Cudd speaks at U.N.’s “Spotlight on Pittsburgh”

Pitt Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Ann Cudd was among a group of Pittsburgh leaders who spoke at a “Spotlight on Pittsburgh” forum at the 74th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York on Monday.

Cudd, along with Mayor Bill Peduto and representative leaders from the Pittsburgh Foundation, Carnegie Mellon University and Chatham University, spoke about the City’s advances towards the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals. The list of 17 goals includes items like “no poverty,” “quality education,” “reduced inequalities,” “clean water and sanitation” and “affordable and clean energy.”

“The University of Pittsburgh is proud to work together with city leadership and our neighboring universities to advance a common and powerful commitment to participate in active, effective and transformative efforts framed by the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals — all meant to benefit our students, our region, and the world,” Cudd said, according to a press release.

Cudd highlighted three University initiatives — including the Millennium Fellowship, Pitt Pell Success Match Program and two Community Engagement Centers.

The University is hosting 14 recipients of the Millennium Fellowship, a collaboration between Millennium Campus Network and United Nations Academic Impact, for the 2019-2020 academic year. This year, a total of 1,092 Millennium fellows were selected for 69 campuses across the globe, where they will work extensively on projects related to the 17 SDGs.

Additionally, last year, Chancellor Patrick Gallagher announced the Pitt Success Pell Match Program, which matches the amount of the federal Pell Grants of the 5,000 Pitt students who are recipients. The program costs the University around $25 million per year, making the total financial aid spending around $130 million.

Pitt also has Community Engagement Centers in two underserved neighborhoods — Homewood and the Hill District. Each of the CECs has a 15-year commitment to its respective neighborhood, aiming to improve the quality of life for community members through a number of programs, such as STEM programs with Pittsburgh Public Schools and professional development initiatives.