Pitt School of Social Work is pleased to announce that Research Associate Professor Mary Beth Rauktis has been awarded a 2021 Pitt Momentum Funds Seeding Grant. She is leading the project, Supporting the education of youth in foster care during the pandemic: foster parent and agency perspectives, in collaboration with Pitt Social Work professors James Huguley and Fengyan Tang, along with other Pitt partners Aimee Sgourakis (Pitt Library System) and Rachel Robertson (Pitt School of Education). Read more.

Professor and leader in health equity Valire C. Copeland, Ph.D. received a prestigious appointment to Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a major federal funder within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Dr. Copeland was appointed as a standing member of the Healthcare System and Value Research (HSVR) study section at the AHRQ which focuses on building evidence to make healthcare safer, more accessible, and more equitable. Read more.

The University of Pittsburgh has won a prestigious Innovation & Economic Prosperity University Award from the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities for its programs in the city’s Homewood neighborhood. Examples include Pitt’s School of Social Work partnering with community organizations and the three neighborhood schools to provide holistic support to students and their families. Read more in the Pittsburgh Quarterly.

The Allegheny County Library Association is sponsoring a Library Advisory Council 2.0 information session on library and social work collaboration that will feature the librarian (Sara Zetterval) and social work ( Mary Neinow - professor) team that published the book, Whole Person Librarianship, which focuses on what libraries can learn about patron services from the social work perspective. The webinar on Thursday, April 15th at 2 pm will familiarize all library and staff about this library-social work collaboration, tout the Pitt Social Work library social work internship initiative, and several Pitt students will make brief reports during the webinar. Details here.

Mary Beth Rauktis, and her daughter Olivia, have started the Reggie Fund to donate $100 per month to an older cat or its older owner to help cover costs of care. So far, The Reggie Fund has given $100 each to four cats, including Charlie, a three-legged former street cat, and Mr. Bailey, who needed veterinary care. Read more in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.