From the Director: Dr. Michael Goodhart
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Faculty Fellow: Dr. Michele Reid-Vazquez
Transnational Dialogues in Afrolatinidad
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Michele Reid-Vazquez, Associate Professor in the Department of Africana Studies, conducts research on the African Diaspora in the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Atlantic World and Afro-Latinx History in the USA.
As the 2020-2021 GSC Faculty Fellow, Dr. Reid-Vazquez has organized an interdisciplinary webinar series, "Transnational Dialogues in Afrolatinidad." The series seeks to expand transnational, transregional, and interdisciplinary exchange on contemporary and historical issues in Afro-Latin American and Afro-Latinx Studies.
Friday, February 5 | 1-2:30 PM - "Transnational Dialogues in Afrolatinidad: Gender, Identity, and Health" co-moderated by Dr. Michele Reid-Vazquez and Dr. Keila Grinberg, Professor of History at Universidade Federal do Estado. (Virtual.) Register for the webinar here.
This webinar focuses on gender, race, identity, and health, particularly involving the experiences of Afro-Brazilians, Afro-Argentines, and U.S.-based Afro-Latinxs. Scholars working at the intersections of Africana, Latinx, Latin American, and gender studies will explore the ways that these issues overlap and impact Afro-Latin Americans and their diasporic communities in the U.S.
The event is sponsored by the Global Studies Center and the Center for Latin American Studies, in collaboration with the Department of Africana Studies' Afro-Latin American and Afro-Latinx Studies Initiative at the University of Pittsburgh. Featured panelists include Dr. Kia Caldwell, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Dr. Erika Edwards of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Dr. Nancy López of the University of New Mexico; and Dr. Paul Joseph López Oro of Smith College.
Friday, March 5 | 1-2:30 PM - "Transnational Dialogues in Afrolatinidad: Education and Anti-Blackness" co-moderated by Dr. Gina Garcia of Educational Foundations, Organizations, and Policy and Christian Alberto of the School of Education (Virtual.) Webinar registration link to be provided later.
This final webinar of the series focuses on education and anti-blackness, particularly involving experiences in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Scholars working at the intersections of Education, History, and Latinx, Latin American, and cultural studies will explore the ways that these issues overlap and impact Afro-Latin Americans and their diasporic communities in the U.S. Featured panelists include: Dr. Amalia Dache of the University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Solsirey del Moral of Amherst College; Dr. Dalia Muller of the University of Buffalo; and Dr. Maria A. Soares of University of the Afro Brazilian Integration (UNILAB).
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Global Academic Partnership (GAP): Dr. Adam Lowenstein
The Global Horror Studies Archival and Research Network
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Adam Lowenstein, Professor of English and Film and Media Studies, studies the horror genre. He is working with colleagues to diversify and globalize the Horror Studies Archive recently created by Pitt's University Library System. The Global Horror Studies Archival and Research Network (GHSARN) will be the first of its kind.
Horror is a truly global vocabulary. Each nation has its own historically- and culturally- specific inflections regarding horror, but nearly every country in the world has an artistic horror tradition of some kind that is recognizable through the lens of the others, and all are shaped by transnational influences and global developments.
Tentative Dates of (virtual) events to kick off the semester are as follows -- check out Dr. Lowenstein's page on our website for the latest information on these and additional events!
January 22 | 8 PM - Horror Studies Working Group Broadcast, co-sponsored with Pitt's University Library System
The George A. Romero Foundation (GARF) Network talks with members of Pitt’s Horror Studies Working Group (HSWG) about their mission and projects.
January 25 | 7-8 PM - Beyond the Bride of Frankenstein: Monsters and Other Fearsome Women," co-sponsored with Pitt's University Library System
Lecture featuring women horror authors and scholars Melanie Anderson, Lisa Kroger, and Lisa Morton. Read more here.
January 28 | Time TBA - Queer Horror Film Club with Bridget Keown: The Hunger, co-sponsored with Pitt's University Library System
Bridget Keown, Lecturer in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, will lead an hour-long discussion on Tony Scott’s The Hunger (1983), starring David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve.
January 29 | 4-5 PM - Global Horror Studies Archival and Research Network, co-sponsored with Pitt's University Library System
Colleagues from Pitt as well as Canada, the UK, and Australia will meet for a preliminary discussion of the mission and upcoming projects of the GHSARN. Join here.
February 3 | Time TBA - Malaysian and Singaporean horror film screening series kicks off with Sumpah Pontianak, co-sponsored with Pitt's University Honors College
February 4 | 7 PM - Special premiere documentary screening of George Romero and Pittsburgh: The Early Years and discussion, co-sponsored with Pitt's University Library System in partnership with the Horror Studies Working Group.
The documentary was created by Pitt students enrolled in Carl Kurlander's "Making the Documentary" course and will include the presentation of the annual Pioneer Award to Duane Jones, learn more here.
February 6 | 8-9 PM - Visit/Conversation from leading Mexican Canadian horror director Gigi Saul Guerrero, co-sponsored with Pitt's University Library System
Guerrero will showcase some of her horror film work and discuss filmmaking with members of the Pitt community. Guerrero is co-founder of Luchagore Productions in Vancouver, Canada, and directed her feature debut Culture Shock for Blumhouse Productions Television. She has gained recognition for her numerous short films, many of which look at Mexican culture and experiences through horror.
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Global Academic Partnership (GAP): Dr. Caitlin Bruce
Hemispheric Conversations: Urban Art Project (HCUAP) Other Voices, Other Walls: Disrespecting the Border
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Caitlin Bruce, Associate Professor in the Department of Communications, will facilitate this Vanka Murals' Table Talk that will discuss the dialogues, motifs, and collaborations emerging from the collaborative mural project, Disrespecting the Border, that was created for the Latinx community of Pittsburgh in October 2019. This conversation will highlight the role of mural art as a resource to think through migration and border politics between visiting artist Gil Rocha and local artists Leah Patgorski and Max Gonzales facilitated by Camilo Ruiz and Marisol Vilella Balderrama.
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Scholar-At-Risk (SAR) Program Update:
Dr. Simten Coşar & Mai Khoi
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Dr. Simten Coşar, the inaugural faculty visitor under Pitt's newly-established Scholar at Risk (SAR) program, is developing an innovative oral history project to record interviews with exiled artists, authors, poets, and scholars residing in the City of Asylum, Pitt's generous partner in the SAR program. In collaboration with GSC videographer Keith Reimink, the work will provide a medium for amplifying diverse global voices by re-globalizing the stories of exile(s) as told in their own voices.
Dr. Coşar will also be teaching a 1-credit pop-up course this semester on human rights research and engagement of the SAR community (see full description below.)
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Mai Khoi, a Vietnamese artist and activist, is an Artist Protection Fund Fellow in Residence at the University of Pittsburgh, with the cooperation of City of Asylum and the International Free Expression Project. Khoi’s music is an electrifying mix of social protest, traditional forms, and experimental jazz.
She will perform an autobiographical piece - Bad Activist - on January 27 at 12 PM as part of the Pitt Arts' Artful Wednesdays initiative. Bad Activist combines storytelling with a state-of-the-art music performance. Stream the performance here.*
WESA radio (90.5 fm) will air a story on Mai Khoi beginning Tuesday, Jan 19; you can also read about her struggles with Facebook in this recent piece in The Intercept.
This semester, Mai Khoi is set to lead the virtual pre-lecture discussion of Ocean Vuong's On Earth We are Briefly Gorgeous as part of GSC's Four Evenings initiative (details below). She will also be participating in several courses as a visitor and guest lecturer.
*GSC is grateful to Cynthia Croot, Associate Professor and Head of Performance in Pitt's Department of Theatre Arts, for her expertise and guidance in helping to make Bad Activist a success!
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Global Studies Pop-Up Courses Offerings
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*Web-based and open to K-16 Educators, Pitt staff, students, and faculty, and members of the Global Studies community*
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PS 1556/33150
Human Rights: Scholars at Risk
Pop-Up Course
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Wednesdays 3:25-5:55 PM
February 3-March 17
This seminar provides students with the opportunity to develop human rights research and advocacy skills through direct engagement with the cases of threatened members of the global higher education community in cooperation with the Scholars at Risk (SAR) Network’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project. Human Rights is one of the exceptional topics that speaks the universal language for rights advocacy.
This course is taught by GSC's Visiting Scholar-at-Risk, Dr. Simten Coşar!
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Transforming Cities: Cities & Sustainability
Mini-Course*
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February 5-7
This course will bring together the expertise of faculty from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, as well as practitioners to provide a multidisciplinary approach to the interconnections between health and sustainability, the role cities can have on climate change, low-emission growth and clean energy, the importance of access to resources, the need for sustainable transportation, and the practices of sustainable consumption, among others.
Registration ends February 3 - see our website for more details.
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AFRCNA 0400
COVID-19, Racism and Public Health
Pop-Up Course
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Tuesdays
January 19-May 1
This course offers an opportunity for students to learn about the compounding effects of multiple forms of inequality or disadvantage and how they impact COVID-19 exposure, cases, and deaths. The obstacles that inequalities create may not be easily discernible or understood by looking at or thinking about racism, health and now the impact of COVID-19, among African Americans, in a conventional way. This course is currently at capacity.
This course is taught by Dr. Abi Fapohunda of the Africana Studies Department.
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Congratulations to Global Studies Center December 2020 Graduates!
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Global Health Certificate:
- Anderinsola Popoola (Psychology)
- Mandeep Saini (Biology)
Global Studies Certificate
- Alexandra Curtis (Philosophy, Politics)
- Noelle Gulick (Anthropology)
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Global Studies Student + Alumni Meet'n Greets
Elaine Linn, GSC Assistant Director for Academic Affairs, hosts these forums where current and curious students can learn more about GSC resources and programs, exchange information about classes, internships, student clubs, and share their input on what they’d like to see from the Global Studies Center in the future.
This spring, the series will feature Global Studies alumni who will share career insights and offer a perspective on how their certificate work has been valuable to them professionally.
Mark your calendars for these virtual sessions!
February 3, 2021 at 12 PM | GSC Abroad: Views from Europe | Join Here!
Grab lunch and enjoy an informal conversation with GSC alumni living in Europe. They will share their experiences living and working in Europe during COVID, going to graduate school abroad, their views from across the pond.
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Evelyn Bigini '19 (Nursing) is pursuing an MS in Global Health in the Netherlands
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Sarah Sellers ’19 (French) is teaching English in France
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Pat Bewick ’13 (Political Science) is working with refugees in Germany.
February 16, 2021 at 6 PM| Pursuing Lives of Impact | Join Here!
Global Studies alumni are making an impact. Join this informal conversation to about their passions and how they have incorporated this important into their lives.
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Jodi Lincoln ’14 (Anthropology, Film Studies) is advocating for incarcerated in Allegheny Country Jail
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Nick Collins ’13 (Economics) works for a financial company whose mission to create and preserve affordable housing and healthy food retail in San Francisco
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Chelsea Frimpong '14, MPH (Political Science, Africana Studies) started Believe In Your Cool, an organization for Black womxn (21-35) to “own their identity and step into their purpose.”
Contact Elaine if you have any questions or if you are an alum or part of a student organizations interested in speaking or joining the conversation.
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Research Toolkit, January 29, 2021 at 2 PM
Are you interested in doing independent research? Are you unsure about how to get a research project started? This workshop, led by Dr. Michael Goodhart, GSC Director, and Dr. K. Frances Lieder, UCIS Visiting Professor of Contemporary Global Issues, will walk you through the process of formulating and pursuing an independent academic research project in the social sciences or humanities. Students will get an overview of the research process, learn how to develop clear research questions, and take away practical tips for getting started and getting through. This workshop is for anyone curious about research, but we especially encourage students pursuing or considering a BPHIL/IAS to attend.
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Seniors, need help with your digital portfolio?
Deadline: March 1, 2021
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Students graduating this Spring are encouraged to continue working on their digital portfolios. Elaine and GSC intern, Annette are available to meet with you to discuss.
To schedule a meeting, click here! Reach out to Annette Han to troubleshoot technical issues per digital portfolio.
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Community and K-12 Educator Programming
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Teaching The Global Water Crisis | February 8, 10 and 12, 5:30-8:30 PM
A Multi-Disciplinary Mini-Course for K-12 Educators
Significant portions of the world’s population lack access to sufficient quantities of water or to water of adequate quality – standards enshrined in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This unfolding global water crisis is making life precarious for billions of people and will increasingly foment environmental conflict, spur transnational migration, strain ecological systems, and exacerbate existing inequalities around the planet.
This free, cross-disciplinary mini-course for K-12 educators will explore the global water crisis through attention to its geo-political, cultural, economic, and technological aspects, with particular attention to scholars and practitioners working within the environmental, political, and technological framework to address these challenges using a people-centered approach
This mini-course will be co-hosted with the University of Pittsburgh's National Consortium for Teaching About Asia and co-sponsored by the Asian Studies Center and the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies.
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Global Issues Through Literature (GILS)
Moving: Exploring Global Migration Narratives
This reading group for K-16 educators explores literary texts from a global perspective. Content specialists present the work and its context, and participants brainstorm innovative pedagogical practices for incorporating the text and its themes into the curriculum. Sessions this year will take place virtually on Thursday evenings from 5-8 PM. Books and Act 48 credit hours are provided. Contact Maja with any questions.
Save the following dates - registration links here!
Discussion led by Professor Seung-hwan Shin, Visiting Lecturer of Korean Studies, and Catherine Fratto, Engagement Coordinator, Asian Studies Center, co-sponsored with the Asian Studies Center
April 22, 2021 | Border: A Journey To The Edge of Europe by Kapka Kassabova
Discussion leader TBA, co-sponsored with the Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies
May 20, 2021 | The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande
Discussion leader TBA, co-sponsored with the Center for Latin American Studies
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Virtual International Marketing Competition | April 2021
This competition is open to all high school students who are currently studying a world language. Teams may have a maximum of five members. No limits imposed on those students participating for a second or third time. Students may participate again with as many of the same team members as they like. The five-person team maximum remains in effect. Your task is to prepare a marketing strategy for a designated target market (United Arab Emirates-UAE) and product (GNC AMP Wheybolic).
Your team will be required to give a 12-minute presentation during which you will present your marketing strategy to a panel of judges. There will be a 3-minute Q&A by the judges immediately after the 12-minute presentation.
More details to come! Check out the CCA page for more information.
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Faculty News and Funding Opportunities
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AY 20-21 Funding For Faculty
The Global Academic Partnership (GAP) grant provides $40,000 over two years to help Pitt scholars build and sustain meaningful global partnerships, to enrich the intellectual environment at Pitt through bringing innovative events and programming to campus, and to support and amplify the priorities of the Global Studies Center (applications due March 1).
(!) New this year, we will provide small groups of faculty members with up to $4,000 to support new and early collaborations oriented to applications for internal or external funding in the future. These collaborative grants are intended to facilitate interdisciplinary global scholarship. The application will be simple and straightforward, and the award will include basic administrative and logistical support of the kind that can be crucial in the early stages of new collaborations. We will also provide small grants up to $2,000 for faculty members to support innovative projects for engaged student learning. Details and deadline forthcoming. (!)
Finally, we will continue to award small research and travel grants this year – though with the caveat that we must follow the University’s guidance on travel. A limited number of grants will be available on a rolling basis.
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Global Across the Curriculum (GXC)
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In its fourth year, this interdisciplinary seminar is intended to help faculty incorporate global perspectives into their undergraduate courses. The seminar is open to full-time faculty members at the University of Pittsburgh’s main and regional campuses and aims to bring together people with varied disciplinary backgrounds and teaching experience. Faculty who are new to college teaching are particularly encouraged to participate. If these new or revised courses are taught on Pitt’s main campus, we hope they will serve as suitable options for students pursuing the popular undergraduate Global Studies and Global Health Certificate(s). They should also fulfill the newly revised global component (section F) of the General Education Requirements.
The seminar provides a great opportunity to meet and work with colleagues from a range of fields and to learn more about the many resources the Global Studies Center offers. Participants work with Global Studies core faculty members and instructional design specialists on their globally oriented courses, workshop their syllabi with other members of the group, and receive a grant for their participation.
2020
Matthew Lovett: Intro to Feminist Theory
Elissa Bullion: Global Perspectives on Food Security
Julie Beaulieu: Transgender Studies
Marcie Persyn: Classics Capstone: Fragments and Absences
Frank Karioris: GSWS 1141 Neoliberalism
2021
Jeanette Lehn: Writing for the Public: Global Publics
Jennifer Keating: Writing Places
Giuseppina Mecchia: Thinking the Earth: French Theories of the Environment
Drew Armstrong: Global Architecture 2
John Walsh: Global Fictions of Climate Change
Walter Carson: Introduction to Tropical Forest Ecology
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Catching Up with GSC 19-20 Faculty Fellow
Dr. Jacques Bromberg, Department of Classics
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Mark your Calendars for our
Fall 2021 Mini-Course!
Cities & Social Justice Mini-Course
November 5-7, 2021
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GLOBAL STUDIES CENTER | www.ucis.pitt.edu/global
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