Explore "Yiddishland" in Lublin Poland June 2015

Pitt Field Studies in London May 2015

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

The Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences is seeking applicants for a Field Studies Program in London, England from May 4–May 19, 2015.  

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Word & Image: Field Studies Program in London, England, May 4–May 19, 2015

Of the transformative nature of images, Neil Gaiman, Carnegie Medal winner and author of the acclaimed graphic novel series, The Sandman, writes: “People think dreams aren’t real just because they aren’t made of matter.  Dreams are real.  But they are made of images.” 

Travel to London, England for a rigorous, two-week field studies program that allows you to consider the interplay between words and images found in unique locations, texts, or other resources, which would normally be unavailable. This interdisciplinary field studies program takes place May 4–May 19, 2015, and is designed to complement a semester of directed research through a Dietrich School department in spring 2015. 

Under the direction of Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies John Twyning, the London field studies program explores the often elusive, yet always-vital role images play in shaping research. To serve the needs of a diverse group of students, we will embed ourselves for two weeks in a city that offers equally-rich academic and cultural experiences for students of the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. You will learn how images, when witnessed in-person, complement, contradict, and transform your research. While you will conduct the majority of your study independently, at locations decided by you and a faculty mentor, planned cultural activities and daily group discussions will enhance your project.

In two pre-trip meetings with your peers, you also will discuss the thematic similarities and differences between your diverse projects. Students who would like to join this community of scholars, and who are excited to transform their research with images are encouraged to apply.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications will be accepted from any Dietrich School undergraduate who:

·         is in good academic standing,

·         has earned a minimum of 30 credits in academic work,

·         has declared a disciplinary major,

·         has a faculty mentor within the project discipline responsible for oversight of the project, and

Interested students should complete the following steps and email requested information as a single PDF file to the Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (OUR) at our@as.pitt.edu, no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, January 9, 2015:

·         Secure a Dietrich School faculty mentor for directed research for spring 2015.

·         Complete the Cover Sheet (see attached).

·         Write a two-page description of the proposed research project, specifically explaining how two weeks of research in London at the end of the spring term will enhance the project. The description should be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point font and using 1-inch margins. No more than two pages should be submitted (excluding citations). Appendices and addendums are not allowed.

·         Provide a complete academic transcript (unofficial transcripts are acceptable).

·         Confirm that you will not simultaneously hold any other spring research awards, for example, OUR awards or University Honors College fellowships.

If you are accepted into the program, you will:

·         Enroll for 1—3 credits of directed research (or equivalent) in a Dietrich School department.

·         Complete the Learning Agreement provided by the OUR with your faculty mentor. The Learning Agreement defines expectations of the faculty mentor and the student for spring semester research, plus the two weeks of research in London, to take place at the end of the spring semester.

·         Provide a copy of your Learning Agreement to the OUR (email to our@as.pitt.edu).      

·         Work diligently on your research project for the duration of the program, fulfilling the conditions of the Learning Agreement, and Enroll in 1 credit of directed research while you are abroad (OUR covers the cost of this credit).

·         Agree to a one-time payment of $250 and a deposit payment of $250. The deposit will be returned at the start of the program. 

Please note that you do not have to be enrolled for research credit at the time you apply, and the deposit, payment, and a copy of the Learning Agreement will only be required once you have been admitted to the program.

CHECKLIST FOR APPLICATION

Cover Sheet                                                                                   _____

Two page description of project                                                    _____

Complete academic transcript                                                        _____

Email applications as a single PDF file to our@as.pitt.edu no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, January 9, 2015.

Summer internships in Warsaw

2015 SUMMER PROFESSIONAL (CREDITED) INTERNSHIPS IN WARSAW, POLAND  (between June 1 - July 31, 2015) in ENGLISH

http://www.globaleducationleadership.org/internships-in-poland/

The summer internship program supervised by Collegium Civitas includes 25-30 hours of internship per week. Students can apply for a 4, 6 and 8-week summer internships, beginning on June 1, 2015. The summer internships end on July 31, 2015. Earlier and later start of the program is also possible. Interested students can register for academic credits and take a Polish language course.

(CREDITED) INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (IN ENGLISH)

The program offers a unique opportunity for a limited number of students to undertake full-time summer professional internships in various public and non-profit organizations in Warsaw, Poland that focus, among others, on:

Internships Fields Jewish History, Jewish Arts & Culture  European Integration, Diplomacy, International Politics Government & Constitutional Affairs Human Rights, Migration & Refugees Research & Analysis  Media & Journalism Internet Technology Civic Society & Local Community, Civic & Political Education  Media, Media Advertising & Journalism   History, Arts & Culture & Curatorial Education   Public Health & Humanitarianism Business, Economics & Finance  Environment

http://www.globaleducationleadership.org/organizations/InternshipOrganizations.html

STUDENT WORK and TESTIMONIALS

Perspective students are encouraged to review comments of the program alumni and their work completed during previous editions of the summer internship program.

APPLICATION

Graduate and undergraduate students can apply. Civitas summer internship program has a rolling admission and interested applicants are invited to submit their applications to the program anytime until April 15, 2015. About the application process.

CONTACT

Inquiries about the program can be directed to the GEL team at contact@globaleducationleadership.org or tel. 646 670 6089. For more information about the program, application form and! costs click here

Israel Institute: summer and year-long internship/fellowship programs

Global Studies Book Presentation November 18: Israel-Palestine in the Print News Media

Spring Course: Vienna 1900

Reminders of upcoming events

 Sunday, November 16, 2014, 7-9 pm

at Rodef Shalom Congregation

FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION “Regina”

Documentary Film about the first female Rabbi, Regina Jonas. 

Join us for a film screening, a historical introduction by Professor Rachel Kranson (University of Pittsburgh); and a post-film discussion with Rabbis Sharyn Henry (Rodef Shalom); Amy Levin (Beth Shalom); and Barbara Symons (Temple David)

Co-sponsored with JFilm: Pittsburgh Jewish and Israeli Film Festival.

Click here for more details.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014, 6-8 pm

Frick Fine Arts Building Room 204

ISRAEL HERITAGE ROOM ANNUAL MEETING AND GUEST LECTURE:

"Jerusalem's Geopolitical Question"

Lecture by Noam Shoval, Professor of Geography, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and AICE Visiting Professor, University of Pittsburgh.

Sunday, November 23, 2014, 10 am-1 pm

at the Heinz History Center in the Strip District

INTERACTIVE DAY AT THE ARCHIVES:  "Jewish Life in Western Pennsylvania"

Jewish Studies Students and Faculty join with the Rauh Jewish Archives, the Rodef Shalom Archives, and the Archives Service Center from Pitt for a hands-on experience and presentations of research to a wider public.

Hillel-JUC invites you to a panel of Jewish professionals in Pittsburgh talking about their Jewish and professional lives.

Leo Baeck Summer University at the Humboldt University

Pitt undergraduates--if interested, contact us for thoughts on how to fund this.

November 19, 6-8 pm, Israel Heritage Room Annual Meeting and Guest Lecture

ISRAEL HERITAGE CLASSROOM COMMITTEE

ANNUAL MEETING AND GUEST LECTURE

Sponsored by the Jewish Studies Program in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

Wednesday November 19, 2014, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Frick Fine Arts Building, Room 204

KEYNOTE LECTURE
PROFESSOR NOAM SHOVAL
"JERUSALEM'S GEOPOLITICAL QUESTION"

Jerusalem is the heart of a religious, ethnic, national, and political conflict and is often defined as a polarized and contested city. In addition to the segregation between Jews and Arabs, the Jewish population residing in Jerusalem is also divided along religious lines. As a result, much of the academic literature describes Jerusalem as polarized and divided. However, these analyses are based solely on data regarding housing patterns.  Professor Shoval’s presentation challenges this paradigm of Jerusalem, measuring segregation not only by where residents spend their nights but by their daytime activity as well. The study’s main source is a high-resolution database (in time [seconds] and space [meters]) that includes 16,000 residents of Jerusalem that were all tracked with GPS devices for a 24-hour period and then interviewed. This presentation generates greater understanding of Jerusalem’s current urban and social geography. It offers a more complex view of the city, which may contradict prevailing notions of static segregation.

Report by the

2014 Israel Heritage Room Scholarship Winner

Katherine Martin

Overview of the Israel Heritage Room and

Scholarship Opportunities for Students

Susan Rosenberg, Chair, Israel Heritage Room Committee

Adam Shear, Director, Jewish Studies Program

Refreshments will be served * Free admission * For more information, contact jsp@pitt.edu

REMINDER: THURSDAY NOVEMBER 6, 4-5 pm, CL G13: ANNUAL KRISTALLNACHT COMMEMORATION

The University of Pittsburgh

Department of German and Jewish Studies Program

Present

The Annual Commemoration of
Kristallnacht

(The “Night of Broken Glass” on November 9-10, 1938)

Thursday, November 6, 2014

4:00-5:00 pm

Cathedral of Learning G13

Testimonies of Kristallnacht read by Pitt Students,

Video excerpts from eyewitnesses and survivors,

Music by Susanne Ortner-Roberts, clarinetist

Related Event

Students may contribute to a commemorative glass mosaic on Thursday, November 6, 12:00-4:00pm in the lower lounge of the William Pitt Union.  This event is sponsored by Hillel, Black Action Society, Rainbow Alliance, CWO, and the Hindu Student Council.

SUSANNE ORTNER-ROBERTS is a world-renowned clarinetist from Augsburg, Germany, who specializes in Jewish (Klezmer) music.  

For more information, please contact the German Department at grmndept@pitt.edu or 412-624-5909.

November 10: Lecture "The Real Spectre Haunting Western Thought"

November 16: Film Screening and Post-Film Roundtable "Regina": A Documentary about the World's First Woman Rabbi

:

Nationality Rooms Scholarships

Fellowships from the Dietrich School for Spring Research

SPRING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AWARD
The Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences is seeking applicants to join a diverse community of
undergraduate scholars and researchers from the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences as 2015
Spring Undergraduate Research Award recipients.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
As a Spring Undergraduate Research Award recipient, you will join other students in the pursuit of an
independent research project. You will receive a stipend of $1,000 in recognition of the quality of your
project, and you also will participate in three interdisciplinary workshops co-hosted by the Office of
Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (OUR) and the Academic Resource Center
(ARC). These workshops provide you with the opportunity to engage in conversations across disciplines
and acquire an appreciation for the diverse range of research being conducted at the University of
Pittsburgh.

HOW TO APPLY
Applications will be accepted from any Dietrich School undergraduate who:
 is in good academic standing,
 has completed 30 credit hours of academic work,
 has declared a disciplinary major, and
 has a faculty mentor within the project discipline responsible for oversight of the project.
Interested students should complete the following steps and e-mail requested material as a single PDF to our@as.pitt.edu no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, November 14, 2014:
 Secure a Dietrich School faculty mentor for directed research.
 Enroll in a directed research course through a Dietrich School department.
 Complete the Cover Sheet (see attached).
 Write a two-page description of the proposed research project. The description should be
typed, double-spaced, in 12-point font and using 1-inch margins. No more than two pages
should be submitted (excluding citations). Appendices and addendums are not allowed.
 Provide a complete academic transcript and resume (unofficial transcripts are acceptable).
 Provide letter of support from faculty mentor.
 Confirm that you do not simultaneously hold any other spring research awards, for example,
OUR awards or grants or University Honors College fellowships.
If you are accepted into the program, you will:
 Complete the Learning Agreement provided by the OUR with your faculty mentor. The
Learning Agreement defines expectations of the faculty mentor and the student for spring
semester research.
 Provide a copy of your Learning Agreement to the OUR.
 Work diligently on your research project for the spring term, fulfilling the conditions of the
Learning Agreement.
 Receive an award of $1,000 paid over three months.
 Attend three research-based workshops co-sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate
Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity and the Academic Resource Center.
 Agree to meet with representatives of the OUR to discuss your experience.
Please note a copy of the Learning Agreement is not due at this time, and will only be required once a student
has been admitted to the program.

CHECKLIST FOR APPLICATION
Cover Sheet _____
Two page description of project _____
Faculty mentor letter of support _____
Complete academic transcript _____
E-mail to our@as.pitt.edu no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, November 14, 2014.
Cover Sheet
The Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
Spring Undergraduate Research Awards
Please Print
Student Name:___________________________________ PeopleSoft ID:___________________
Major(s):__________________________________Minor(s):______________________________
Certificate(s):_____________________________________________________________________
E-mail:____________________________________Phone:________________________________
Department in which the project is to be conducted:____________________________________
Provide a brief description of the project and how it contributes to your discipline:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Primary location(s) of research:_____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Student Signature:________________________________________________________________
To be completed by faculty mentor
Faculty name:_________________________Department:________________________________
E-mail:_______________________________Phone:_____________________________________
Campus Address:_________________________________________________________________
In brief, describe the reporting and evaluation plan for the student’s work and progress on
his or her research.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Faculty Signature:________________________________Date____________________________

Great opportunity for research In New York over spring break

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
NYC FIELD STUDIES
The Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences is seeking applicants for a Field Studies Program in New York City from March 8–15, 2015.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Experimental Cities: Field Studies Program in New York City, March 8–15, 2015
New York City is where “the navel of the world and the frontier of civilization lie a few blocks apart,” historian Luc Sante writes of New York City’s diversity. Here, “generations of bent twigs [have] grown into a twisted whole.”
Travel to New York City over spring break as part of a funded interdisciplinary field studies program. Experimental Cities take place March 8–15, 2015 and is designed to complement a semester of directed research through a Dietrich School department in spring 2015. In this field studies program, you will begin to think of your own semester-long research project as a city, one that you will broaden and deepen as you explore hidden avenues and see afresh your ideas from new vistas. To supplement your semester of research, you will actively use the resources of New York City to reimagine your project.
You will participate in two pre-trip meetings with your peers—all with diverse research projects—to discuss thematic similarities and differences across disciplines. Discussion of Sante’s common reader, Low Life, a social history of New York City from the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, and daily activities, including guided tours of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum teach you how New York City forged diverse elements in order to thrive. As these activities reveal how New York City—itself a great experiment—embraced its diversity, you will acquire a model for how to broaden and redefine your own research.
The program covers travel, accommodations, and some meals.

HOW TO APPLY
Applications will be accepted from any Dietrich School undergraduate who:
 is in good academic standing;
 has earned a minimum of 30 credits of academic work,
 has declared a disciplinary major,
 has a faculty mentor within the project discipline responsible for oversight of the project, and intends to enroll in directed research for spring 2015.
Interested students should complete the following steps and email requested information as a PDF file to our@as.pitt.edu no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, November 10, 2014:
 Secure a Dietrich School faculty mentor for directed research for spring 2015.
 Complete the Cover Sheet (see attached).
 Write a two-page description of the proposed research project, specifically explaining how research in New York City will enhance the project. The description should be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point font and using 1-inch margins. No more than two pages should be submitted (excluding citations). Appendices and addendums are not allowed.
 Provide a complete academic transcript (unofficial transcripts are acceptable).
 Provide letter of support from faculty mentor.
 Confirm that, in spring of 2015, you will not simultaneously hold any other spring research awards—for example OUR awards or grants or University Honors College fellowships.
If you are accepted into the program, you will:
 Enroll for 1 – 3 credits of directed research in a Dietrich School department.
 Complete the Learning Agreement provided by the OUR with your faculty mentor. The Learning Agreement defines expectations of the faculty mentor and the student for spring semester research, including the week of research in New York City.
 Provide a copy of your Learning Agreement to the OUR.
 Work diligently on your research project for the spring term, fulfilling the conditions of the Learning Agreement.
 Agree to a one-time payment of $50 and a deposit payment of $250. The deposit will be returned at the start of the program.
 Agree to meet with representatives of the Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity to discuss your experience.
Please note the deposit, payment, and a copy of the Learning Agreement are not due at this time, and will only be required once you have been admitted to the program.

CHECKLIST FOR APPLICATION
Cover Sheet _____
Two page description of project _____
Faculty mentor letter of support _____
Complete academic transcript _____
Email application as a PDF to our@as.pitt.edu no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, November 10, 2014.
Cover Sheet
The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
Experimental Cities: Field Studies Program in New York City, March 8–-15, 2015
Name:____________________________________ PeopleSoft ID:____________________
Major(s):__________________________________ Minor(s):________________________
Certificate(s):______________________________ ________________________________
E-mail:____________________________________ Phone:__________________________
Department in which the project is to be conducted:__________________________________
Provide a brief description of the project and how it contributes to your discipline:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Primary New York City location(s) of research:______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Student Signature:______________________________________________________________
To be completed by faculty mentor
Faculty Mentor’s name (print):___________________ Department:_____________________
E-mail:____________________________ Phone:___________________________________
Campus Address:_______________________________________________________________
In brief, describe the reporting and evaluation plan for the student’s work and progress on
his or her research in New York City.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Faculty Signature:________________________________ Date_____________________
Student Signature:________________________________ Date_____________________

FALL CAREER FAIR

FALL 2014 CAREER FAIR

Wednesday, September 24

11 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Petersen Events Center

As our signature event, this year’s Fall Career Fair will feature over 245 employers and organizations offering full-time, part-time, and internship opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students as well as Pitt alumni.  Students are asked to come prepared in business professional attire and with copies of their resume to distribute to employers. 

New this year:

·         Pre-register at my.pitt.edu for the Career Fair and then pick up your nametag on Tuesday, September 23 in 200 WPU or at Express Check-in on the day of the event.

·         Download the Pitt Career Fair Plus mobile app for complete employer listings and maps of the fair.  Filter employers by major or industry to begin your employer research!

·         60% of this year’s employers are looking for internship candidates in addition to full-time positions. 

·         Behind-the-Scenes Tours are available for 1^st time Career Fair attendees; a minimum of business casual attire is required.  Locate the Tours table in the Pete Lobby or pre-register for a time slot at http://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/cdpa/tours

·         Again this year, the Career Closet in the Pete Lobby will be available for any assistance with your Career Fair attire or just one last mirror check!

Two upcoming Jewish Studies events

Click on photos to enlarge.

Summer 2015 plans?

Yes, already time to think about next summer:

Sept. 1, 2014

Dear friends, dear colleagues,


We are happy to announce that the application period for the Leo Baeck Summer University 2015 has begun.

The early-admission application deadline is October 1, 2014. Students accepted early may apply for Short-Term Grants under the DAAD [https://www.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/21148-scholarship-database/?detail=50015434]. The final LBSU application deadline is March 2, 2015. We will review applications on a rolling basis.



We’d greatly appreciate your sharing this information with your students and placing it in any upcoming bulletins / journals.



LBSU Advanced Program in German-Jewish Studies, July 2 to August 15, 2015:

The Leo Baeck Summer University at the Humboldt University is an English-language, six-week summer school in Jewish studies Berlin, under the auspices of the Zentrum für Jüdische Studien (Center for Jewish Studies) Berlin-Brandenburg. Advanced undergraduate and master’s students are encouraged to apply. Upon successful completion of the program students are granted 12 ECTS credits, transferable to home institutions.

As a transatlantic bridge and international meeting point for education and exchange, the LBSU examines Jewish life in Germany before, during and after the Holocaust, with a particular focus on the contemporary experience in relation to the broader and ever more diverse German society as well as to other Jewish communities in Israel, the United States and worldwide.

Students are enrolled in a daily, three-hour morning academic seminar and attend professionally led excursions and lectures in the afternoon, which complement the subjects presented in the academic segment.

Applications must be sent to info@lbsu.de and include
1. a resume
2. a brief (500-word) personal statement elaborating on their interest in the program
3. a letter of recommendation sent directly by a professor / instructor to info@lbsu.de
4. for students who are not native speakers of English, a letter from a professor / instructor attesting to their advanced English language skills

Please see our website for further information (www.lbsu.de).

Early-admission application deadline is October 1, 2014. Students accepted under the early admission program may apply for scholarships under the DAAD program. The final LBSU application deadline is March 2, 2015.

Again, thanks in advance for sharing this information with interested students and colleagues.



Kind regards,

Toby Axelrod                                                           
Academic Director, LBSU

Johanna Wolter
Executive Director, LBSU

LEO BAECK SUMMER UNIVERSITY

Sophienstr. 22a

D-10178 Berlin

GERMANY

Tel.: +49 (0)30 2093 66311

Fax: +49 (0)30 2093 66325

www.lbsu.de

info@lbsu.de

Student Employment Fair

Tomorrow!  Click on photo to enlarge.

Grad School in Jewish Studies--Indiana University

Graduate Fellowships

The Robert A. and Sandra S. Borns Jewish Studies Program

Announces its 2015-2016 Graduate Fellowship Competition

For Incoming Students

Review of applicants begins: Thursday, January 15, 2015

The Borns Jewish Studies Program offers fellowships for students accepted into a graduate degree program at Indiana University who show clear promise of dedicating themselves seriously to scholarship within one of the core areas of Jewish Studies.  Each fellowship provides a stipend starting at $20,000, plus health insurance, and fee remission which can be tied to multi-year packages.

            Application Procedure: Prospective students must apply for admission directly to a graduate degree program (Comparative Literature, History, NELC, Religious Studies, etc., and the Jewish Studies M.A. program) at Indiana University.  In order to be considered for a Jewish Studies fellowship, applicants to the IU Graduate School should send a copy of their completed Indiana University application and request that 3 letters of recommendation (in Word) be forwarded to iujsp@indiana.edu. Letters & application can also be mailed to:  Professor Shaul Magid, Director of Graduate Studies; Borns Jewish Studies Program; Indiana University; Goodbody Hall 326; 1011 E. Third St.; Bloomington, IN 47405-7005.  Each application will be considered for all relevant fellowship and award opportunities.  Review of 2015-2016 applications will begin on Thursday, January 15, 2015.

For more information, see our web site: http://www.indiana.edu/~jsp/index.shtml

The Borns Jewish Studies Program at IU is an interdepartmental program. Our faculty are housed in various departments - including Comparative Literature, Germanic Studies, History, Near Eastern Languages & Cultures, Musicology, Religious Studies, and the Russian and East European Institute – where students pursue master’s or doctoral degrees. The Borns JSP offers a Masters of Arts degree in Jewish Studies. Students enrolled in IUB doctoral program may also pursue a doctoral minor in Jewish Studies.

“The strength of the graduate program lies in the tight-knit, supportive, and focused academic community nurtured by accessible professors and a thriving Jewish Studies Graduate Student Association.” Matthew Brittingham, M.A., 2014

Elevator Modernization Project in the Cathedral of Learning

Here is the information on the elevator project in the Cathedral of Learning:

Cathedral of Learning Elevator Upgrades

                                                                                                                                                          

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 42-story Cathedral of Learning is the tallest educational building in the Western hemisphere.  The current elevator control system and elevator equipment are not capable of efficiently handling the large volume of passengers passing through the Cathedral each day.  As part of the University’s 12-Year Facilities Plan, the Cathedral elevators are scheduled to be modernized to improve traffic flow through the building. The original Cathedral elevator system, manufactured by Westinghouse, was installed in 1931.  The elevators were upgraded in 1971 and again in 1998, but those upgrades were of limited scope and provided marginal improvement.  Over the years, additional efforts to improve service included reducing the number of stops for many elevators, requiring passengers to travel to a floor near their destination and then walk up or down a floor or two.  The original Westinghouse hoisting machines, which move the elevators through the shafts, are still in use today and are operating significantly beyond their expected service life.  The new system will take advantage of new emerging destination based elevator technology to significantly decrease the time to destination and increase reliability of the system. 

This project will provide a comprehensive modernization of the building’s 8 main elevators with what is referred to as a “destination based” dispatching system.  With a destination based system, passengers enter their desired destination on a kiosk or keypad and are immediately directed to the elevator that will take them to their selected floor.  The system serves the building more efficiently by grouping passengers according to their destination, thereby reducing the number of stops each car will make.  This will allow many of the previously deactivated floor stops to be reactivated, providing greater elevator coverage to more floors and direct access to floor destinations for most passengers.  Touch screen kiosks will be installed on the ground and first floors, and the remaining floors will be fitted with smaller keypads.  There will be no floor buttons to select once passengers enter the car.  Instead, an in-car display will indicate the stops to be served during that specific trip.  The modernization includes replacing the elevator control system, hoisting equipment, doors, and cabs and installing new safety devices.  Some lobbies will also be modified as openings are reactivated.  The shuttle elevator that services floors 36 to 40 will also be replaced.  When completed, the modernization will provide greatly improved efficiency in handling capacity and significantly reduced wait times.  This system is expected to also reduce congestion on the ground and first floor elevator lobbies during peak demand times and significantly improve the reliability of the elevators. Mechanical and electrical upgrades will also be completed to support the new system and to meet current codes.  The new system will also comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and will be more energy efficient.  

The modernization of the elevators has already begun.  The contractor is currently aligning the existing rails which the cars ride on.  This work should be complete by October.  The work to modernize the elevator cabs and control system will begin in December, 2014 and all work is scheduled to be complete in the spring of 2016.  During this period, two (2) elevators will be taken out of service at a time in order to perform the modernization.  Each group of two elevators, one high rise and one low rise, is slated to take three (3) to four (4) months to complete.  Final project completion is expected in the spring of 2016.  After each group of elevators is complete, there will be a transition when both the old call button system and the new destination system kiosks and keypads will be in operation.  It will be important during this transition to pay close attention to which elevator to board.  Facilities Management will make every effort to ease this transition through directional signage and informational updates as the project progresses.  The work in the elevator shafts and machine rooms will take place primarily during the day, but disruption should be minimal.  The lobby work to reactivate door openings will take place from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.  The progress of the modernization can be followed on Facebook by searching University of Pittsburgh Cathedral Elevator Modernization and Twitter @Cathedralelev.