Stories from Pitt Global

Learn more about the global experiences happening at Pitt and the stories that make Pitt Global a unique place to learn, work, and explore the world.


Krystal Marsh is a PhD candidate in the English department, where she is currently writing her dissertation “Ecologies of Performance in London’s National Shakespeare Theaters.” This year she is not only coordinating our International Career Toolkit...
Thanks to the University Center of International Studies (UCIS) Undergraduate International Studies Fund, we (Luke Charlesworth and Christopher Kefalos) were given the opportunity to embark on a transformative journey to the West African country,...
Jeff Whitehead, who spent 17 years as Director of the Global Experiences Office (GEO, previously Study Abroad), has returned to Pitt after a year working with Meta’s virtual and alternate reality space to a role that is charting a course through...
When you think of global experiences, your mind might immediately turn to study abroad—a traditional trip where a student, perhaps a junior or senior, spends a semester expanding their horizons in another country.    Pitt’s Plus3 program is turning...
Lara Putnam isn't a stranger to PittGlobal—she's been a UCIS research professor in the Department of History since 2012—but as of this July, she's stepping into a new role as Director of Global Studies. Learn more about Lara and the path that...
Senegal is known to many as the gateway to the African continent—a title that has certainly proved true to Pitt’s Center for African Studies (CAS).   CAS started summer 2023 by sending a multi-disciplinary team on a journey to meet with potential...
In 2018, Clare McCarthy joined Pitt for a summer at the Governor's School for Global & International Studies, administered by the Global Studies Center, which inspired her to become a global citizen and changemaker. We caught up with Clare on...
Michael Balderson recently joined the PittGlobal family as UCIS's new Director of Administration. Learn more about Michael's journey to UCIS and make sure to offer him a warm welcome! What brought you to Pitt? How did you end up in your current role...
This year’s global graduates crossed the stage and joined our worldwide family of alumni on April 28, 2023. The group was conferred with an impressive 203 certificates, nine Bachelor of Philosophy degrees, nine area and thematic studies...
Gina Peirce is Assistant Director for Grants and Assessment at the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (REEES), and Grants Manager at the University Center for International Studies (UCIS), at the University of Pittsburgh. She...
Pitt Day of Giving 2023 was a resounding success for PittGlobal—and that’s in no small part due to a wonderful network of students, faculty, staff, scholars, alumni, and supporters worldwide.   The International Student Emergency Fund, our focus...
The International Student Emergency Fund is the focus of this year's UCIS Pitt Day of Giving efforts. For the first time ever, this crucial fund is set up to take donations in an orchestrated fashion, but it has been informally in existence for...