News

University of Pittsburgh Announces Test-Optional Program Extension Through Fall 2023

The University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid announced the test-optional policy for fall 2021 admission has been expanded to first-year applicants in all programs, majors, schools and colleges through fall 2023.

Associate Professor Konstantinos Pelechrinis Featured in Pittwire Super Bowl Article

Will that matter?  Not so much, said Konstantinos Pelechrinis, an associate professor at Pitt’s School of Computing and Information (SCI) and head of the Network Data Science Lab. His data analytics includes modeling of football outcomes.

“In Tampa, as is the case with any final regardless of location, there will be fans of both teams. So, I don’t really expect this to be a factor,” he said. 

SCI Students Create COVID-19 Vaccine Website

Courtney Sheridan’s grandmother received her first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in late January, but only after a lengthy time on a waitlist.

Adriana Kovashka Named Pitt Cyber Affiliate Scholar

SCI Assistant Professor Adriana Kovashka was recently named an Affiliate Scholar of the Pitt Cyber Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security.  Pitt Cyber is a collective of legal, policy, and technical researchers that addresses critical questions of networks, data, and algorithms, with a focus on the ever-changing gaps among law, policy, and technology.  Affiliate Scholars are drawn from faculty noted for excellence in cyber-themed research and teaching.  Adriana Kovashka teaches in the Department of Computer Science.  Her p

Former SCI Faculty Featured in MSNBC Podcast

Former SCI faculty member Carla Hayden was recently featured in the MSNBC podcast The Oath with Chuck Rosenberg.  Hayden is the 14th Librarian of Congress and has had a long and distinguished career in the field of library science.  She taught at the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Science from 1987 to 1991.  She is currently leading a new initiative called Of the People: Widening the Path, which is designed to connect the Library of Congress more deeply with Black, Hispanic, Indigenous and other underrepresented communities.

SCI Alumnus Becomes CTO of Healthcare Technology Company

SCI alumnus Girish Chavan has recently become Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Astrata, Inc., a company that offers a variety of technological products to healthcare organizations.  The company utilizes analytics, informatics, and quality measurement to improve health services.  In his role as CTO, Chavan leads the Product, Engineering and IT organizations of the company. 

SCI Alumna Receives Michigan Library Award

SCI alumna Stephanie Reinhardt recently received the Frances H. Pletz Award for Excellence in Service to Youth, which is given annually to a Michigan library staff person who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of library service to youth throughout their career.  The award was among the 2020 Michigan Library Awards bestowed by the Michigan Library Association, the Michigan Association for Media in Education, and the Michigan Academic Library Association.  These awards are considered the state’s highest honors within the library community.

SCI Student Creates App to Help Local Restaurants

SCI student Gabriel Thrower recently created an app called Bar Spy to help local restaurants and bars.  The app uses user-generated content to display information about local establishments, including whether they're open, specials they're currently offering, and events such as trivia, live music, and karaoke.  This allows restaurant staff to provide the most up-to-date information to patrons, since the information on restaurant websites can sometimes be outdated.

SCI Faculty Search is Now Open

SCI has officially opened its latest faculty search. We are seeking to fill six positions including: Human-Centered Information Systems; Digital Health, Health Technologies, and Health Information Services; Artificial Intelligent, Internet of Things; Technology for Learning and Social Change; and Quantum Computing and Communication. Learn more at sci.pitt.edu/recruiting.

Computer Science Club Bridges Gaps Between Students, Industry

When officers of the University of Pittsburgh’s Computer Science Club were finishing up the 2020 spring semester, they laid out an all-encompassing plan to address resource gaps for computer science students.

The team wanted to find ways to connect students with alumni and other computer science professionals working in the industry.

While spearheading an ambitious new project during a pandemic may seem counterintuitive, members said the pandemic has been a blessing in disguise for them.

Pitt2Pitt Profile: Camilo Correal

December 2, 2020

Erin Walker Receives Google's 2020 Award for Inclusion Research

SCI Associate Professor Erin Walker's proposal was recently chosen as a recipient of Google's 2020 Award for Inclusion Research, a global program that supports academic research in computing and technology addressing the needs of underrepresented populations.  Walker will be working on the project, titled "Developing a Dialogue System for a Culturally-Responsive Social Programmable Robot," with Leshell Hatley of Coppin

SCI Professor Part of Initiative to Create National Center for Wireless Spectrum Research

SCI Professor Martin B.H.

SCI Partners with Hill District CEC to Introduce Digital Inclusion Efforts for Pittsburgh

This spring, the CEC launched STEAM studio spaces in close partnership with Remake Learning, the Hill Community Development Corp (CDC), Partner4Work and Pitt’s Center for Creativity. The year-long planning process also resulted in nine STEAM Studio seed grants, each awarding up to $5,000 to fund collaborative teams of community organizations and Pitt faculty and staff.

SCI Faculty Receive Grant to Study Robots in Math Classrooms

Erin Walker, associate professor in the School of Computing and Information (SCI) and research scientist in the Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC), has been named principal investigator for a $900,000 National Science Foundation grant to study the use of robots in middle school math classrooms.