PGAA Board announces election results
and seeks nominees

Congratulations to Dr. Mary Lynn Yothers, Frank Spoto Jr., and Joyce Dramel who were recently elected president, vice president, and secretary, respectively, of the PGAA Board of Directors. They will take office July 1, 2009. 

"I want to thank our past president, Dr. Brian Moreland for his leadership over the past year, and to Sandy Schmizzi and Brian Root for all their efforts and time on behalf of the Pitt-Greensburg Alumni Association,” said Dr. Yothers. “I am looking forward to working with our new Executive Committee and the Alumni Board."

Applications now being accepted for the
Katz Immersion MBA at Pitt-Greensburg

Imagine earning an MBA in two years and only having to attend classes one weekend a month . . . now you can do so through the Katz Immersion MBA (KIMBA) program at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. 

Pitt-Greensburg is partnering with Pitt’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business to offer this new MBA program in Westmoreland County. KIMBA will provide an intensive MBA education by immersing students in coursework one weekend a month (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) over a two-year period. Admission requirements, total credits, and the curriculum design are consistent with the existing Katz School part-time MBA program. 

Students will be enrolled in a six-term, cohort-based program and be required to complete 52.5 credits to earn the MBA degree. To be admitted to the program, students are required to have completed at least three years of post-undergraduate work experience. 

Hour-long information sessions will be held in Pitt-Greensburg’s Lynch Hall 102 on July 15 (8 a.m.), July 16 (6 p.m.), July 18 (10 a.m.) and July 20 (12:30 p.m.). Call 724-836-9893 or email upgKIMBA@pitt.edu to register for an information session or to obtain an information packet. Additional material about this new program may be found at www.business.pitt.edu/immersion.html.

Calling All Graduates

Mark your calendar for September 25 and plan to join us at the Greensburg Country Club for our annual golf outing to benefit Alumni, Athletics, and the President’s Scholarship. The day begins with a shot gun start at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m. with a delicious grilled lunch, prizes, and awards. Cost for an individual golfer is $150 and a foursome is $600. Visit www.upg.pitt.edu for more information or to obtain sponsorship or registration information. 

Our thanks to the companies who have already committed to sponsorships for this year’s outing:

• Front Nine: Elliott Company

• Putting Green: Wal-Mart

• Tee Sponsors: T.A. Nelson Bus Lines, Inc.; Stewart, McCardle, Sorice, Whalen, Farrell, Finoli, & Cavanaugh, LLC

Mark your calendar for National Pitt Networking Day on Wednesday, September 9, and watch for details in our August e-newsletter. Students, alumni, and alumni volunteers will participate in this coast-to-coast event designed to facilitate introductions and build connections for developing career and job prospects.

Dr. Larry Whatule retires

The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg has named Larry Whatule, PhD, Associate Professor Emeritus of Communication in recognition of his 41 years of service to the University.  Those 41 years of service include teaching Communications courses, serving as director of admissions and financial aid, serving as the public relations officer on a part-time basis, and teaching English composition and literature. 

Active on a variety of committees throughout his tenure, Dr. Whatule references the work that resulted in the establishment of two of the University’s majors (Humanities Area Concentration and Communication) and the Academic Villages as particularly significant. 

Dr. Whatule celebrated his retirement with a trip to England and Belgium with his wife and daughter.  He hopes to do more traveling and plans to study Italian and learn to play the bodhran, a Celtic drum.

Short-term health insurance available to alumni

One of the newest benefits available to Pitt-Greensburg alumni is short-term health insurance from GradMed. This is a short-term, comprehensive major medical plan that is ideal for alumni between jobs, new graduates, and people in transition. Answer three health-related questions and receive immediate enrollment for periods of 60 to 180 days. After meeting the $250 or $500 deductible, this coverage will pay 80 percent of covered charges to $5,000 and 100 percent thereafter to $1 million maximum benefit per person. This comprehensive protection pays benefits for hospitalization, outpatient services, surgery and doctor bills (pre-existing conditions excluded). Visit www.gradmed.com for more information.

Pitt Alumni Day at PNC Park

Join fellow alumni on Wednesday, August 19, for University of Pittsburgh Alumni Day at PNC Park when the Pirates take on the Milwaukee Brewers. As a Pitt graduate, you can save up to $6 off the price of each ticket, and members of the Pitt Alumni Association who purchase tickets could be chosen to catch the first pitch of the day or change a base during the game!  

Contact Brittany Ryce at 412-325-4494 or by email at Brittany.ryce@pirates.com to order tickets. The deadline for ticket orders is Friday, August 12. Two types of tickets are available:

• L/R Field Box for $20 (includes a Pirates baseball cap—over a $40 value);

• Infield Grandstand for $10 (a $6 savings). 

This discount is available through advance purchases only and subject to availability. Please note that order forms collected and mailed in the same envelope will be seated together. Groups of 20 or more will be recognized with their group name on the color LED Board.

New Alumni Directory

Harris Connect, provider of Pitt alumni online services, is in the process of compiling the first all-University alumni print directory since 2001. Now through August 3, Harris representatives are calling alumni to make sure the most up-to-date information is published.  In addition, for the first time, alumni are able to write short biographical statements and include a photo with their entry.  Harris representatives will also offer the directory for sale as a hardback book, a soft-cover book, or a CD-rom. The directories will be published in December 2009. Whether or not an alumnus buys a directory, the updated information will be included.

Annual Telefund Campaign in September

Plans are underway for the annual University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg TeleFund Campaign to occur in September. Pitt-Greensburg alumni will be contacted September 20 through September 24 between the hours of 5 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

When you are contacted please consider making a gift—no matter how large or small—and designate that your gift goes to Pitt-Greensburg. Thank you for your support!

Have you changed jobs or been promoted . . . gotten married . . . become a parent? Have you moved or gotten a new telephone number or email address? Be sure to share your news with us or update your contact information at http://www.upg.pitt.edu/Alumni/UpdateInfo.aspx.

Student Emergency Fund at Pitt-Greensburg

The Pitt-Greensburg Alumni Association recently established a Student Emergency Fund.  This fund will be used to help students who need immediate financial assistance.  If faculty or staff members are aware of a situation, they can access the information online and apply for funds on behalf of a student in need.  The PGAA realizes that times are tough and the students need our support.  This is a new program so funds are limited.  To help us offer even more assistance to our students, you can make a donation to the Student Emergency Fund by contacting the Office of Alumni Affairs at upgalum@pitt.edu.

We know money is tight.  That’s why we were thrilled to find out about a company that allows people to support nonprofit organizations, like the Pitt-Greensburg Alumni Association (PGAA) without spending any additional money.  Most of us search the Internet on a daily basis, and more and more of us are also making purchases online.  Now, thanks to a company called GoodSearch, the PGAA can earn money every time you search the Internet!  And, if you use the www.GoodShop.com site to purchase items from popular stores like Target, Macys, Best Buy, etc. they will also donate a percentage of those sales to the PGAA!  It’s that easy!  All you have to do is begin your searches using the www.GoodSearch.com Web site—or just add the toolbar to your internet homepage, and you’re ready to go,

 √   Make sure you select the University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg as your “Designated Charity”  

Students are always curious about who our alumni are, and what they are doing now…so let’s show them!  We are looking for Pitt-Greensburg alumni who are willing to talk for a few minutes on camera about their college experience, what they are doing now, and why it is important to stay connected to Pitt-Greensburg—a  mini-commercial, so to speak. We will be shooting some of the segments on campus and some may be shot “on location” (at your place of employment).  The video will be used on the Web site and at various events.   

Too shy for the camera….we are also looking for written testimonials from our alumni that we can use on the Web site and in various marketing materials.  Please send us your testimonial at upgalum@pitt.edu.

Weddings at Pitt-Greensburg