Education category, Page 5
Union: PennWest to furlough more than a dozen employees
Pennsylvania Western University plans to furlough employees at its campuses in California and Clarion because of financial and enrollment challenges. Earlier this month, PennWest notified AFSCME Council 13 that it intends to furlough more than a dozen employees at California and Clarion beginning Nov. 16, according to the union. Union...
Lisa Lambert named Chatham University president
Lisa Lambert, a longtime professor and administrator at Pittsburgh’s Chatham University, has been named the university’s 21st president. “Chatham has been a central part of my life for many years, and I am truly grateful and honored to be named Chatham University’s president,” Lambert said in a statement. “As president,...
CMU study on brain-hand interaction could improve prosthetics
When people sit down for a meal, they don’t think about what to do with their hands when eating. It’s just second nature. Yet, their hands are constantly adapting posture and grip to the cutlery, food and drinks on the table, in order to enable the goal of eating. “Our...
Pitt-Greensburg cybersecurity program receives national recognition
Michael Pry is finally seeing the outcome of a goal he has worked toward for four years. The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg information technology instructor said the Hempfield campus cybersecurity program has been recognized by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security. Pitt-Greensburg joins at least 494...
Westmoreland Intermediate Unit looks to borrow millions, warns of possible layoffs during budget impasses
The Westmoreland Intermediate Unit wants to borrow $2 million to keep services and programs operating during the ongoing state budget crisis, the organization’s leader said. If the Intermediate Unit board of directors approves borrowing the money through a revenue anticipation loan, it can avoid disruptions through the remainder of the...
Social media’s impact on children topic of panel discussion on ‘Anxious Generation’
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg communications professor Jessica Ghilani likens the design of social media platforms to casinos without windows. The introduction of algorithmic sorting to Facebook in 2009 paved the way for social media platforms to generate endless streams of content for users — a system Ghilani describes as...
Pitt to deploy new AI tool to assist students, faculty
Studying and coursework might look a little more high-tech at the University of Pittsburgh. Pitt has signed a universitywide agreement with Anthropic and Amazon Web Services for an AI model — Claude for Education — that can pose open-ended questions and offer support for students, preparing them for professional AI...
Dyslexia simulation reveals challenges 20% of population faces
Hailey Levin has known for years that her daughter is dyslexic. But experiencing for the first time what it might be like for her, she said, was almost heartbreaking. Levin was among about two dozen people, largely parents like herself, who participated in a dyslexia simulation event the Pennsylvania branch...
University of Virginia strikes deal to pause Trump administration investigations
WASHINGTON — The University of Virginia has agreed to abide by White House guidance forbidding discrimination in admissions and hiring, becoming the latest in a growing list of campuses striking deals with the Trump administration as it tries to pause months of scrutiny brought by the U.S. Justice Department. The...
Special meeting set for plan to realign Pittsburgh Public Schools
Pittsburgh Public Schools leaders are set to share the district’s latest plans about which school buildings will be closed, what role those remaining open will have and which educators will work in them when it has a special meeting next week. Until then, district officials haven’t commented about what’s in...
Southmoreland reviews livestream policy, plans hearing regarding controversial director’s comments
The Southmoreland School Board is reviewing a policy that would end the livestreaming of its meetings in favor of posting a video recording after the meeting’s conclusion. The move comes a month after School Director Catherine Fike, a retired school psychologist, was accused by the school board of disclosing confidential...
At Pittsburgh summit, Shapiro highlights AI potential for the state
Pennsylvania is well-positioned to lead innovation in artificial intelligence, Gov. Josh Shapiro said Tuesday during a global summit at the University of Pittsburgh. “Pittsburgh is now a hub of AI activity,” Shapiro said. “We are proud to play a role, an important role, in this revolution as well as in...
Carlow, Seton Hill instructor to lead new WCCC practical nursing program
Westmoreland County Community College has hired a lead instructor for its practical nursing program, set to launch this spring at its Latrobe campus. Christina Drnjevich, an adjunct clinical instructor at Carlow and Seton Hill universities, will lead the new program — coming to the college with more than two decades...
What’s cooking at WCCC? Culinary students serve meals at campus’ Chef’s Bistro
Fall aromas filled Westmoreland County Community College’s health and culinary center last week as students sauteed vegetables and piled fresh baked rolls with roast beef. Students and community members filed into The Chef’s Bistro — a restaurant tucked into the college’s Hempfield campus. About 25 culinary and baking students are...
Hampton High School principal provided spark for CMU coding academy for high-schoolers
It all began with an email. Hampton High School Principal Marguerite Imbarlina sent an email to Carnegie Mellon University. “I thought of a computer science program because the students needed a better foundation of programming and coding,” Imbarlina said. “I needed support to build a framework, and who better to...
Hempfield Area aims to add composting, hydroponics to STEM curriculum
Hempfield Area students will get to put their science lessons into action through the help of a donation of composting tools from Westmoreland Cleanways. The school board voted unanimously Monday evening to accept a donation from the Unity-based nonprofit. The district will receive three compost bins and two tools intended...
New online Pitt program to give students expertise of AI in health data science
Graduates of the University of Pittsburgh’s new online Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics will have a leg up on the growing industry and artificial intelligence, especially as the technology continues to advance, Pitt officials say. In 2026, Pitt will launch the fully online undergraduate program that emphasizes health data...
Financial strain on state’s public schools worsens as impasse continues
Beaver County’s Hopewell School District planned to start a long-term renovation project of its aging high school this year. But as the state budget impasse nears the four-month mark, the district has instead gone into conservation mode, said high school Principal Robert Kartychak. About half of the district’s $49 million...
Former TribLive staffer stands with Hoosier student journalists as Indiana U. bids farewell to print
The adviser to the Indiana Daily Student, Indiana University’s student-run newspaper, has been fired in a dispute over content of a homecoming-themed print edition. Jim Rodenbush, director of student media at the university’s Bloomington campus, was fired Oct. 14. Rodenbush worked for TribLive about 20 years ago. Rodenbush was fired...
‘Life-changing’: Task force promotes advocacy, education for families of children with disabilities
For Shashwathee Kamalesh, resources from Local Task Force 3 on the Right to Education in Allegheny County have been a lifeline as she navigates life as a parent of a child with disabilities. “Every step of my journey, I feel like I’m supported,” said Kamalesh of Marshall, whose 12-year-old son,...
State-owned universities to recruit former students who never completed degrees
If you’re one of the 130,000 people who obtained course credits at one of the state system’s colleges but never finished your degree, you’ll be hearing from the university soon. Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education will be rolling out a program reconnecting with and recruiting former students who didn’t...
Plans for future of Penn State’s closing campus properties to be set by 2027
A second round of meetings with Penn State leadership and communities where branch campuses are closing, and what the future holds for those properties, will soon be underway, university administration said Thursday. Seven branch campuses — New Kensington, Fayette, Shenango, Mont Alto, DuBois, Wilkes-Barre and York — will close at...
Research shows annoying sounds might not be in your ears, but in your brain
The sound of someone sniffling can be irritating, but that has almost nothing to do with the sound itself, new Carnegie Mellon University research shows. “It’s not the sound, it’s how I feel about the person sitting next to me, and how it’s rude to sniffle,” said Laurie Heller, a...
Burrell School District enrollment continues to shrink
Burrell School District’s enrollment decreased by 50 students this fall, a decline on par with what the district has seen for the past 10 years, according to Superintendent Shannon Wagner. Total district enrollment this fall stands at 1,624, Wagner told the school board this week. Enrollment was 1,674 last year....
Sen. McCormick voices support for tax credit program that would further school choice movement
Supporters of a new federal program that would grant tax credits to donors funding private school scholarships say it would expand Pennsylvania’s school choice options and give parents greater control over their children’s education. Detractors say it would favor high-income families, lacks oversight and could hurt people who live in...
