briefs

PITT ARTS adds Senator John Heinz History Center to its free-visits list

Pitt Arts… PITT ARTS adds Senator John Heinz History Center to its free-visits list

Pitt Arts will mark its 10th anniversary by adding the Senator John Heinz History Center to its list of free admission attractions in the city.

A Pitt ID card also grants free access to the Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Andy Warhol Museum, The Mattress Factory and the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

The Heinz History Center, located in the Strip District, houses a variety of exhibits related to the history and heritage of western Pennsylvania. In November, the center will celebrate the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 75th anniversary with a special exhibition of photographs and memorabilia that will run through January.

This year, Pitt Arts will continue its popular Artful Wednesdays series of on-campus lunchtime performances. Scheduled artists include the Joe Negri Trio, a quartet of cellists called Cellofourte and spoken word artists from the August Wilson Center for African American Culture. A performance is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. every Wednesday, Sept. 26 through Dec. 5, in the lower level of the William Pitt Union. Pitt Arts will provide a free lunch to those in attendance.

For more information about PITT ARTS and its 10th anniversary season, visit www.pittarts.pitt.edu or call 412-624-4498. – Lauren Hayward, Staff Writer

Pitt scores in Chronicle of Higher Education’s Almanac Issue 2007-2008, advances in NSF survey

The University of Pittsburgh made gains in several key institutional quality indictors reported in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Almanac Issue 2007-2008, which ranks leading American colleges and universities in a number of categories.

In the category “Top Institutions in Federal Research-and-Development Expenditures for Science and engineering,” Pitt is ranked 13th, up from 14th last year. Moving ahead of Harvard University, Pitt continues to outrank Caltech, Duke University and Yale University.

In the category “College and University Endowments Over $200 Million,” Pitt is ranked 28th, up from 30th last year, moving ahead of New York University and Rockefeller University;

In the category “Largest Endowments per Student,” Pitt is ranked 12th among public institutions, up from 15th last year.

In the category “Top Institutions in Total Research-and-DevelopmentExpenditures for Science and Engineering,” Pitt is ranked 23rd, up from 24th last year.

Under “Top Institutions in Awards for Basic and Applied Research” within the category “Defense Department Contracts and Grants to Nonprofit Institutions,” Pitt is ranked 26th, up from 36th last year, moving ahead of Columbia University, Harvard University, the University of California-Los Angeles, the University of Maryland and Virginia Tech, among others. – Lauren Hayward, Staff Writer

Kuntu Theater to hold auditions

Students interested in performing with the University of Pittsburgh’s Kuntu Repertory Theatre should plan to attend auditions on Sept. 9.

The auditions will be held in Alumni Hall from noon to 4 p.m.

For the 2007 season, the Kuntu Repertory Theatre is looking for actors, dancers and singers. All actors should have a prepared monologue not exceeding 18 lines. All dancers should prepare a short piece that shows their versatility. All singers should prepare eight bars of two songs (one gospel and one pop) that show their range.

Past shows in the Kuntu Repertory Theatre include: Seven Guitars, Sing Black Hammer and Little Willie Armstrong Jones.

The theatre offers University of Pittsburgh students the opportunity to see the first two performances of each show for $1.

For more information please call 412-624-7298. – Jamar Thrasher, Staff Writer