News of Note From Pitt

• NASA Honors Geology and Planetary Science Professor Mike Ramsey During Earth Month

• Law Dean William M. Carter Jr. Named a 2013 Diverse Attorney of the Year

• Choreographers Present “In-Flux” Dance Concert

• Computer Science Department Hosts National Center for Women in Information Technology Awards for Pennsylvania and West Virginia Winners

PITTSBURGH—Behind the larger stories about the University of Pittsburgh are other stories of faculty, staff, and student achievement as well as information on Pitt programs reaching new levels of success. The following is a compilation of some of those stories.

NASA Honors Geology and Planetary Science Professor Mike Ramsey During Earth Month

Michael Ramsey, associate professor in Pitt’s Department of Geology and Planetary Science, will be honored by NASA as one of 22 researchers across the nation featured on its website for April’s Earth Month. The educational project, “Know Your Earth 3.0, Local Connections,” is a partnership between 22 of NASA’s Earth-observing missions, and each mission has nominated a scientist/engineer to be featured on NASA websites throughout April 2013. Ramsey, who is involved with NASA’s Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), will be featured on the website April 8.

Ramsey’s primary area of study is physical volcanology. He heads one of the nation’s premier state-of-the-art image-analysis centers; it includes infrared spectroscopy and GPS technologies. His studies focus primarily on eruptions, volcanic processes, and monitoring using thermal infrared remote sensing.

Law Dean William M. Carter Jr. Named a 2013 Diverse Attorney of the Year

Pitt School of Law Dean William M. Carter Jr. has been named a 2013 Diverse Attorney of the Year by The Legal Intelligencer, the nation’s oldest law journal. Every two years, The Legal Intelligencer solicits nominations from across the legal profession of Pennsylvania’s outstanding attorneys from underrepresented groups who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievements. Among those who will be honored at a May 22 luncheon in Philadelphia are judges, a member of Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives, and Carter, who is widely respected for his scholarship in constitutional law, international human rights law, and issues of social justice.

Choreographers Present “In-Flux” Dance Concert

The University of Pittsburgh Dance Ensemble will present “In-Flux,” its annual formal dance concert, at 8 p.m. April 5 and 6 in the Seventh-Floor Auditorium of Pitt’s Alumni Hall, 4227 Fifth Ave., Oakland. The event will showcase a wide array of dance numbers, including jazz, tap, hip-hop, and modern dance, choreographed by Michelle Ramos, a freelance dancer and teacher living in Pittsburgh, and Jil Steifel, an international dancer who is an adjunct faculty member at Pitt. Ten student choreographers also assisted with the production. Tickets, available at the door, are $10 for the general public and $5 for students. For more information, contact Susan Gillis Kruman, ensemble director, at 412-648-8262 or gillis@pitt.edu.

Computer Science Department Hosts National Center for Women in Information Technology Awards for Pennsylvania and West Virginia Winners

Pitt’s Department of Computer Science will host an April 13 ceremony honoring 12 female high school students from Pennsylvania and West Virginia who have demonstrated potential for future success in computing careers. The students will receive college scholarships and an “Award for Aspirations in Computing” from the National Center for Women in Information Technology. Eight runners-up also will be recognized. This is the first year the ceremony will be held for students in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Visit ww2.ncwit.org/award/award.index.php or contact Tasha Rauso at tasha@pitt.edu to learn more about the awards competition.

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