In this edition...
Message from the Director
"Two incompatible assertions are both true. The first contends that all centuries are global centuries: their resource flows; their patterns of sustainability and access; their ecologies; systems of exchange and conflict have always been globally interdependent in ways that we have only begun to map. In this respect, the domain of global studies is nothing new."
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GSC and the World History Center Celebrate Five-Year Collaboration
By Patrick Manning
The Global Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh is proud of its distinctive research and curricular collaboration with the World History Center. This partnership is one feature that distinguishes this Center from the other ten federally-funded centers across the US. What is the nature and scope of this Pitt partnership? What unique strengths does it bring to the field of global studies? We examine here the key foci of this five-year collaboration, with a spotlight on the related activities of the World History Center.
GSC Faculty David Montgomery Awarded Gap Grant to Fund International Workshop
By David Montgomery & Clare Connors
GSC faculty, David Montgomery, Visiting Assistant Professor in Anthropology, and colleagues from the GSPIA faculty, Assistant Professor Jennifer Murtazashvili and Assistant Professor Taylor Seybolt, are one of three winners of the 2013 GAP Grant Competition. The GAP awards are designed to strengthen interdisciplinary research on and curriculum development in global themes at the University of Pittsburgh, while enhancing international scholarly ties and the international profile of the institution.
Newman Award Competition Now Open
The Newman Award was established by Dr. Sally Newman, an emerita researcher from Pitt's University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR) and faculty of the School of Education.
GSC Faculty Promotes Innovative Teaching Methods Using Technology
By Clare Connors
In fall 2013, the GSC sponsored a series of three "Egyptian Dialogues" between global studies students at the University of Pittsburgh and students at the American University in Cairo (AUC). The "Egyptian Dialogues," a GSC and Consortium of Educational Resources on Islamic Studies (CERIS) collaboration, used live streaming video technology to create one large and energetic "class" discussion of critical global issues. It was an experiment focused on developing teaching platforms that support cross-disciplinary and multi-region programs and courses.
Alumni Forge Creative Career Paths: Jeff Nelson and Meredith Hutchinson
By Jeff Nelson and Meredith Hutchinson
Undergraduates across the United States face the most challenging employment climate since the Great Depression. With with solid academic foundations; strong work and internship experiences; in-depth research experiences; foreign language competencies; and extensive travel, work, and study abroad; Global Studies Certificate students are well prepared to succeed in the job market. In our inugural newsletter, we feature a two recent undergraduates who have put their GS Certificates to work.
Regularly Offered Outreach Programs
Through its outreach programs, the Global Studies Center (GSC) shares its expertise and resources with K-12 students and teachers; regional, national, and international university/college faculty, scholars, and students; local business and civic groups; and the Pittsburgh community. GSC provides a wide-range of programs, services, and resources with a focus on continuing and community education, professional development, and support for the design and enrichment of globally focused K-12 educational programs and curricula. In a period of tightening budgets and program cuts, the GSC offers all of its outreach programs free of charge.
K-12 Teacher Profile: Cindy McNulty
By Clare Connors
In our first inaugural Global Studies Center Newsletter, we focus on the work of Ms. Cindy McNulty, an English and history teacher at Pittsburgh's Oakland Catholic High School for over 20 years. Through sustained work with the GSC, Ms. McNulty created challenging AP World History and Honors English and history courses that bring a powerful global perspective to her students.
A Wealth of Resources Support GSC Scholars and Teachers
By Daniel Pennell and Clare Connors
Pitt's University Library System (ULS) offers a wide array of readily accessible materials for the study and research of global issues. The ULS supports teaching and research in all of GSC's focal themes (global health, global security, global economy and global society), BPhil and Certificate concentrations, regions and languages. The following article is a summary of ULS's most important features that support Global Studies including its core strengths; specialized collections relating to GSC's major themes; online and digital resources including Open Access and the LibGuides; community and global access; and the GSC/UCIS/ULS partnership.
PDA Transforms Global Studies Collection
By Daniel Pennell and Clare Connors
PDA (Patron Driven Acquisition) or DDA (Demand Driven Acquisition) is transforming how ULS builds its collections. While bibliographers like GSC's Daniel Pennell continue to shape the GSC collection with major purchases, patrons like you also play a key role. As Daniel Pennell explains, any book or item that is requested three times is automatically purchased in electronic form through the PDA process. If that particular item is consistently requested over several years, ULS typically purchases a hard copy.