From The Dean
Dear Alumni and Friends of SHRS,
The current climate of economic uncertainty and yet-to-be-determined impact(s) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) pose a number of questions for higher education institutions. While there are divergent opinions on the effectiveness of the current, and perhaps future, stimulus provisions enacted by Congress, the “stimulus” increase in the budgets of major federal agencies such as the NIH and NSF appear to bode well for research-intensive universities – and particularly those with comprehensive Health Science programs. These additional funds have created a flurry of activities as prospective investigators prepare applications to compete for substantial additional research awards. As the University of Pittsburgh, including SHRS and other Schools of the Health Sciences, can be expected to compete favorably, there is reason for optimism for research funding over the next two years. Forecasting further into the future would seem problematic, as our continued successes will likely be linked quite closely to the general state and extent of recovery of the national and world economies.
For the present, applications for admission to SHRS programs continue to be robust with substantial increases in excess of applications received last year by the end of February. I believe that this can be attributed at least partially to the national and international recognition we have received for the quality of our programs. Even with this continued and growing demand, the rising costs of education cannot be ignored in the face of economic difficulties that now affect nearly all families. Our ability to contain costs and provide financial assistance has become an increasingly critical concern.
In light of the increasing financial burden of education, I am pleased to acknowledge the success of our SHRS Alumni Endowed Scholarship Fund. This scholarship fund was established by the SHRS Alumni Society Board in recognition of the school’s 35th anniversary in 2005. Our initial goal has been met and in fact has been exceeded. As a result of the success in this effort we are now awarding scholarships from this fund. Students from all SHRS programs are eligible to apply and criteria include a combination of merit and need. As I am sure you know, need for support continues to grow and we urge donors to continue to contribute to this fund.
I would also like to take this opportunity to direct your attention to a particularly relevant article in this edition. Dr. Cynthia Puranik, who joined the faculty of the Department of Communication Science and Disorders, has established a research program on the more neglected of the duality of communication dimensions in the early stages of education for children. This investigation to explore development of writing proficiency provides a unique and appropriate addition to the research enterprise for study of communication science. I trust that you will find it both instructive and interesting.
Let me conclude by also noting the efforts of faculty in our Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology (RST) in their outreach efforts to provide opportunities for Research Experiences for Undergraduates on Quality of Life Technologies. The article on RST activities also includes the Tech-Link outreach program that brings together minority students, students with disabilities, and other middle school students to provide educational and training experiences to promote interest in STEM activities via a 10-week robotics training program that culminates with the annual FIRST Lego League competition.
Thank you for your continued support of SHRS and its programs!
Cliff Brubaker