INSIDE Discussion on acquiring media/PR internships.... 2 International conference on adoption.................... 4 PittNewspaper of the University of PittsburghChronicle Volume VIII • Number 26 • October 1, 2007 JIM BURKE/CIDDE The Sept. 24 ribbon cutting for Pitt’s new center. From left: Donald S. Burke, dean of Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health and the UPMC–Jonas Salk Professor of Global Health; U. S. Congressman Mike Doyle (Pa.-14); Arthur S. Levine, Pitt senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and dean of the School of Medicine; Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato; and Pitt Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg. Pitt Opens Center for Vaccine Research Center is second nationally to open NIH-funded Regional Biocontainment Laboratory dedicated to development of vaccines against deadly pathogens By Clare Collins “Just as Jonas Salk and his Pitt Pitt leaders on Sept. 24 celebrated the The National Institute of Allergy and viruses and other in- agents of bioterrorism. opening of the Center for Vaccine Research Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the Na- fectious agents.” team of researchers provided The labs within the (CVR) in the University’s 330,000-square- tional Institutes of Health, initially awarded The CVR is di- Regional Biocontain- foot Biomedical Science Tower 3 (BST3). Pitt $17.5 million in 2003 for construction rected by Donald S. the polio vaccine to the world, ment Laboratory are The CVR houses both the Regional of the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, Burke, dean of Pitt’s specially designed and Biocontainment Laboratory and the Vac- one of only 13 centers of its kind to receive Graduate School of the new Center for Vaccine constructed using the cine Research Laboratory and will allow NIAID funding and the second of this elite Public Health and strictest federal stan- Pitt to greatly expand research on naturally group to open nationally. Supplemental NI- the University of Research will further our dards, incorporating occurring diseases like SARS, West Nile AID funding of $4.1 million and University Pittsburgh Medical University’s commitment to special engineering virus, dengue fever, and tuberculosis. These support of $7.2 million increased the total Center-Jonas Salk and design features diseases are of special interest because the construction budget to $28.8 million. In Professor of Global developing new interventions to prevent microor- lethal microbes that cause them could be funding the lab, NIAID cited the nation’s Health. The center ganisms from being exploited by terrorists. lack of biosafety laboratories as a significant will employ approx- to prevent infectious diseases— released into the envi- barrier to progress in biodefense research. imately 150 faculty, ronment. The 27,300- Pitt Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg staff, and labora- interventions that have the square-foot facility is said, “Just as Jonas Salk and his Pitt team of tory personnel and available to assist na- researchers provided the polio vaccine to the will complement potential to significantly tional, state, and local world, the new Center for Vaccine Research other ongoing re- improve global health.” public health efforts in will further our University’s commitment to search at the BST3 the event of an infec- developing new interventions to prevent in- in structural biol- — Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg tious disease emer- fectious diseases—interventions that have ogy, computational gency, including an act the potential to significantly improve biology, genomics of bioterrorism. global health.” and proteomics, neurobiology, and drug The CVR also houses the Vaccine Re- “We are gratified by the con- discovery. search Laboratory (VRL), which occupies fidence and support NIAID has “With most epidemics, history has 16,000 square feet and includes dedicated shown in us to develop this essential shown us that we are not helpless,” Burke biosafety laboratories, specialized instru- facility,” said Arthur S. Levine, Pitt said. “With the opening of the CVR, we will mentation rooms, offices, and conference senior vice chancellor for the health be better able to create new methods and rooms. The VRL offers an interactive re- sciences and dean of the School of strategies to keep potential epidemics under search environment by providing access to Medicine. “The Regional Biocon- control and minimize their impact.” microarray, robotic and mass spectrometry tainment Laboratory, in concert with Located within the CVR, the Regional instrumentation. Much of the lab’s work existing resources at the University Biocontainment Laboratory is a biosafety will focus on understanding the variability of Pittsburgh, will enable us to great- level-3 facility dedicated to research on of viruses and their ability to change over ly accelerate the development of agents that cause naturally occurring and time, and learning how to recognize differ- Biomedical Science Tower 3 vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics for emerging infections, as well as potential ent viral strains. 2 • Pitt Chronicle • October 1, 2007 English Department, The Pitt News to Host Panel Discussion on Acquiring Mass Media, Public Relations Internships BrieflyNoted Al McDowell Scholarship to be presented at Oct. 18 event By Anthony Moore NORTHERN IRELAND LEADER VISITS Pitt’s Department of English and The more than 50 papers nationally, and he is a Pitt News will host a panel discussion titled contributing editor of Fortune magazine. “How to Get an Internship in the Media-PR World: Meet the Professionals,” from 7:30 to Panelists 9:30 p.m. Oct. 18 in the William Pitt Union’s Frank Gottlieb, news director for KQV Kurtzman Room. Radio, served as a broadcast spe- In addition to the panel cialist with the U.S. Army discussion, the annual Al in Vietnam. He has been McDowell Memorial working at KQV for 22 Scholarship, named in years and was WTAE-TV’s memory of the Pitts- first intern. burgh broadcasting pio- Mark Gruetze, admin- neer and 1952 Pitt School istrative editor of the Pitts- of Arts and Sciences grad- burgh Tribune-Review, over- uate, will be presented to sees newsroom recruiting, a Pitt undergraduate stu- compiles annual budgets, and dent in the English depart- runs the metro desk on Sun- ment’s nonfiction writing days. A journalist for 35 years, program. Gruetze was the managing editor of Pitt’s Rediker to Give Bellet Awards Nominations For more information on The Marietta Times and an assistant Presentation, Sign Copies Accepted Through Oct. 31 this free public event, contact managing editor of the Danville, Ill., Of His New Book Oct. 4 Writing Internship Coordinator Caren Commercial-News before coming to Pitt’s School of Arts and Sciences is accepting Marcus at 412-624-1737 or [email protected]. Pittsburgh in 1992. Thirty years of research in maritime archives nominations for the Tina and David Bellet Arts and Information about the moderator and David Johnson, coanchor for WPXI-TV the discussion’s panelists follows. Sciences Excellence Awards through Oct. 31. This is the Channel 11 News, is an award-winning jour- laid the groundwork for Pitt Professor of History nalist who has covered major national stories, Marcus Rediker’s new book, The Slave Ship: A Human 10th anniversary of the awards. Moderator including the 9/11 tragedy of United Flight History (Viking Penguin, 2007), to be released The Bellet Awards were established in 1998 with David Shribman, Pittsburgh Post- 93 and the rescue of the Quecreek miners. Oct. 4, with a presentation and book signing to be a $200,000 donation from Arts and Sciences alumnus Gazette executive editor, was awarded the Johnson is part of the longest-running news held at 6 p.m. that day in Pitt’s Book Center. David Bellet (CAS ’67) and his wife, Tina, to recognize Pulitzer Prize in Journalism in 1995 for his anchor team in Pittsburgh. Advance registration is requested; to RSVP for outstanding and innovative undergraduate teaching in coverage of Washington and the American Pam O’Brien, associate director of the free Oct. 4 event or for more information, call Arts and Sciences. A committee appointed by Arts and political scene. Before coming to Pittsburgh, Pitt’s Public and Professional Writing Pro- 412-648-1453. Sciences’ associate dean for undergraduate studies he was the Washington, D.C., bureau chief of gram (PPW), worked as vice president of In The Slave Ship, Rediker said he set out to evaluates teaching skills as evidenced by student- The Boston Globe. He also worked at various an advertising agency for 15 years before describe “what it meant teaching and peer evaluations, student testimonials, positions for The Wall Street Journal, The coming to Pitt’s English department. A vis- New York Times, The Washington Star, and and dossiers submitted by nominees. Full-time faculty iting lecturer at Pitt, O’Brien is responsible to live in a wooden The Buffalo Evening News. His column, for supervising PPW interns. world.” According to members who have taught in Arts and Sciences over the “National Perspective,” is syndicated to Margaret Sullivan, editor of The Buf- BILL BOLLENDORF Rediker, what had hap- past three years are eligible. Each awardee receives a falo News, was appointed vice president of pened on the slave ship $5,000 cash prize. the newspaper in 2001. A four-time Pulitzer informed what resulted Faculty and students may submit nomination Prize juror, Sullivan has written for The on land. “It was a social letters to Arts and Sciences Associate Dean for Under- Chronicling American Editor, Columbia Journalism and cultural process that graduate Studies Juan J. Manfredi, 140 Thackeray Hall, An ongoing series highlighting Review, The Washington Post, and The Washington Monthly Magazine. changed people,” and 139 University Place. Electronic submissions may be University of Pittsburgh history e-mailed to [email protected] but must be followed by James Warren is managing editor of Marcus Rediker the repercussions from that process still resonate today, he a signed paper duplicate.