UCIS     University Center for International Studies
  • Contact:

    Gina Peirce
    REES Assistant Director/Outreach Coordinator
    University of Pittsburgh
    4414 Posvar Hall
    Pittsburgh, PA 15260

    Phone: 412-648-2290
    E-Mail: gbpeirce@pitt.edu

    • Outreach
    Community Outreach

    Pittsburgh is an ideal place for a program devoted to the study of Russia and Eastern Europe. In the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, one of every four people is either an immigrant or the child of one; of those, one in three have roots in East/Central Europe or the former Soviet Union. This rich local heritage provides for regular contacts with the region's history, culture, and languages. It also offers a support system through organizations such as the community-based committees of the Nationality Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning. Nine of the 27 room committees link the University to peoples and cultures of the REES area.

    The Center's joint activities with the many local ethnic organizations range from annual cultural heritage festivals, to student programs, to targeted professional development and technical assistance. Organizations such as the Slovak Foundation, the Kosciuszko Foundation , the Croatian Fraternal Union, the Serbian National Federation, the Ukrainian Technological Society, and the Ukrainian Cultural and Humanitarian Institute contribute significantly to scholarly activities at the University. REES also cooperates with local arts, business, and other community organizations on diverse programming related to the Center's world area.

    School Outreach

    The REES outreach program serves primary and secondary school teachers and students in the Pittsburgh region and beyond through school visits, the Pitt Model United Nations program, an instructional resource library, and professional development seminars for teachers. Many of these services are provided free of charge to K-12 schools through REES's National Resource Center grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Please visit the K-12 Teachers page for more information.

    Post-Secondary Outreach

    REES provides outreach programs for faculty and students from other highter education institutions throughout the tri-state area (Pennsylvania/West Virginia/Ohio) and the nation. These include professional development workshops for faculty and annual conferences for both graduate and undergraduate students.

    The Center also hosted a national symposium that led to the founding of the Association for Students and Teachers of Color in Slavic Studies (STC), an affiliate organization of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies dedicated to connecting and expanding the network of minority scholars working in the Slavic studies profession. STC is committed to improving understanding of the unique challenges faced by students and educators of color studying, teaching, and conducting research in and about the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. REES continues to work closely with STC, which serves as a platform for discussions of race and ethnicity in the region.