University of Pittsburgh Faculty Experts Available to Discuss the G-20 Summit, to Be Held in Pittsburgh Sept. 24-25

PITTSBURGH-The following University of Pittsburgh faculty experts are available to discuss the G-20 summit, which will be held Sept. 24-25 in Pittsburgh.

Christopher Briem is a regional economist in Pitt's University Center for Social and Urban Research. Heis available to speak in general terms about the Pittsburgh economy, including its labor market and employment trends. He may be reached through Sharon Blake at 412-624-4364 (work), 412-277-6926 (cell), or blake@pitt.edu.

Pitt professor of economics James Cassing has expertise in international trade theory and policy as well as international finance and development. He has advised governments on policy reform packages in Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, and Southern Africa. Cassing is the author of "Capital, Technology, and Labor in the New Global Economy" (Aei Pr, 1989) and a contributing author for "Trade Disputes and the Dispute Settlement Understanding of the WTO: An Interdisciplinary Assessment" (Cambridge University Press, 2001). Cassing is on the editorial board of "The Journal of International Trade and Economic Development". He may be reached through Sharon Blake at 412-624-4364 (work), 412-277-6926 (cell), or blake@pitt.edu.

Sabina E. Deitrick is an associate professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and codirector of Urban and Regional Analysis research program at Pitt's University Center for Social and Urban Research. Deitrick teaches courses and conducts research in the areas of economic and community development, urban planning, and regional policy, with an emphasis on regional restructuring, revitalization, and brownfields redevelopment.

She serves on the governing board of the Urban Affairs Association and the international professional organization for urban scholars, researchers, and public service providers. She is codirector of the University of Pittsburgh's Community Outreach Partnership Center, which first received funding from the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2000. Dietrick can be reached through Morgan Kelly at 412-624-4356 (office); 412-897-1400 (cell); mekelly@pitt.edu.

Trained in urban historical geography at the University of Wisconsin, Pitt history professor Edward K. Muller refocused his scholarly work to concentrate on Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. He helped establish the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, serving for nine years as chair of the board of trustees. One of the foremost historians of the city, Muller has worked with the Senator John Heinz History Center, serving on its board of directors; was a fellow with the University's Institute of Politics; and directed Pitt's Urban Studies Program. He is the author of "Before Renaissance: Planning in Pittsburgh, 1889-1943" (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2006), with coauthor John Bauman. The book recounts Pittsburgh's long and storied history of urban planning and traces the origins of urban planning to the Progressive movement of the late 1800s. The authors reveal that Pittsburgh was one of the nation's forerunners in urban planning, long before it became a professionalized discipline in the early 20th century.

Muller's current projects include "Pittsburgh: A Popular History", with Rob Ruck, Pitt faculty member, and "The Great Allegheny Passage Trail", editor, both for University of Pittsburgh Press. He may be reached through Patricia Lomando White at 412-624-9101 (office), 412-215-9932 (cell), laer@pitt.edu.

Alberta Sbragia, the Mark A. Nordenberg University Chair, Jean Monnet Chair ad personam, director of the European Union Center of Excellence/European Studies Center, and professor of political science, is available to discuss the political economy of the transformation of the Pittsburgh region. Her areas of expertise include comparative politics, Western Europe, European Union politics, and comparative federalism and religion. "I think this is a major opportunity for the city to demonstrate to world leaders what an amazing example of urban transformation we are," says Sbragia. Sbragia may be contacted through Amanda Leff at [412-624-4238 (office); 412-337-3350 (cell); aleff@pitt.edu.

Martin Staniland is a professor in Pitt's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. His research areas include international relations, trade-in services in transportation, and European Union politics and economic issues. His publications include "Falling Friends: The United States and Regime Change Abroad"(Westview Press, 1991), "American Intellectuals and African Nationalists, 1955-1970" (Yale University Press, 1991), and "What is Political Economy?" (Yale University Press, 1987). "This is great news for the city and the region," said Staniland. "It also follows a trend to hold such meetings away from the main centers of power - usually so as to highlight an area that has been coping with major economic problems (such as happened with the Italian G-8 meeting which was moved to L'Aquila in the Abruzzi region after the earthquake). The EU has also regularly and deliberately held summits in major provincial cities for similar reasons and because they offer a chance for leaders to meet away from the publicity and pressures of national capitals. Staniland can be reached through Amanda Leff at [412-624-4238 (office); 412-337-3350 (cell); aleff@pitt.edu.

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