Collegeboard.com
• 49% ranked in the 10th of their high school graduating class • 86% ranked in the top quarter of their graduating class • 99% placed in the top half of their graduating class • 65% had a grade point average of 3.75 or higher • 1 7% had a grade point average between 3.50 and 3.74 • 11% had a grade point average between 3.25 and 3.49
• Out of state students: 30% • Middle 50% admitted SAT range: Math 600-710; Critical Reading: 580-700; • Writing: 580-680 • Top 10% rank in high school: 56% • Freshman retention rate: 92.7% • Freshman minority enrollment: 19%
U.S. News & World Report Academic Rankings Department Physical Therapy Nursing Public Health Social Work Medical Research Pharmacy Public Affairs
Rank No.2 No.7 No.11 No.14 No.14 No.19 No.27
U.S. News & World Report ranked seven Pitt academic programs among the nation’s top-30 of its kind:
• 5% had a grade point average between 3.0 and 3.24 • 2% had a grade point average between 2.5 and 2.99
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university of pittsburgh
Roscoe Robinson, Jr.
Patricia Churchland
Paul Lauterbur
Dick Thornburgh
Bert O’Malley
Distinguished Alumni “The university that began in a humble log cabin has evolved into an internationally recognized center of learning and research. Medical breakthroughs, amazing discoveries and brilliant victories dapple its long history. For 215 years, Pitt has been making the world healthier, safer, and more tolerant, but there is always more work to be done…”
Erik Buell
Most commonly recognized as a leader in a variety of fields including science, medicine and technology, University of Pittsburgh graduates are pioneers and achievers in numerous occupations. Pitt graduates have been found winning Olympic Gold medals, serving our country in the armed forces, leading international corporations, writing for the Wall Street Journal, excelling in politics, performing on Broadway, movies and televisions shows, receiving induction into numerous athletic halls of and inventing life-altering technology and cures. From pioneering nuclear energy to inventing CPR and the Pentium Pro chip, from winning an Oscar, the Nobel Peace Prize and the Pulitzer to producing the first African-American four-star General, University of Pittsburgh alums have made their presence known to the world.
Arts & Entertainment Adrian Cronauer
Radio disk jockey and inspiration of the movie Good Morning Vietnam
Orinn Hatch Tony Dorsett
Michael Chabon
2001 Pulitzer Prize winning author
Bill Cullen
Game show host, original host of the Price Is Right
Gene Kelly
Academy Award winner, dancer and actor
Andrew Mellon
Host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
August Wilson
1987 Pulitzer Prize winning playwright who wrote about African-American experience in the 20th century
Michael Waldholz
Mike Ditka
Dan Marino
Tony Dorsett
Jock Sutherland
Herb Douglas
Glenn “Pop” Warner
Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Heisman Trophy winner Bronze medalist in the long jump at the 1948 Summer Olympics
Thomas Starzl
Bill Fralic
Pro Football Hall of Fame member
Marshall Goldberg
Pro Football Hall of Fame member
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Fred Rogers
Athletics Pro Football Hall of Fame member
Vladimir Zworykin
Well-known architect who designed the Cathedral of Learning, the world’s first educational skyscraper
1997 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting on AIDs (Wall Street Journal)
Gene Kelly Roger Kingdom
Charles Klauder
Roger Kingdom
Two-time Olympic Gold medalist, sprint hurdler, world recordholder
Pro Football Hall of Fame member Hall of Fame football coach, All-American football player, Pitt professor of dentistry Pitt football coach who guided the Panthers to 33 straight wins and three national championships (1915, ‘16, ‘18)
John Woodruff
1936 Berlin Olympic gold medalist in the 800-meters
university of pittsburgh
Adrian Cronauer
Jim Burke
D.A. Henderson
Mike Ditka Wangari Maathai Bill Cullen
Fred Rogers
Dan Marino
Jonas Salk
Michael Chabon
August Wilson
Herbert Boyer
Business
Science, Medicine & Technology
Andrew W. Mellon
Herbert Boyer
Thomas Usher
John Brashear
Banker, philanthropist, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and founder of Carnegie Mellon
Chairman of U.S. Steel and Marathon Oil
Biochemist, 1990 National Medal of Science, co-founded Genentech Astronomer, Pitt Chancellor, maker of astronomical and scientific instruments
Erik Buell
Military
Engineer, founder of the Buell Motorcycle Company, subsidiary of Harley-Davidson
Roscoe Robinson, Jr.
Reginald Fessenden
First African-American Four-star general
Philosophy Patricia Churchland
Inventor, chemist and sonar pioneer who developed insulation for electrical wires, built the first wireless telephone and transmitted the first audio radio broadcast
D.A. Henderson
1991 MacArthur Genius-winning philosopher noted for her work in neurophilosophy
Faculty member, National Medal of Science winner, directed World Health Organization’s Global Smallpox Eradication Campaign
Politics
Norman Horowitz
Orinn Hatch
United States Senator since 1977
Wangari Maathai
2004 Nobel Peace Prize
Dick Thornburgh
U.S. Attorney General and Governor of Pennsylvania
Geneticist who worked on the famous one-on-one gene enzyme hypothesis and space scientist for the Mariner and Viking missions to Mars
Samuel Pierpont Langley
Astronomer, physicist, inventor and aviation pioneer whose infrared observations were used to make the first calculations on the greenhouse effect
Paul Lauterbur
2003 Nobel Prize winner for his invention of the MRI machine
Bert W. O’Malley
Molecular endocrinologist and 2008 National Medal of Science laureate
Peter Safar
Physician and CPR pioneer
Dr. Jonas Salk
Developer of the polio vaccine
John W. Simpson
Pioneer of nuclear energy, recipient of the Edison Medal
Thomas Starzl
Father of the organ transplant
Vladimir Zworykin
Inventor of television technology
James E. Keeler
Astronomer who discovered Saturn’s rings were made of particles
Charles Glen King
Biochemist known for isolating vitamin C
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city of pittsburgh
“I’ve been struck by how many beautiful places there are in this country that you don’t necessarily think of as beautiful. Pittsburgh, for example, is a really handsome town with the rivers and hills.”
-President Barack Obama on Pittsburgh
America’s Most Livable City America’s Top-10 Most Livable Cities : *
1. PITTSBURGH, PA
6. Omaha, NE
2. Ogden, UT
7. Manchester, NH
3. Provo, UT
8. Trenton-Ewing, NJ
4. Ann Arbor, MI
9. Lincoln, NE
5. Harrisburg, PA
10. Bridgeport-Stamford- Norwalk, CT
*Places Rated Almanac
Established:
1758
Population:
334,563 (city) 1.33 million (Allegheny County)
Area:
55 sq. mi.
Bridges:
448 (most of any city in the world)
Elevation:
1,223 ft.
Average Temp:
Spring – 49 F Fall – 53 F
World Championships:
Steelers (6), Pirates (5), Penguins (3)
Summer – 71 F Winter – 30 F
Educational Institutions: 29 colleges and universities in Southwestern Pennsylvania
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There is an unmatched beauty as you cross one of the many Pittsburgh bridges and take a look down one of the three rivers- the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio. The view is aweinspiring from the heights of Mount Washington or coming out of the Fort Pitt Tunnel. The rivers surround Pittsburgh, keeping the buildings nestled in the “Golden Triangle,” highlighted by the striking fountain at the city’s Point. The city and its numerous neighborhoods are an appealing mix of the old and the new, the classic and the modern. Those neighborhoods are full of pre-modern churches, giving them a nostalgic sense even as more modern architecture is built around them. The past several years, Pittsburgh has undergone yet another renaissance, as the majestic new stadiums, Consol Energy Center, PNC Park, Petersen Events Center and Heinz Field, have been erected as well as the new David Lawrence Convention Center. There is something for everyone in Pittsburgh. For children, there is the Children’s Festival, the Pittsburgh Zoo and Kennywood Park, rated the sixth-best amusement park in the world even in its second century of existence. For anyone looking to mix learning and excitement, there is the Carnegie Science Center and its World War II submarine that patrons can board and view up close. The Three Rivers Arts Festival and Three Rivers Regatta are perennial events that bring thousands of visitors to the city to enjoy cultural activities in Point State Park. A recent resurgence in the performing arts has welcomed a slew of world-renowned actors, actresses, stage technicians, musicians and opera singers to the numerous cultural centers. The renovated Byham Theater, Benedum Center, Heinz Hall and O’Reilly Theater host a variety of shows and performances throughout the year. New medical facilities have helped Pittsburgh continue to be on the cutting edge of the health profession. Many of those facilities are housed in Oakland, also the site of the University of Pittsburgh’s main campus. Oakland has emerged as a city of its own with museums and the beautiful Schenley Park.
Pittsburgh Quick Facts
Tourism:
The city of Pittsburgh has grown and adapted as the world itself has changed. From its days as the “Gateway to the West” to its famous steel-town age and now as a cultural and medical center, Pittsburgh has been hailed as one of the top places to live in the United States.
3.9 million people visit annually
The city of Pittsburgh has provided excitement and thrills for over two centuries, but it has also supplied millions of people with a fabulous place to call home.
City of pittsburgh
“Pittsburgh’s industrial past has given way to an enterprising and vibrant present. Pittsburgh has all the charms of a larger city, but lacks many of the usual disadvantages. Crime is low and it’s easy to find a neighborhood that perfectly fits your needs. There are a number of things that make it a great place to live, work and play. The abundance of leisure activities create a quality of life in Pittsburgh that is virtually unmatched.”
Pittsburgh Attractions Mt. Washington and the inclines Andy Warhol Museum Carnegie Museums of Art & Natural History
-Visitpittsburgh.com
Heinz Regional History Center The Strip Carnegie Science Center & UPMC Sportsworks Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens Nationality Classrooms at the Cathedral of Learning
Top 9 Things To Do In Pittsburgh
The Mattress Factory
1. Ride the Duquesne or Monongahela Incline
Pittsburgh Zoo
2. Have lunch at Primanti Brothers
Kennywood Amusement Park
3. Visit Point State Park
Station Square
4. Spend an afternoon at one of the Carnegie Museums
Shadyside
5. Take in a professional game
South Side Nightlife
6. Visit the Cathedral of Learning
Fallingwater
7. Enjoy the rides at Kennywood Amusement Park 8. Experience the South Side 9. Ride the Gateway Clipper Cruiseline Source: Pittsburgh Vibe Magazine
“While Pittsburgh used to be called Steel Town, they need to call it Knowledge Town.”
- Former President George W. Bush while meeting with Pitt researchers to discuss efforts to combat bioterrorism
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The Facts About Pittsburgh
• Only city in the United States with the distinction of being named “America’s Most Livable City” three times by Places Rated Almanac. • Ranked as America’s “Greenest City” by Green Building Alliance in 2004. • Pittsburgh has 448 bridges, more than any other city in the world.
“…the only city in America with an entrance.”
- New York Times on entering the city of Pittsburgh through the Fort Pitt Tunnel
America’s 10 Most Beautiful Places: 1. Red Rock Country, Sedona, AZ 2. Nighttime view from Mount Washington, Pittsburgh, PA 3. Upper Mississippi River 4. Hawaii’s Na Pali Coast 5. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA 6. Grafton, VT 7. Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park, WM 8. Drive from Key Largo to Key West, Florida 9. Clingmans Dome along Appalachian Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN 10. The Squares of Savannah, GA Source: USA Today Weekend.com Date: June 2, 2010
America’s Most Underrated Cities 1. Baltimore, MD
6. Minneapolis, MN
2. Fort Lauderdale, FL
7. PITTSBURGH, PA
3. Houston, TX
8. Portland, OR
4. Kansas City, MO
9. Providence, RI
5. Louisville, KY.
10. Sacramento, CA
Source: MSNBC.com, March 2, 2008
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• Home of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the first–and largest–certified green convention center in the world, which was selected by the White House to host the 2009 G-20 Summit. • Ranked among the World’s Top-10 Cleanest Cities by Forbes Magazine (2007). • Referred to as the “San Francisco of the East Coast” for its notable hills and beautiful views. • Named one of the World’s Top Travel Destinations for 2008 by Frommer’s, a leading publisher of international travel guides. • Boasts the second-most beautiful view in the United States according to USA Today (view from Mt. Washington). • Ranked as America’s sixth “most literate” among 64 metro areas (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 2003).
• Pittsburgh is home to many “firsts,” including the first U.S. public television station (WQED), the first U.S. radio station (KDKA), the first all-aluminum building (Alcoa), the first polio vaccine (Jonas Salk) and the first robotics institute (Carnegie Mellon University). • Ranked the 11th best city for women in cities with more than 300,000 people (Ladies’ Home Journal, April 2002). • Has been rated safer than 82 out of 100 metro areas in the United States (Places Rated Almanac). • Host of the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star game at PNC Park. • Host of the 2008 PGA USA Open. • PNC Park was rated the best ballpark in Major League Baseball by ESPN’s Jim Caple in 2008. • Sports Illustrated ranked Heinz Field as the second-best stadium in the National Football League. • Pittsburgh was ranked the Ninth “Best City for Work and Family” in America by Fortune Magazine. • U PMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) was named the 13th best hospital in America. • Pittsburgh is ranked among the nation’s top-25 arts destinations (American Style Magazine, 2003).
City of pittsburgh
• According to the Economist’s 2009
• Pittsburgh is consistently
• Forbes Magazine ranked Pittsburgh
• Pittsburgh is a patchwork of distinct
livability survey, Pittsburgh is the most livable city in the United States of America and ranks No. 29 in the world. 10th among thousands in its review of the world’s cleanest cities.
• According to MSNBC, Pittsburgh is ranked No. 1 for best housing markets in America.
• Pittsburgh was named the best
city in America for relocating a family. After weighing nearly 50 factors from affordable housing and commute times to recent job growth and proximity of top-ranked universities, the 2008 report from Worldwide ERC and Primary Relocation gives Pittsburgh top honors among large metropolitan areas in the United States.
mentioned as “kid and family friendly” specifically in terms of public safety, health care, economics and population change. neighborhoods, and many are rich with ethnic history and modern innovation. When the open-air markets and artisan shops of the Strip District close, restaurants and nightclubs open in their place. Bloomfield boasts the title of Pittsburgh’s “Little Italy,” and the family-oriented Polish Hill requires little elaboration. Marvel at the Mansions in Shadyside, the artists’ lofts in Lawrenceville, or the Victorian homes of the Mexican War Streets. Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods are diverse, but they are united in their strong sense of community pride.
“New York Times, Time Magazine, folks from around the country and the world are noticing what Pittsburgh has done to transform itself from what some might have considered a Smokey City to a city of today, 21st century jobs, economic transformation, high tech, bio tech, and green jobs as well,” - Barack Obama in 2009
• A San Francisco based non-
profit, GreatSchools, has named Pittsburgh Public Schools the seventh-best public school system among large U.S. cities, or those with more than 300,000 people. (April, 2010).
• Pittsburgh’s cost of living beats
similar metro areas and is ranked 30 percent below other cities of its size.
“With its breathtaking skyline, its scenic waterfront, its cozily vibrant downtown, its rich mixture of cultural amenities, its warm neighborhoods and its scrubbed-clean skies, Pittsburgh is no longer the smoky, smelly, gritty mill town of yesteryear.”
-New York Times
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A GREAT SPORTS TOWN
City of Champions
Each year, Pittsburgh ranks among the best sports towns in America. The Panthers are part of a great city sports family that includes professional franchises in football, baseball and hockey. The Steelers of the NFL , the Pirates of Major League Baseball and the Penguins of the NHL all call Pittsburgh home and, along with the Panthers, are an exciting part of the city’s flavor. • The Sporting News named Pittsburgh as America’s Best Sports City in 2009 •T he 2009 and 2006 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most accomplished franchises in professional sports history, winning an unprecedented four Super Bowls during the 1970s.
“Whether it’s the CEO of U.S. Steel or the guy running the body shop on the other side of the street, Pittsburgh’s people share a common bond with their sports teams.”
-Dave Wannstedt, Pitt Football Coach
Sporting News’ Top-10 Sports Cities 1. PITTSBURGH, PA
6. New York, NY
2. Philadelphia, PA
7. Phoenix, AZ
3. Boston, MA
8. Miami, FL
4. Chicago, IL
9. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
5. Los Angeles, CA
10. Detroit, MI
A look at the Sporting News’ top-10 best sports cities for 2009
•S ensational Sidney Crosby currently stars for the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise that won the 2009 Stanley Cup. The franchise has enjoyed NHL Playoff berths in each of the last four seasons. •P NC Park has been named one of the most beautiful baseball stadiums in the country. It opened in 2001 and boasts a stunning view of the Pittsburgh skyline. •O ver the last nine seasons (2001-10), Pitt Basketball’s .790 winning percentage (24565) ranks among the nation’s top-5 best winning percentages during that span. Pitt Basketball games at the Petersen Events Center have also been sold out for the last eight consecutive seasons. • Pitt football has enjoyed back-to-back bowl games and accumulated a 19-7 record over the last two seasons.
“The Sporting News recognized what we’ve known all along, that Pittsburgh separates itself from other cities not just by its passion for sports but a demanding standard of excellence.”
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-Kevin Gorman, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
A GREAT SPORTS TOWN
“It is also true that Pittsburgh is above all a place where the priorities are threefold: the Pittsburgh Steelers (six-time Super Bowl champion), the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey club (threetime winners of the Stanley Cup in the last two decades); and University of Pittsburgh men’s basketball (a perennial top-20 team). These teams form the heart of civic conversation and, in some respects, drive development for good or bad. This is why when delegates hit the streets downtown after those mind-bendingly serious sessions on world finance, they will see a city dressed cheerfully in uniform. This is not the uniform of commerce—suit, tie, wingtips—but the wardrobe of whatever team is playing that day, week or, for that matter, season. It might be the blue and gold of Pitt, the distinctive yellow and black of the Steelers football team, or the crisp power blue and white of the Penguins’ special uniform.” —Cindy Skrzycki, Global Post, 2009, explaining to the world about Pittsburgh
“The way this town is, you live and die by sports. That’s crazy, but hats off to the fans. They’ve really done a great job of making this a tough town to play in.”
-Charlie Batch, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and Pittsburgh native
“Pittsburgh is “City of Champions” once again. Football, baseball, hockey, basketball. Pittsburgh’s sports résumé stacks up with the best. With the Penguins winning their third championship, Pittsburgh becomes the first city to ever hold the Lombardi and Stanley Cup trophies at the same time. The Super Bowl-champion Steelers have a young core and the Penguins have an even younger one. Pitt basketball is now a perennial national title contender. TitleTown USA, City of Champions, whatever you want to call it, it’s Pittsburgh, PA.”
- D.J. Gallo, ESPN.com
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Student life
The Pitt Experience “Friendly and diverse, the city is Pitt’s campus. Pitt students enjoy all the benefits of a major city—ballet, professional sports, opera, major concert tours, internship opportunities, shopping and restaurants—with few of the problems. Pittsburgh is also one of the safest cities of its size—large enough to offer plenty of activities but small enough to get around in.”
Pitt is it. It’s a place to learn, have fun and make memories that will last a lifetime As a student at the University of Pittsburgh, education isn’t limited to the confines of a classroom or the extent of studies; learning encompasses every facet of a college experience. Whether it’s joining a student club, trying new foods, attending one of the numerous seminars, obtaining tickets to the latest Broadway production or simply becoming more familiar with the City of Pittsburgh, every day our students are engaged. Oakland, home to Pitt’s main campus, boasts numerous activities within walking distance. Schenley Park, the third-largest urban park in America, provides an escape from the city atmosphere. At the park, individuals can tour Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, play a game of tennis with friends, catch the latest outdoor movies at “Cinema in the Park,” or go ice-skating during the winter. Pitt students have free access to the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History, located just a block away from the Cathedral of Learning, where individuals can view and study famous pieces of artwork created by such artists including Monet, Degas and Warhol or mingle alongside the numerous fossils and artifacts within the museum. As part of a diverse neighborhood, Oakland is home to many favorite foods and ethnic restaurants. Whether it’s craving a basket of fries from the famous Original Hot Dog Shop, world-famous sandwiches from Primanti Bros., a great gyro for dinner or desiring sushi, students are bound to satisfy their taste buds somewhere in Oakland. Oakland is also home to Dave & Andy’s Home Made Ice Cream, a local favorite to satisfy that sweet tooth, which was rated one of USA Today’s national top-10 places to enjoy ice cream.
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President Barack Obama visited the Petersen Events Center on his campaign trail.
student life
Oakland is just the beginning for Pitt students. With its central location, it is in walking distance, or just a short and free bus ride (all students get on the city buses for free with their Pitt I.D.) away from various Pittsburgh neighborhoods including Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, the South Side and Downtown; each of which provides students with something different. Shadyside is home to Ellsworth Ave. and Walnut St. which guarantee great shopping with nationally recognized brands and local boutiques. Squirrel Hill offers that “small town feel” with its main street set-up along Forbes and Murray avenues. There, one can find various specialty shops ranging from kosher delis, shoe shops, book stores and numerous vintage stores. Just across the Monongahela River is the vibrant South Side, which is renowned for its endless amount of entertainment venues that line East Carson Street. The 15 block stretch provides numerous shops, eateries, cafes, art galleries, live music venues, novelty shops and the best nightlife Pittsburgh has to offer. Also located adjacent to downtown is Station Square, where individuals can ride one of Pittsburgh’s two inclines to Mount Washington, the best view of Downtown Pittsburgh. Just three miles from Oakland is Downtown Pittsburgh which essentially provides students with that “urban, big city” lifestyle. Home to eight Fortune 500 companies it’s the perfect place for students to begin their careers with fantastic internship opportunities just minutes away from the University of Pittsburgh. Not only is it a place to jumpstart your future, but it provides great entertainment for students; with the growing cultural district, five different sporting venues including PNC Park, Mellon Arena, Heinz Field,Petersen Events Center and the brand-new Consol Energy Center. Pittsburgh has become a frequent stop for big-time entertainers. Within the last year, students have had the opportunity to see Dane Cook, Kenny Chesney, Britney Spears, Green Day, Taylor Swift and Legally Blonde (off-Broadway), Paul McCartney, and Lady Gaga just to name a few.
“Pitt students enjoy a fun, beautiful and urban campus that is secluded enough to feel like college and at the same time, fully integrated into the vibrant, affordable and extremely friendly city of Pittsburgh.”
-2009 Princeton Review
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Athletic tradition
Tony Dorsett: 1976 Heisman Trophy Winner
Meagan Dooley Single- Season Blocks Record Holder
Keith Gavin 2008 NCAA Wrestling Champion
Only Big Dreams “Pitt fans are very passionate about the school and its teams. It’s a special bond that comes from dedicating four years of your life to a school, of spending so much time on the campus and of interacting with members of the athletic teams who also have classes to attend, term papers to write and final exams to study for. Besides athletics, the University of Pittsburgh has so much to offer. Many of its undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs are among the best anywhere.” —Beano Cook, ESPN
Doubles Partners: Kristy Borza and Elizabeth Adams
Sue Heon: 1984 Olympic Swimmer
Every athlete dreams, but at Pitt we only dream big. The University of Pittsburgh has a valued, championship athletic tradition. One that, since it’s beginning has thrived off of one thing: big dreams. Big dreams have led our teams to numerous national, conference and regional titles and fueled individual athletes into their own realm of success. While the dreams of our past have been marked in the record books, it hasn’t stopped our current pursuit for even bigger dreams. They are what push our athletes to excel during practice, perfect their routine down to the most minute detail, hit the weight room and exceed their own expectations when there is no audience to impress. So when the right moment comes they are able to quicken their feet as they near the finish line, extend their arms as they reach for that extra inch on a fourth and goal and push themselves to the limit as the clock works its way down to zero. By accepting only big dreams in each endeavor that we take and aspiration we pursue, we get the greatest return: immense successes.
Pitt athletics by the numbers: Football
1976 National Football Champions
Pat Santoro: Two-time NCAA Wrestling Champion
Nine-time national champions (1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1976) 26 major college bowl game appearances 19 Associated Press poll top-25 finishes Seven undefeated seasons One Heisman Trophy winner (Tony Dorsett, 1976) 10 major individual college award winners Four Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees 26 College Football Hall of Fame inductees
John Woodruff: U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist
23 NFL First Round draft picks 289 NFL players 87 First Team All-Americans Eight retired jerseys (Mike Ditka, Tony Dorsett, Bill Fralic, Marshall Goldberg Hugh Green, Dan Marino, Mark May, Joe Schmidt)
Women’s Swimming and Diving
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1991 Final Four Team
Two Olympians Angie Lopez (1976) and Sue Heon (1984) Four four-year All-Americans 17 total All-Americans (five others earned honorable mention) Nine Big East Championships
Jerome Lane shattered backboard in 1988
Athletic tradition
Tony Dorsett: NCAA Division I Rushing Record
1984 Big East Champions Women’s Swimming and Diving
Women’s Basketball
Women’s Volleyball
Two NCAA Sweet Sixteens (2008, 2009)
11 Big East Tournament Championships
Three NCAA Tournament appearances
11 NCAA Tournament appearances
One WNBA first-round draft pick
Eight Big East Tournament MOPs
One All-American
Seven Big East Players of the Year
Men’s Basketball
Three Big East Rookies of the Year
Two-time national champions (1927-28, 1929-30) One NCAA Final Four - (1941) Two NCAA Elite Eight appearances - (1974, 2009) Six NCAA Sweet Sixteens (1974, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009) Five Big East regular season titles (1986-87, 1987-88, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04) Four league tournament titles (1981, 1982, 2003, 2008) 22 NCAA Tournament appearances
16 All-Big East First Team selections Three All-Americans
Softball First Professional Player -(2007) Jessica Dignon (Washington Glory)
Track & Field Two Olympic U.S.A. Gold Medal winners John Woodruff (1936, 800 meters), Roger Kingdom (1984 & 1988, 110-Meter High Hurdles) 10 Olympians
12 All-Americans
Six NCAA Men’s Champions
Four retired jerseys: (Don Hennon, Billy Knight, Brandin Knight, Charles Smith)
10 NCAA Women’s Champions
Gymnastics
19 NCAA Men’s All-Americans
One National Champion Lisa Shirk (1982, Uneven Bars) Six National Qualifiers 20 All-EAGL first team Members Seven EAGL Champions
Men’s Swimming and Diving 19 Big East Championships Nine All-Americans (13 others earned honorable mention)
Baseball Nine All-Americans 32 MLB Draft selections 43 All-Big East selections
Men’s Soccer
18 NCAA Women’s All-Americans
Wrestling 29 wrestlers that have gone undefeated in dual season 16 NCAA Champions 26 NCAA Finalists 41 NCAA Semifinalists 45 NCAA All-Americans Four Eastern Wrestling League Tournament Outstanding Wrestlers Three EWL Wrestlers of the Year Rande Stottlemyer: three-time EWL Coach of the Year 44 EWL Champions 93 EWL Finalists 27 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Champions
On the University of Pittsburgh campus, between the Cathedral of Learning and Heinz Chapel, is a sidewalk known as the Varsity Walk. There, embedded in the stones, are the names of former Pitt athletes who have promoted the University through their athletic or academic achievements. The Varsity Walk was conceived in 1950 as a way to honor athletes, and new members are added each year. The distinctive hand-carved stones were first presented as the Athletic Committee Award and the Charles C. Hartwig Award. The Athletic Committee recognized the best athlete from any sport. The Charles Hartwig Award was given to the senior athlete who promoted and sponsored the best interests of Pitt athletics, in honor of the 1934 All-America tight end. In 1971 the awards were changed to the Panther and Blue-Gold awards, respectively. The Panther Award is presented to the graduating senior-athlete who has promoted Pittsburgh athletics through his/her outstanding athletic achievement. The Blue-Gold Award is given to the seniors who represent the student-athlete ideal based on academic scholarship, athletic achievement, leadership qualities and citizenship. The awards were expanded to include women in 1975.
Four EIWA team titles
Six All-Americans 16 professional players
Varsity Walk
Roger Kingdom: Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist
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Pitt Facilities
Trees Pool
Petersen Events Center
Fantastic Facilities “With the Petersen Events Center, Pitt now has the finest set of athletic facilities in the Northeast corridor. The University of Pittsburgh has made two major improvements to its campus, both designed to give the athletic program a competitive advantage. The UPMC football complex and the Petersen Events Center are both state-of-the-art and palatial and have taken Panther athletics to another level.”
- Dick Weiss, New York Daily News
Fitzgerald Field House
Petersen Events Center A 12,508-seat basketball and multipurpose arena, the Petersen Events Center, serves as the home for the Pitt men’s and women’s basketball programs, as well as numerous campus events, graduation ceremonies, concerts and modern recreational and fitness facilities. Game day accommodations include four luxury courtside suites, 12 luxury club level suites, a luxury courtside special event suite and the finest club lounge in college basketball. The Petersen Events Center serves as the home of the Pitt Athletic Department and Hilda M. Willis Center for Academics for student-athletes. The academic center includes a computer lab with 27 computers, writing lab, math/science area, individual tutor rooms, counseling offices, career resource area and media room. It additionally houses the McCarl Panther Hall of Champions, a walking museum of Pitt Athletics both past and present. The building’s Restaurant Row has nine major concession areas with 66 total points of sale, featuring a five-store food court that is open daily as well as on game day. The Baierl Student Recreation Center boasts 40,000 square feet of recreation space including four racquetball courts, two squash courts, Cybex weight machines, a large freeweight area and state-of-the-art aerobic areas.
Charles L. Cost Center The Charles L. Cost Center is spacious enough to house a regulation football field or nine tennis courts.
Heinz Field
It was recently resurfaced with new Astroturf and serves as an indoor practice facility for the Panther baseball, soccer, softball and track and field teams. The center is named after former running back Charles L. “Corky” Cost who donated an excess of $1 million for its construction.
Heinz Field The Club, Tennis Facility
One of the nation’s finest football venues, Heinz Field is home to Panther football. The horseshoe stadium seats 65,050 people and provides a stunning view of Pittsburgh’s breathtaking skyline. Pitt has a private locker area (the Duratz Locker Room) and competes on a heated grass playing surface. Fan amenities include more than 400 television monitors, two video walls, 32 concession areas, club seating and 122 luxury suites. Located on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, the stadium is also home to the six-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Fitzgerald Field House, Olympic Weight Room
Pitt Facilities Gymnastics Training Center
Pitt Wrestling Room
UPMC Sports Performance Complex
Trees Field
The UPMC Complex is a state-of-the-art training facility, which includes Pitt’s Duratz Complex, serving as the Panthers’ football practice facility.
Located behind the Cost Center with a striking view of the downtown skyline is Trees Field, home of the Panthers’ baseball and softball teams.
Its features include expansive training rooms, team meeting and film-viewing rooms, weight rooms and dining facilities.
The baseball park underwent more than $500,000 worth of renovations, including the installation of a new major-league caliber astroturf infield and lights. The Panthers played their first-ever home night game in 1999 under the field lights.
In addition, it houses coaching and administrative staff offices for the football program as well as the Panthers’ Hall of Fame, housed in the Duratz Athletic Complex. UPMC Sports Medicine facilities are also on site, providing Pitt athletics with some of the best care in the world.
Fitzgerald Field House This facility serves as the competitive venue for several of Pitt’s sports, including volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling. It is also used as an indoor partial practice facility for the track and field team. Built in 1951, it was named for Rufus H. Fitzgerald, Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh from 1944-1945. The Field House contains offices for many of Pitt’s coaches and includes locker rooms, training rooms and weight rooms for the Panther student-athletes. Also located within Fitzgerald Field House is the Pitt Wrestling Room Pitt’s wrestling room. The wrestling room is twice the size of the previous training facility while containing new floors and wall mats. The room is equipped with new ventilation system and lighting. Also included is a video and recruitment room as well as a cardio are on a balcony above the surface.
Fitzgerald Field House Locker Rooms
An additional field was added for the softball program in 2003, giving the Panthers’ their first on-campus softball facility. Two all-purpose astroturf infields adjoin Trees Field allowing for additional practice area for the Panthers.
Trees Hall and Trees Pool Trees Pool serves as the Panthers’ swimming and diving teams’ home pool. Pitt has hosted 15 Big East Conference Championships in the facility and is set to host the 2010 conference meet. A new high-tech scoreboard was added in 2002 and dedicated to Ben Grady, a former Pitt head swimming coach, at the 2003 ECAC Championships. The newly renovated 75-by-165 foot Olympic sized pool has the dual capability of an eightlane, 50-meter course or a 20-lane, 25-yard course. This past summer, renovation to the pool brought it up to current NCAA regulations in addition to the installation of a new diving board platform and railings. The circulation, drainage and heating systems were also refurbished. The diving area is well equipped with two 1-meter and two 3-meter durafirm stands with maxiflex boards in addition to multiple diving towers with a 16-foot water depth.
Added in 1999, the locker rooms include pro-style individual wooden lockers and audio-visual systems for exclusive use by the Panthers.
Also located in Trees Hall is the Gymnastics Training Facility. At almost 12,000 square feet, Pitt’s gymnastics training facility ranks as the second largest in the Eastern Atlantic Gymnastics League and one of the largest in the Northeast Region. The facility houses seven balance beams, an oversized floor exercise area, tumbling pit, personal equipment storage, bench seating, cardio equipment and a music center.
The Fitzgerald Field House is home to the following Pitt sports: Baseball, Gymnastics, Soccer, Softball, Swimming and Diving, Track and Field, Volleyball and Wrestling.
Trees Hall is also home to many of the University’s sports and recreation classes as well as providing a home to all intramural sports including basketball, soccer and lacrosse.
The locker rooms in the Fitzgerald Field House are custom designed for Pitt’s Olympic sports teams.
Olympic Sports Weight Room One of Pitt’s newest facilities, it opened in 2005 as part of the athletic department’s “Quest for Excellence.” It covers the entire east balcony of the Fitzgerald Field House and is large enough to train approximately 70 student-athletes at one time. With nearly 10,000 pounds of free weights, the weight room also includes new treadmills and stationary bikes. There is also an open area for stretching and focusing on specialized muscle groups.
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Pitt Facilities
Baseball Stadium Baseball will include a press box, team dugouts and hitting and pitching practice areas. Synthetic grass will extend the ability to practice and play throughout the year and lighting will allow for evening games.
“Pitt ranks among the best in the world academically and wants to achieve at that same high level athletically. I am incredibly excited about the plans for a new Olympic sports facility. Not only will the facility enhance the Pitt student-athlete experience but it also will make our outstanding University even greater with the opportunities it provides.”
- Jessica Dignon, (CAS ’08) Three-time All-Big East honoree and the first Pitt softball student-athlete to play professionally.
Soccer Stadium The men’s and women’s soccer stadium will be a practice and competition venue, complete with synthetic grass field, lighting and a press box.
“A commitment to this project is an investment in the future of a great university and athletic program. My wife Fran and I are committed to making this facility a reality because of the tremendous impact it will have on the Pitt student-athlete experience.”
- Charles L. “Corky” Cost, (ENGR ’58), Pitt football, basketball and baseball letterman.
Petersen Sports Complex
Similar to the blueprint Pitt began cultivating in 2000 to entrench itself among the country’s finest universities, Pitt Athletics is intent on doing the same from a student-athlete perspective. Envisioned is a new complex that will provide state-of-the-art homes for Pitt baseball, softball, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s track and field. The complex will transform 12 acres of land at the peak of campus, not only giving Pitt student-athletes nationally competitive facilities, but also rejuvenating an untapped area that neighbors the University of Pittsburgh campus.
The Olympic Sports Complex “A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is a reality.”
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–John Lennon
The Olympic Sports Complex will transform 12 acres of unused land into a major attraction for the kind of top-performing student-athletes who can elevate the quality of our Olympic sports programs while competing academically to achieve all that an education at the University of Pittsburgh has to offer. Combined with the premier venues of Heinz Field, the Petersen Events Center, the UPMC Sports Performance Complex, and the newly renovated Fitzgerald Field House and Trees Pool, this complex will offer students, parents and fans an enthralling sports experience that stretches from Oakland to the North Shore to the booming South Side.
Pitt Facilities
Softball Stadium Softball will have a skinned infield with an artificial grass outfield, along with lighting. The stadium will include team dugouts, hitting and pitching practice areas and a press box.
Track & Field Stadium The track and field stadium will be utilized for practice and competition, and be located on the site presently occupied by Pitt’s current baseball and softball fields.
“I have had the honor and privilege to experience firsthand the rich tradition of Olympic sports at the University of Pittsburgh. My Pitt experience continues to impact my life to this very day, so I want to ensure that current and future generations of studentathletes have that same lifelong benefit.”
- Herbert Douglas Jr., (EDUC ’48, M.Ed. ’50), 1948 Olympic Bronze Medalist in the long jump, Pitt track and football letterman.
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Academic support
Academic Emphasis Learning is Strength for Life “The student-athletes at the University of Pittsburgh have been given an excellent opportunity to succeed in their academic pursuits. Our alumni, faculty and administration would be proud to know that our student-athletes are hard-working, dedicated and as committed to success in the classroom as they are on the athletic arena.�
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- Michael Farabaugh, Director of Academic Support
Academic Support Services has one mission: to help the men and women athletes of the University of Pittsburgh have a meaningful and successful academic experience during their campus years. While competing in their respective sports, University of Pittsburgh student-athletes focus on graduation and preparation for the future. To this end, Academic Support Services is an invaluable resource for the student-athlete community. Academic counselors meet with their student-athletes on a regular basis to provide advising, counseling, tutorial and study skills support as well as career services. Pittsburgh boasts first-class academic facilities in the Hearst Academic Center for StudentAthletes and the Hilda M. Willis Center for Academic Support. Located in the Petersen Events Center, the Willis Center serves as another resource for student-athletes to reach their highest academic potential. Staffed by full-time academic counselors and graduate assistants, the Willis Center features a computer lab with 25 computers, tutorial rooms and a student reference library, giving the Panthers access to all of the features of Academic Support Service.
Academic support
Pitt Athletics Academic Program The University of Pittsburgh Academic Support program is designed specifically to guide and assist student-athletes in their pursuit of meeting graduation requirements. The following is an outline of the academic services each studentathlete will receive on a yearly basis:
A.C.T.S. Program
T-Tutorial Program Free tutoring provided to assist with course and content review. • Helpful both in and out of season; in particular during times of team travel. • Offer individual tutoring, group tutoring and review sessions. • Appointments are structured around class and practice schedules.
A-Academic Support Help student-athletes balance workload while adjusting to the demands of a highly competitive NCAA Division I program. • Review team schedules and assist with layout of class schedule.
S-Study Skills Program Mandatory program designed to assist first-year student-athletes with a successful transition from high school to college.
• Monitor progress in classes by communicating directly with instructors two times per semester.
• Identify learning styles to help with study techniques.
• Review NCAA continuing eligibility requirements.
• Review various other issues relating to the student-athlete experience.
• Review time management to assist with balancing demands.
C-Career Counseling Work closely with University Career Services to assist students with choosing majors, internship preparation, and resume preparation.
• Freshman Year: Self-exploration to identify personal interests.
• Sophomore Year: Career inventories to assist in deciding majors.
• Junior Year: Resume preparation/internship exploration.
• Senior Year: Job/Graduate school preparation.
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Academic support
2009-10 PITT Academic Highlights “The University of Pittsburgh is a special place, and its student-athletes are truly remarkable people. Our student-athletes are the backbone of what makes our program special and it is their “Big Dreams” that make us all so excited to be a part of the Panther family. Our student-athletes once again reached an impressive level of academic success. In addition to their work in the classroom, our student-athletes were highly active in the community, dedicating over 2,500 hours of community service to over 40 local charitable events and organizations. Our student-athletes have set themselves apart as leaders on campus and in the community.”
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- Steve Pederson, Athletic Director
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254 Student-Athletes achieved a 3.0 term GPA or above.
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12 Student-Athletes achieved a 4.0 term GPA.
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128 Student-Athletes were named Big East Academic All Stars.
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Six members of the Gymnastics Team were named All-American Scholar Athlete by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches for Women.
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12 members of the Gymnastics Team were named to the EAGL All-Academic Team by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastic Coaches for Women.
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Six members of the 2009 Women’s Softball Team named National Fast Pitch Coaches Association All-American Scholar Athletes.
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Three members of the Women’s Tennis Team were named ITA All-Academic honorees for 2009 Women’s Tennis ITA All-Academic Team.
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12 members of the Wrestling Team were named to the EWL Academic Honor Roll.
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Meagan Dooley of Volleyball was named the 2009-10 Big East Female Scholar Athlete of the Year.
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Women’s swimming and diving earned its 11th consecutive CSCAA Scholar AllAmerican distinction.
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Seven members of the swimming and diving team earned individual CSCAA Scholar All-American accolades.
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40 Cheerleaders & Dance Team members achieved a 3.0 term GPA or above.
Big East Conference
Big East Conference One of America’s Great Conferences
The Big East Conference will mark its 32nd season of existence with the 2010-11 academic year. The 16-team league has gone through membership changes over the past three decades but has never been stronger. This season will mark the conference’s sixth year as the nation’s largest NCAA Division I conference. The goals of the Big East have never changed. The league aims and expects to compete at the highest level and does so with integrity and sportsmanship. The student-athletes of the member schools continue to maintain the league’s proud tradition of success.
“The BIG EAST conference reflects a tradition of broad based programs, led by administrators and coaches who place a constant emphasis on academic integrity. Its student athletes own significantly high graduation rates and their record of scholastic achievement notably shows a balance between intercollegiate athletics and academics.”
- bigeast.org
The BIG EAST by the numbers: umber of new members joining the conference in 2005-06. (University of 5 – NCincinnati, DePaul University, University of Louisville, Marquette University and the University of South Florida).
he Big East is one of six conferences that comprise the NCAA Division 6 – TI football Bowl Championship Series, the highest level of competition in collegiate athletics.
ig East institutions reside in nine of the nation’s largest media markets, 9 – Bincluding, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Tampa, Pittsburgh, Hartford, Milwaukee and Cincinnati.
16 – N umber of institutions that belong to the Big East Conference. umber of sports the Big East Conference sponsors with the addition of 24 – Nmen’s lacrosse in 2009-10. overage area of both the nation’s population and television 25%– Caudience the Big East Conference reaches.
umber of national championships the league has won since opening its 26 – Ndoors in 1979.
32 – Years in existence for the Big East Conference. ver 370 Big East Conference student-athletes have earned academic 370 – OAll-America honors. 550 – O ver 550 students-athletes have earned All-America recognition. ith its headquarters in Providence, R.I., the conference 5,500 – Wadministers to more than 5,500 student-athletes. C27
life skills
Panther Game Plan
Pitt’s Student-Athlete Life Skills Program
“The Panther Game Plan life skills program provides student-athletes with numerous opportunities to grow and develop beyond the classroom and field of play. Through our services, programs and workshops, Pitt student-athletes will be better prepared for life’s challenges.”
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- Penny Semaia, Director of Life Skills
Life at an active, first-rate university is, among other things, a rehearsal for life to follow. The city of Pittsburgh and its Oakland campus setting – complete with all of its joys and hardships, its competition, exhilaration, hopes and disappointments—can offer a student-athlete many characteristics of the real world following graduation. Created to assist student-athletes with these challenges, the University of Pittsburgh has initiated the Panther Game Plan program, a life skills program for studentathletes which is focused on development.
The mission of the Panther Game Plan is to develop and prepare student-athletes for success while in college and for life after college, utilizing academic, athletic and community resources.
LIFE SKILLS
Initiated in 1995 as one of the pilot programs in the NCAA Champs Life Skills Program, The Panther Game Plan continues to expand its commitment to the offerings and opportunities in the following areas:
Academic Achievement
While the coaches and the staff of Academic Support Services work timelessly to support our student-athletes in their academic pursuits, the Panther Game Plan contributes to these efforts by providing recognition and supplementary programs.
Athletic Achievement
Health and Wellness Through the Panther Game Plan, student-athletes are empowered and encouraged to lead a healthy life style. The Panther Game Plan collaborates with services here at the University of Pittsburgh as well as the nation’s top professionals in their field.
The Panther Game Plan provides programming to supplement the efforts of our coaches and to assist coaches and staff in the athletic development of Pitt student-athletes.
Leadership and Character Development
Career Development and Graduate School Preparation
Panther Game Plan programs assist in shaping good character and building leadership skills. In addition to programming, Pitt student-athletes have an opportunity to participate in national training and development.
In collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh’s Career Development Office, the Panther Game Plan provides career and graduate school preparation services to student-athletes.
Financial Education
Community Service
For many college students, personal finance is a new responsibility. Panther Game Plan programs are available to assist student-athletes with developing sound financial practices and habits.
The Panther Game Plan is dedicated to engaging student-athletes in experiences that involve the university, local, and national communities through service and exposes them to diverse groups and cultures while increasing awareness about vulnerable populations. In addition to serving the community, the Panther Game Plan utilizes community service as a resource for student-athlete development.
Personal Development Panther Game Plan programs are designed to develop the whole student-athlete: for success in the classroom, on the field of play and in the community.
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Strength and Conditioning
Strength & Conditioning
Pitt’s strength and conditioning program is designed to improve athletic performance in all facets: strength and flexibility, speed and power, conditioning, agility, nutrition and mental toughness. Each individual student-athlete receives personal instruction, individual attention and a strength and conditioning program based on need. A strength and conditioning coordinator is on hand to provide personal instruction.
Philosophy The University of Pittsburgh strength and conditioning program is designed to provide Panthers student-athletes with a coordinated step-by-step, year-round program with the goal of enhancing each student-athlete’s athletic ability and achieving maximum results.
Weight Room and Equipment Weight rooms are located in Fitzgerald Field House, Petersen Events Center and Duratz Athletic Complex. The weight rooms are conveniently located to provide easy access for student-athletes’ use. The weight room is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment including several power lift Olympic platforms custom made to fit people seven feet tall, York Barbell DB Racks, Body Master, Hammer Strength, Elite Fitness Systems, Free Motion Fitness, PreCore Treadmills, Step Mill, Schwinn Bikes, Versa Climber and Concept II Rower.
Program Design, Goals and Objectives • Increase strength and flexibility • Develop/increase speed and power • Increase overall condition • Improve agility • Improve position-specific skills • Increase mental toughness through discipline and competitiveness • Balance nutrition
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Supreme Care
Athletic Training and Sports Medicine Working with the University of Pittsburgh student-athletes in the area of sports medicine is a team of athletic trainers and doctors at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex. They provide the University of Pittsburgh student-athletes the best in sports medicine and health care.
Program and Objectives The primary focus of the Athletic Training Services is injury prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. The sports medicine team utilizes a multidisciplinary approach including athletic training, strength and conditioning, orthopedics and nutrition, to name a few. The program at the University of Pittsburgh is dedicated to providing all the aspects of prevention, evaluation, management and rehabilitation of all injuries and illnesses.
UPMC Sports Performance Complex University of Pittsburgh student-athletes also have access to the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine located on Pittsburgh’s South Side. This clinic provides student-athletes the opportunity to be seen by various medical specialists who are able to combine the resources of a major academic institution and expert clinical services for professional and collegiate sports teams. Specialty areas include sports nutrition, physical therapy, neuromuscular research, as well as X-Ray and magnetic resonance imaging capabilities. The clinic is under the under the direction of the David Silver Professor and Chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Freddie Fu.
Hospital care is provided at UPMC. Duratz Athletic Complex Training Center
Facilities Student-athletes receive treatment in three athletic training facilities: The Petersen Events Center, Duratz Athletic Complex, and Fitzgerald Field House. The facilities feature a full-size whirlpool, X-Ray capabilities, physician examination room, therapeutic modalities and rehabilitation equipment and is staffed by professionals who provide health care to student-athletes.
Petersen Events Center Training Facility
Fitzgerald Field House Training Center
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chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg
Chancellor Mark Nordenberg and wife Dr. Nikki Nordenberg
Mark A. Nordenberg
Chancellor of the University and Distinguished Service Professor of Law
The past academic year was Mark Nordenberg’s fifteenth year of service as Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh. It was a year that presented a broad range of serious challenges – for the world’s economy and for higher education generally, as well as for the University. It also was a year of extraordinary accomplishment for Pitt, clearly reflecting a determined commitment to ensure that institutional momentum was maintained and that Pitt continued to build strength, even in the aftermath of what now is known as the “Great Recession.” Consider the following telling examples of position and progress. For the fourth consecutive year, Pitt was ranked in the very top cluster of the nation’s public research universities in The Top American Research Universities, an objective assessment undertaken annually by the Center for Measuring University Performance. The other distinguished universities in that top group were Berkeley, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, UCLA and Wisconsin. Pitt was among the top five universities, private or public, in terms of the research grants competitively won by members of its faculty from the National Institutes of Health – joining Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Penn and the University of California at San Francisco.
Chancellor Nordenberg has long been a strong and enthusiastic supporter of Pitt athletics. He is a past Chair of the Big East Conference and a past member of the NCAA’s board and executive committee. He continues to serve on the Big East executive committee and recently served as co-chair of its search for a new commissioner. Chancellor Nordenberg also serves as the Big East Conference representative to the Presidential Oversight Committee of the Bowl Championship Series.
Pitt also ranked among the top ten universities nationally in terms of total federal science and engineering research and development support. The other universities in that “top ten” are Johns Hopkins, Washington, Michigan, Penn, UCLA, Duke, Columbia, Stanford and the University of California at San Francisco. For the third time in five years, a Pitt undergraduate was named a Rhodes Scholar. Since only thirty-two Rhodes Scholars are selected annually from among the very best students at the country’s best universities, this is a truly noteworthy accomplishment. In fact, only four public universities have claimed three Rhodes Scholarships in the last five years – Florida State, North Carolina, UCLA and Pitt. Pitt was ranked as the nation’s top public university in last year’s edition of Saviors of our Cities: A Survey of Best College and University Civic Partnerships, a well deserved acknowledgment of a very strong record of community commitment. The University also received national recognition as one of the best places for biomedical researchers to work, as one of America’s most “veteran friendly” universities, and as one of the country’s best employers of people over fifty. Pitt’s progress over a more extended period of time can be measured in a number of ways. Because the University’s principal missions are education and research, two indicators of growing stature, as measured by the marketplace, are especially telling. From 1995 to 2010, applications for admission to the undergraduate programs of the Oakland campus have nearly tripled, climbing from 7,800 to more than 22,600. During that same period, the University’s annual research expenditures more than tripled, growing from $240 million in 1995 to $735 million in 2010. Those dollars not only fund pioneering work and are a recognized sign of institutional strength but support large numbers of local jobs. In fact, applying standard conventions, Pitt now supports, directly and indirectly, close to 26,500 jobs through its research expenditures alone. Any institution of higher learning makes many of its most important contributions through the work of its graduates, and the recognition earned by Pitt alumni would be the envy of any university. Among many other honors, during the past decade, graduates of the University of Pittsburgh have claimed the Nobel Peace Prize, the Nobel Prize in Medicine, the Pulitzer Prize
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chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg
for Fiction, the National Medal of Science (this country’s highest scientific honor), the Fritz Medal in Engineering (that discipline’s highest honor), the Shaw Prize in Medicine (awarded in Hong Kong and also known as “the Nobel of the East”) and the Albany Prize in Medicine (this country’s largest award in that discipline).
Earlier in his career, Chancellor Nordenberg served as Dean of the School of Law and Interim Provost of the University. In 1994, he was elevated to the special faculty rank of Distinguished Service Professor. In 1995, he was elected Interim Chancellor by the University’s Board of Trustees, and in 1996, following a national search, he was elected Chancellor.
The stature of any university also is directly dependent on the achievements of its faculty, and Pitt faculty members continue to claim the highest honors in their fields. Examples reflecting the breadth of faculty accomplishment include election to such prestigious societies as the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Education, the American Academy of Nursing, the American Educational Research Association, and the World Academy of Art and Science. Looking to the future, it may be especially telling that more junior members of the Pitt faculty regularly claim the most prestigious “early career” awards for their high potential work.
Chancellor Nordenberg has long been an active contributor to the broader community, leading efforts focused on such key issues as the proposed consolidation of city and county governments, the challenges facing the state’s urban schools, the work force development needs of the region, and issues of governance in the city’s public schools. He served as the founding chair or co-chair of such technology-driven economic development initiatives as the Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse, the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse, the Robotics Foundry, and the Technology Collaborative. He is a past Chair of both the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Universities and the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education. He also is a member of the board and executive committee of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and a Director of Bank of New York Mellon.
Over the course of his years in office, Chancellor Nordenberg has received many forms of professional recognition for his own accomplishments. Among other honors, he has been named Pittsburgh’s Person of the Year by both Vector’s Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh magazine. Even more recently, he was named a History Maker by the Senator John Heinz History Center, was awarded the Homer S. Brown Law Association’s Spirit Award, and received the Presidential Leadership Award from six national foundations and professional organizations for his efforts to promote a vibrant intellectual and social campus climate that de-emphasizes alcohol.
Chancellor Nordenberg is a strong supporter of Pitt athletics. He is a past Chair of the Big East Conference and currently serves on its executive committee. He is a past member of the NCAA’s board of directors and its executive committee. He also serves as the Big East representative to the Presidential Oversight Committee of the Bowl Championship Series.
To celebrate the remarkable progress achieved during his first decade as Chancellor, University trustees, alumni leaders and special friends contributed $2.5 million to endow a faculty chair in his name. At the time of that announcement, the late Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy, then the Chair of the University’s Board of Trustees, stated: “This endowed chair indicates the extraordinary esteem in which we hold Mark Nordenberg, not only as an individual and a leader who has brought the University to an unprecedented level of success and achievement but also as a true academic at heart. And for a person who is a true academic, the highest honor one can bestow is to endow a faculty chair in his or her name in perpetuity.” Chancellor Nordenberg joined the faculty of Pitt’s School of Law in 1977 and quickly built a reputation as an outstanding teacher. He was the initial recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award now presented annually by the School’s graduating class. He also was one of the first faculty members to receive the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, recognizing teaching excellence university-wide. His area of academic specialty is civil litigation, and he has served as a member of both the U.S. Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on Civil Rules and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Civil Procedural Rules Committee.
Chancellor Nordenberg has long recognized that a vibrant athletic program not only serves as a unifying force within the University but provides a critical link to the broader community. He also recognizes that success in competition is just one measure of a program’s worth. Pitt student-athletes also are a source of pride because of the way that they represent our University, contribute to the broader community, and achieve academically. During the last year, 141 Pitt student-athletes earned a grade-point-average between 3.0 and 3.49; 93 earned GPA’s between 3.5 and 3.99; and twelve student-athletes achieved a perfect 4.0 grad-pointaverage. A member of our women’s volleyball team, was named the overall female scholarathlete of the year by the Big East Conference, and a member of our football team was named the Big East scholar-athlete of the year in that sport. Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Chancellor Nordenberg first moved to this region as a high school senior, when his father was transferred to Pittsburgh by U.S. Steel. He is an honors graduate of North Allegheny High School, Thiel College and the University of Wisconsin Law School. He has been married for nearly 40 years to Nikki Pirillo Nordenberg, who earned her Ph.D. at Pitt. The Nordenbergs have three adult children – Erin, Carl and Michael – each of whom is a graduate of the University’s Falk Laboratory School. Erin also earned a graduate degree from Pitt’s School of Information Sciences.
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athletic director Steve pederson
The Pederson Family: Daughters Kari and Kristin, Steve and Tami, daughter-in-law Brooke and son Mark.
Steve Pederson Athletic Director
In an increasingly challenging age for intercollegiate sports, the success of the University of Pittsburgh’s athletic department is nothing short of impressive. By any measure – be it victories on the field of play, student-athlete graduation rates or rising attendance figures – Pitt Athletics is enjoying a new golden era. The architect of the Panthers’ 21st century renaissance is Steve Pederson. Now entering his 10th year as Pitt’s athletic director, Pederson’s leadership has ushered in an exciting new age of heightened achievement – and an anticipation of even greater accomplishments in the future. The key to accomplishment, Pederson believes, is aspiration – the Panthers will work hard and aim high in every endeavor. That philosophy resonates with each Pitt student-athlete and staffer, and is the driving spirit behind his department mantra of “Only Big Dreams.” His ability to galvanize people and programs prompted Pitt chancellor Mark Nordenberg to say, “In my judgment, and this assessment is shared by countless others, Steve Pederson is one of this country’s most talented and accomplished athletic directors.” Indeed, each year of his tenure has witnessed new points of pride for Pitt Athletics. The 200910 academic year was no exception – and it has the Panther Nation eagerly anticipating the possibilities for 2010-11. Success was plentiful in the athletic arena this past year. Pitt’s most visible sports, football and men’s basketball, boasted Top 20 rankings. Football won 10 games, including a stirring bowl victory over North Carolina, and finished 15th in the final polls. Basketball continued its remarkable run by earning a ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth, the longest active streak in the Big East. This success prompted CBS Sports to list Pitt as one of the five best combination football and basketball programs in the entire country. Other notable achievements included a historic campaign for the Pitt wrestling team, which captured its first-ever Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) championship; a 38-victory season for baseball, which spent the majority of the year in the Top 25; and a fifth consecutive postseason berth for women’s basketball. Individually, Pitt student-athletes earned All-America and Academic All-America honors, while continuing to graduate and achieve in the classroom at unprecedented levels. An impressive 269 student-athletes earned grade-point averages of 3.0 or above this past year, including 12 who achieved perfect 4.0 GPAs. Volleyball’s Meagan Dooley exemplified the best of both academics and athletics at Pitt. An All-America performer on the court, Dooley was also a 4.0 student while earning a dual degree in special education and liberal arts. An NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient, she was honored as the Big East’s Female Scholar-Athlete of theYear and Volleyball Player of the Year.
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And Pitt student-athletes continued to make their presence felt in the community, contributing more than 2,600 hours of charitable work for various organizations around Western Pennsylvania and beyond in 2009-10. Momentum for Pitt Athletics under Pederson’s watch was obvious in other areas as well. The Pitt Athletic Department was the recipient of a generous and substantial gift from alumnus John Petersen and his wife Gertrude for the construction of the Panthers’ new Olympic Sports Complex. The facility, to be named the Petersen Sports Complex, is being built on 12 acres at the peak of Pitt’s upper campus, and will provide state-of-the-art homes for the Panthers’ baseball, softball and men’s and women’s soccer teams. The Petersen Sports Complex will not only give Pitt student-athletes nationally competitive facilities, but it also will rejuvenate a previously untapped area of land that neighbors the University of Pittsburgh campus. The facility is scheduled to open in the spring of 2011. On the media front, Pederson orchestrated a partnership with CBS Radio Pittsburgh, giving Pitt football and basketball a powerful new flagship home in KDKA-FM 93.7 The Fan beginning in the fall of 2010. With coverage that blankets the tri-state area, 93.7 The Fan will broadcast not only Pitt games but also an array of compelling ancillary programming. Additionally, Pitt women’s basketball gained a new radio home in 1320 WJAS-AM. One of Pittsburgh’s most historic radio stations, WJAS will provide live play-by-play action of each regularseason and postseason game for the Panthers in 2010-11, marking the first time the Pitt women’s basketball program has enjoyed such coverage. Pederson’s efforts also produced a new athletics apparel partnership with NIKE, making the Panthers one of the finest outfitted programs in the country. Each of the Panthers’ 19 intercollegiate sports teams wear NIKE footwear, uniforms, practice gear and equipment. The long-term agreement outfits more than 450 student-athletes at Pitt. The excitement surrounding Pitt Athletics is also evident at the turnstiles. Pitt men’s basketball once again enjoyed a strong homecourt advantage with the 12,508-seat Petersen Events Center soldout for an eighth consecutive year. Moreover, attendance for Pitt football at Heinz Field has jumped 60% over the past two years, a trend that figures to continue into the 2010 season. This success – on the field, in the classroom and various other areas – comes as no surprise to those familiar with Pederson’s track record. His return to Pitt in November 2007 gave the Pitt Athletic Department an instant shot of adrenaline that continues to be felt, and built upon, three years later. His initial Pitt tenure, from 1996-2002, was characterized by a dramatic revitalization of the Panthers’ fortunes, building the foundation for the success the Pitt Athletic Department enjoys today. During his first Pitt tenure, Pederson hired six Big East Conference Coach-of-the-Year honorees (football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, track and field and volleyball), an unprecedented achievement by a Big East athletic director. In 1999 he charged an unknown coach from Northern Arizona University with the task of resurrecting the Panthers’ struggling men’s basketball program. That coach, Ben Howland, would build Pitt into a Big East power and was named the consensus National Coach of theYear in 2002. Pitt, which had not been to the NCAA Tournament in nine years, advanced to the “Sweet 16” in 2002 after posting a school-record 29 victories. The following season, Pitt would reach No. 2 in the polls, capture its first Big East Tournament championship and again advance to the NCAA regional semifinals. Since that time, Pitt basketball has become one of the nation’s most consistent winners. Over the past eight seasons, Pitt has earned an RPI ranking of No. 3, trailing only No. 1 Duke and No. 2 Kansas.
athletic director Steve Pederson
Pitt basketball coach Jamie Dixon, a two-time National Coach of theYear, recalled how instrumental Pederson was in helping to lure him to Pittsburgh to serve with Howland a decade ago. “Steve was the person who originally convinced me to come to the University of Pittsburgh back in 1999,” said Dixon, who enters his eighth year as Pitt’s head coach and 12th overall. “He has continued to be a tremendous friend and a person I have regularly sought out for advice and direction over the years...Everyone in our department is going to benefit from his leadership.” Pitt football also was renewed under Pederson’s watch. Upon his arrival, the Panthers were coming off seven consecutive seasons without a bowl. By the end of his tenure, Pitt earned four bowl berths in six years, including back-to-back postseason wins in 2001 and 2002. The ‘02 team finished 9-4, the program’s best mark in 20 years, and ranked No. 18 in the final polls. One of the stars of that 2002 team was receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who would become a unanimous All-American and now is an All-Pro performer for the Arizona Cardinals. “When I decided to go to Pitt, it was for many reasons – a great school, a great football tradition and great people,” Fitzgerald said. “Steve Pederson was one of those great people who made me feel like Pitt was the place for me. I couldn’t be happier that Steve is back.” While Pederson was instrumental in helping to revive Pitt football’s present, he was very attentive to honoring the program’s historic past. One of his first major steps as athletic director was to retire the jerseys of all-time Pitt greats Mike Ditka, Marshall Goldberg and Joe Schmidt. Pederson later initiated the Pitt jersey retirement of Mark May, the Panthers’ lone Outland Trophy winner. Pitt enjoyed tremendous achievements in attendance under Pederson. In NCAA Division I men’s basketball, Pitt ranked among the nation’s top five schools in attendance increase for two consecutive years (2001-02 and 2002-03). The 2002-03 basketball season – the inaugural campaign in the 12,508-seat Petersen Events Center – was sold out. Capitalizing on the exciting and unanticipated success of the 2001-02 basketball team, Pitt held a highly successful “select your seat” campaign for prospective season-ticket holders that simultaneously achieved customer satisfaction as well as enhanced fundraising. In football, Pederson formed a marketing and ticket pricing plan that resulted in record attendance for the 2003 season. Season tickets were soldout for the ‘03 campaign as the Panthers averaged an all-time record 59,197 fans for their home season, surpassing the previous mark of 54,818 set in 1982. Pederson’s tenure has witnessed a major strengthening of Pitt’s athletic infrastructure. With Chancellor Nordenberg, he helped shape the vision of the Petersen Events Center, the state-of-theart convocation center that dramatically revolutionized Pitt’s campus upon its opening in 2002. The Events Center is widely considered one of the finest college basketball venues in the country and has also been a major asset for student life, providing outstanding recreational facilities and a fitting place for graduation ceremonies. Pederson was at the forefront of the football program’s move into the UPMC Sports Performance Complex, which included the forging of a unique relationship between UPMC, a professional sports franchise and college athletic program. He personally oversaw the design and layout of the
Panthers’ Duratz Athletic Complex, which houses Pitt’s football offices and training areas, and has been described as the finest facility for a college football program in the country. Pitt football gained a sparkling new home in Heinz Field under Pederson’s watch in 2001.The Panthers gained a prominent presence at the new stadium with their logos on the seating, gates and signage. Pederson additionally initiated the renaming of Martindale Street to “Tony Dorsett Drive” to further enhance Pitt’s identity on the North Shore. “Steve Pederson made many important contributions during his first tenure as Pitt’s athletic director from which the university is still seeing the benefits today,” said Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Dan Rooney. “He played an integral role in the development of Heinz Field and the UPMC Sports Performance Complex where both Pitt and the Steelers run their football operations.” Fitzgerald Field House underwent a major renovation in 1998-99, providing Pitt’s Olympic sports programs with new locker and training facilities. Trees Field also underwent major upgrades to accommodate both baseball and Pitt’s new softball program. During his five years at Nebraska (2002-07), Pederson was also at the forefront of significant facilities construction, including a $51 million expansion to Memorial Stadium. The project resulted in new football facilities as well as new strength, sports medicine and indoor facilities for baseball, softball, soccer and sand volleyball. Additionally, the women’s volleyball, gymnastics and rifle teams received a new office complex. Athletics fundraising doubled over his final four years, going from $9 million annually in 2003 to $16 million his final year. Nebraska achieved at exceptional levels athletically and academically during his tenure. In 2006-07, the Cornhuskers won the national championship in women’s volleyball, while the football team won the 2006 Big 12 North title and advanced to its first NewYear’s Day bowl game since 2001. Overall, 15 Nebraska teams earned NCAA invitations. Academically, Nebraska earned a schoolrecord 94% graduation rate, the highest in the Big 12 as Cornhusker student-athletes achieved a combined 3.0 grade-point average during the 2007 spring semester. Pederson and his wife Tami have three children: Mark, Kari and Kristin. Mark was married to the former Brooke Gillette in 2009.
“As great as the past has been at Pitt, the future is even brighter. I get up every morning so excited to come to work at this great university.”
- Steve Pederson Athletic Director
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Top Competition in the Big East
Underrated Academic Powerhouse
City of Champions
Outstanding Academic Reputation
World Class Institution Premier Research University
State-of-the-Art Facilities
Situated in America’s Most Livable City