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Get the most interesting and important stories from the University of Pittsburgh.Each year at the Community Engaged Scholarship Forum (CESF), Pitt elevates and reflects on collective approaches to community-engaged scholarship at the University by providing an opportunity for faculty, staff and community members to present their work, discover new avenues of partnership and network with local peers.
The March 4 forum, Reducing Barriers, Creating Opportunity, included a full day of featured speakers and workshops, including keynote speaker Andre Perry, a senior fellow at Brookings Metro and director of Brookings’ Center for Community Uplift. A panel discussion featured Quintin Bullock, president of Community College of Allegheny County; Robert Cherry, CEO of Partner4Work; Erin Dalton, director of Allegheny County Department of Human Services; and Petra Mitchell, president and CEO of Catalyst Connection; with Samantha Balbier, director of Pitt’s Institute of Politics, serving as moderator.
CESF also celebrates students, faculty and staff who have significantly impacted their communities. This year’s annual award winners are:
Tracy Soska and John Wilds Outreach and Engagement Leadership Award
Aaron Henderson, associate professor in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Studio Arts, won for his work focusing on collaborations between artists and communities to inspire dialogue and foster change.
CESF Collaboration Champion Awards
Nancy Gauvin, associate dean of equity, diversity, inclusion and community engagement and assistant professor in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS), was honored for her deep commitment to community engagement within all of the school’s departments and programs as well as the research and programming needs of community partners at the SHRS Wellness Pavilion in the Homewood Community Engagement Center.
Ngozi Tibbs, founder of Journey Lighter Coaching and the Pittsburgh Black Breastfeeding Circle, also received the award for her role as a valued and committed community partner to the University.
Partnerships of Distinction Awards
These awards recognize outstanding partnerships that are exemplars of community engagement. Honorees demonstrate reciprocity, mutual benefit and significant community impact.
The 2025 Partnerships of Distinction awardees are:
Healthy Home Laboratory
The world is growing older, and the Pittsburgh community is not physically or culturally equipped to easily promote aging in place. The purpose of the University of Pittsburgh Healthy Home Laboratory, through a rich partnership with Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh (AFGP), is to create and implement new technology solutions and support services that enable people, particularly older adults, to live independently and safely at home. Anchored by a shared goal of improving the health and well-being of adults across the lifespan in the region, the Healthy Home Lab and AFGP collaborate on activities of impact that promote aging through a positive lens.
Dental Assistant Training Program
Recognizing the critical need for trained dental assistants in the U.S., Pitt Dental Medicine developed the Dental Assistant Training Program. In July 2024, after the program’s initial trainee cohort completed the pilot of the program, Pitt Dental expanded and launched the Dental Assistant Training Program in collaboration with Three Rivers Alliance of Community Health Centers (TRACHC) and several community partners. The hybrid program aims to help solve the tremendous shortage of dental assistants in Pennsylvania by expanding access to care in rural areas by training dental assistants in communities where they live, so they are more likely to stay and be employed as health care professionals with sustainable wages in their communities.
Partnerships for Family Support
Since 1996, this collaboration between Pitt’s Office of Child Development and the Allegheny County Department of Human Services Office of Community Services has provided learning opportunities — on leadership and mentorship, child development, advocacy and more — for staff and families with the Allegheny Family Center Network. Additionally, Partnerships for Family Support offers technical assistance to family center directors on topics like family and child programming, center operations and recruitment. Throughout the activities, Pitt students have had opportunities to develop their community engagement skills for future careers that often serve the county as well.