Pitt Pride = Warm Inside

From the desk of Nancy Merritt, Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations:

Over the years, I’ve learned to appreciate the uniqueness of winter. For some, it’s a season of rest and reflection — the perfect time to read a good book. For others, winter is a time for transformation, learning something new or enjoying an outdoor adventure.

One thing is for sure ― this winter is a busy and exciting time for the Pitt Alumni Association (PAA). From Black History Month programming and alumni events in Mumbai and Dubai to the Young Alumni Network's virtual Trivia Night and Pitt Day of Giving (PDoG), there are a variety of opportunities to engage with your Pitt network. I encourage you to connect with fellow alumni, students and other members of the University community this month and get involved.

In honor of Black History Month, the African American Alumni Council, Muslim Affinity Network, student organizations, and the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion hosted an enlightening presentation on Feb. 11: "Black Art, Culture, and History: The Islamic Journey of our Brothers and Sisters from Africa to America." . Learn about all of our PAA events and see what other University events are happening to celebrate Black History Month.

Also, mark your calendar for Feb. 21 and join us again for Pitt Day of Giving (PDoG), an opportunity to give to the areas at Pitt that mean the most to you. On PDoG, if you make a gift to the PAA's Circle of Excellence Fund, you can support PAA programs such as our regional chapters, affinity networks, the Young Alumni Network or the Pitt Alumni Career Network. On PDoG, every gift — no matter the size — has the potential to be transformational thanks to special incentives and competitions that only occur on that day. You also can sign up to become a PDoG social media ambassador and help spread the word! Learn more about the difference PDoG can make over at Pittwire. 

Finally, be on the lookout in March for an Alumni Attitudes survey. The PAA strives to add value to the lives of our roughly 350,000 alumni, and this survey is one way you can tell us how to do that. Based on the survey administered in 2020, the PAA expanded our career and professional development resources and offered more content-driven programming. We want to once again gauge how we are delivering on our programs, initiatives and events and identify areas for growth, change and improvement. Please complete this important survey and share your valuable feedback.

As always — Hail to Pitt!

Nancy Merritt

Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations

This story was published on February 14, 2023. It is part of Pitt Magazine's Winter '23 issue.