Pitt wins prestigious community engagement award

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities named Pitt as the winner of the 2023 C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award in November. 

Pitt received the award for the community engagement advancements made through The Pittsburgh Study, which develops and tests program interventions at different developmental stages by following children and families in Allegheny County from before birth through high school, according to their website.

“The prestigious Magrath Award demonstrates that The Pittsburgh Study and Pitt’s commitment to the community is among the nation’s most powerful and effective examples,” Chancellor Joan Gabel said to Pittwire.

Liz Miller, the Edmund R. McCluskey Chair in Pediatric Medical Education and professor of pediatrics, public health and clinical and translational science in the School of Medicine, and Terrence Dermody, the Vira I. Heinz Distinguished Professor and Chair of Pediatrics in the School of Medicine, launched the study in 2018. 

It follows 8,000 Allegheny County youth from birth to adulthood, with the goal of determining the most important biological, social and community influences that support healthy development. The study looks at various issues, such as neighborhood noise, pollution and public services, to understand what contributes to a participant’s well-being. 

“The Magrath Award is a particularly meaningful acknowledgment of the University’s efforts to deepen and broaden our community impact, and I’m grateful to the many programs, partners and community collaborators who are leading the way,” Lina Dostilio, vice chancellor of engagement and community affairs, said to Pittwire.