Nationality Rooms Newsletter€¦ · April 10 plane crash that killed Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others. The note included with the flowers reads “In solidarity

THE INDIAN ROOM

Nationality Rooms Newsletter N a t i o n a l i t y R o o m s a n d I n t e r c u l t u r a l E x c h a n g e P r o g r a m s a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f P i t t s b u r g h

Spr ing 2010

Vo lume 88

Dedicated January 9, 2000

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THE INDIAN ROOM

The Indian Room celebrates India’s educational heritage and architecture during the 4th through the 9th centuries -- a period known as India’s Golden Age – when literature, art, architecture and education reached new peaks of creativity. The room is based on a 4th to 11th-century monastery courtyard/classroom at India’s ancient Nalanda University in what is now Bihar State. The room features replicas of stone columns, brick floors, walls, pilasters and sculptures still visible at the archaeological site.

Stone and Brick Work

The Buddhist monastic university at Nalanda, which occupied 32 acres of flat land, could accommodate as many as 3,000 students in multi-tiered brick living quarters. The room’s six columns of glass-fiber-reinforced concrete faithfully echo the granite columns at Nalanda. The brick in the room, specially fabricated to project the soft rose hue and texture of the origi-nal, was hand cut and laid in place by a team of Italian ma-sons. The pilasters, columns, niches and floor recall ancient architectural elements found at Nalanda.

Chalkboard Doors and Windows

The cherry wood chalkboard doors (above) and flanking cabinets bear carved seals of Nalanda Univer-sity which feature recumbent deer above a Sanskrit inscription. Cast steel grilles in front of the windows, hand wrought into forms which reflect decorative elements of the columns, filter the light and soften the view of the 20th-century outside world.

Wall Art

India’s multicultural society is captured in the window-wall panel of the nation’s major language scripts. “Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides” is a passage from the Rig Veda in Sanskrit. Here it is trans-literated into the scripts which represent the 16 official Indian languages, with a translation in English. Some languages share the same script.

Facing the entrance, the bronze replica of a 9th-century copper plate mandates to five villages the responsibil-ity for the upkeep and maintenance of the monks, as well as supplies for the copying of manuscripts in the monastery. This meant that the student monks were exempt from begging for daily food and could devote the entire day to their studies.

Three watercolor panels on the perimeter brick wall (right) are the work of renowned Indian artist M.S. Chandrasekhar. On the left, the artist depicts male and female international students who came from many Asian nations to study at Nalanda. The center panel depicts 7th-century Chinese traveler Hsuan Tsang saying farewell to Nalanda’s noted monk-scholar Silab-hadra. Hsuan Tsang carries the sutras, which he studied during the two years at Nalanda. The right panel focuses on international visitors who came to Nalanda from far-away lands.

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EDITOR: E. Maxine Bruhns

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Eileen Kiley

REPORTER: Susan Langer

PUBLICITY: Cristina Lagnese

Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs

1209 Cathedral of Learning

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Phone: 412.624.6150

FAX: 412.624.4214

e­mail: [email protected]

website: www.pitt.edu/~natrooms/

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR 

  E. Maxine Bruhns, Director 

The  Nationality  Rooms  Summer  Study  Abroad  Scholarships,  Chancellor  Bow‐man’s  Faculty  Grants  for  research  abroad  and  the  Ruth  Crawford  Mitchell Awards for Czech or Slovak Scholars to conduct research at the University dur‐ing the fall term keep us very busy.  Eileen Kiley, NRIEP’s Scholarship Adminis‐trator, announces the Summer Study Abroad Scholarships  in November, briefs potential  applicants  in November, December  and  January.    Readers  select  the finalists and I make some 80 phone calls to secure panel members for the selec‐tion process in February.  We spend the entire month of February in the Braun Room administering the selection for some 39 awards. 

The rewards come when we witness  the excellence of  the applicants, many of whom conduct research directly benefitting the host population, such as malaria research in Uganda, in‐terning with  the United Nations Relief  and Works Agency  involving Lebanon’s Palestinian refugees,  re‐searching the effect of specific drugs on Chinese patients  in the PRC or creating water‐delivery systems for Nicaraguan villages. 

Of course, coordinating the progress of the Turkish, Swiss, Philippine and Korean Rooms consumes a part of  every working  day.    In  addition,  I  am  narrating  off‐the‐record  stories  about  the  Nationality  Rooms which I have learned from Ruth Crawford Mitchell or experienced myself.    Jim Crawford, of  the Univer‐sity’s Center for Instructional Development and Distance Education (CIDDE) will record the stories and video the Room artifacts to which they refer.   

By  popular  request  I  have  agreed  to  teach  an Osher  class  in  June  and  July  ‐  “The Nationality Rooms  – Classrooms  that Teach.”   The Osher Lifelong Learning  Institute  is  under  the umbrella  of  the College of General Studies, which is proud to be one of 121 Osher centers throughout the United States.   

Have a super summer! 

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MESSAGE FROM THE COUNCIL   Dale Richards, Chairman  The 2010 Nationality Rooms Scholarship awardees have been selected.    This  year  39  undergraduate  and  graduate  awards were presented totaling $144,500.  The Council would like to send  our  best  wishes  for  successful  studies  and  ventures abroad  this  summer.    We  look  forward  to  hearing  the  stu‐dents’ reports and tales of their trips in the fall.  Every year I have  been  mightily  impressed  and  will  no  doubt  have  that same experience with this group of scholars.  The Pittsburgh Folk Festival was held in May at the Monroe‐ville  Convention  Center.   Many  countries  and  cultures were represented.    It  is  events  like  the  Folk  Festival  that  help  to keep the pride and hope of ethnic groups to survive and help future  generations  carry  on.    Our  wonderful  Nationality Rooms  Program,  as  we  all  know,  is  second  to  none  in  this area.  The  Russian mystic  Dostoyevsky,  in  words  forever  genuine, said,  “Beauty  will  save  the  world.”    The  English  poet  Keats said  it,  too:  “Beauty  is  truth. Truth beauty.”   The Nationality Rooms speak a universal hope  to  the  students of Pittsburgh and to the global community.   These quotes come from “The Nationality Rooms” book as written by Andrey Avinoff, distin‐guished artist and scholar: “My hope is that these rooms and the  new  rooms  being  developed  be  a  continuing  symbol  to the world that peace is possible.  To  all  of  the  committees  in  the Nationality Rooms Program, the  Nationality  Council,  on  my  behalf,  wishes  you  pob  lwc (good luck) and iechyd da (good health).  

CHINESE ROOM COMMITTEE   Karen Yee, Chairman  We had a very busy spring with many events in May, which is Asian Month in the United States.  We had planned the first Asian Day at PNC Park for April 16, but it was cancelled due to damage to the performance area caused by a severe storm.  It will be rescheduled.  Committee members participated in the 53rd Pittsburgh Folk Festival, May 14‐16, at the Monroeville Convention Center, as well as the 2nd Annual Asian Day at Kennywood Park on May 16.  The University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work hosted the National Conference on Race in America on June 1‐3, fea‐turing a reception in the Commons Room of the Cathedral of Learning.  Chinese dancers performed as well as Ukrainian and African groups.    

During the summer break, we’re already plan‐ning for fall and winter events.  We’ll welcome back our scholarship recipients at the fall dinner.  The free Dragon Boat Festival is scheduled for Saturday, September 18, at Riverfront Park.  Hope to see you there!  

 CZECHOSLOVAK ROOM COMMITTEE   Joseph Bielecki, Chairman  The  Czechoslovak  Room  Committee  granted  a scholarship  this  year.    Aaron  Pelot,  an  under‐graduate,  will  travel  to  Bratislava,  Slovakia,  to attend an advanced Slovak language program. The  committee’s  May  meeting  featured  a  one‐hour documentary  film about The Czechoslovak Legionnaires  called,  “The  Accidental  Army.”  Those  present  enjoyed  the  film  so  much  that they  asked  for  it  to  be  screened  again  at  the group’s  October  meeting  so  more  people  can enjoy it.  The Committee elected officers at the May meet‐ing  who  will  serve  two‐year  terms.    They  are:  Chairman  –  Joseph  Bielecki;  Vice‐Chair  –  Dr. Alena  Neumann;  Treasurer  –  Justine  S.  West; Secretary – Loretta Stana.    Professor  Martin  Votruba  was  the  keynote speaker at the 10th annual Western Pennsylvania Slovak  Cultural  Association’s  meeting  in  the Czechoslovak  Room  on  Sunday,  May  23.    Dr. Votruba, director of  the Slovak Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh, spoke on the leg‐end  of  Juraj  Janosik,  the  Slovak  Robin  Hood,  a story  that  is  part  of  the  Slovak  culture.    While court  documents  confirm  the  existence  of  Ja‐nosik, who led a group of robbers and hid in the thick  forests,  many  folktales  credit  him  with feats  that were  impossible  for  him  to  have  car‐ried  out.    He  was  executed  for  his  crimes  in March  1713.    However,  people  believed  in  Ja‐nosik’s nobility of character.    It  is surmised that official  records  suppressed  much  of  the  truth about  Janosik’s  actual  deeds.    His  name,  for  al‐most two and a half centuries, has been the sym‐bol of hope and courage to his people.    Refresh‐ments  in  1228  Cathedral  of  Learning  followed the meeting.    

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GREEK ROOM COMMITTEE   Dr. Dimitris Kraniou, Chairman  The  Greek  Nationality  Room  at  the  University  of  Pitts‐burgh  participated  in  the  Holiday  Open  House  with  a booth selling  traditional Greek pastries.   The Grecian Od‐yssey Dancers performed during the afternoon.In March, a Greek  Independence  Day  celebration  was  hosted  by  the Greek  Room  Committee  to  honor  the  fallen  heroes  in Greece’s  struggle  for  independence.    The  event  included dance performances as well as a play  in which  local area Greek School students acted.          

                    HUNGARIAN ROOM COMMITTEE   Barbara A. House, Chairman  The Hungarian Room was featured in the May 2010 edi‐tion of “William Penn Life”, the official publication of the William Penn Association.  Designs from the ceiling graced the front cover.     The room’s stained glass windows were featured, as well as the entry door, the display cabinet, and a close‐up of the tulip motif used throughout the room.  Writer John E. Lovasz closed the article with a men‐tion of the recipients of the Hungarian Room Scholarship for study in Hungary:  “What Walko (former winner) and other committee scholarship recipients experience study‐ing in Hungary is similar to what all visitors to the Hun‐garian Room experience: a deeper understanding and ap‐preciation of the long, rich history and culture of the Mag‐yar people and the realization that a better future is possi‐ble when we honor and cherish the traditions of our past.”    

ITALIAN ROOM COMMITTEE   Arcangela Lattari Balest, M.D., Chairman  The  Italian  Room  Committee  decided  to  change  the name of their scholarship to the “Jennie Ranii Scholar‐ship” to honor Jennie who died this past winter.  Jennie Ranii,  a  member  of  the  Italian  Room  Committee  for many, many years, also assisted the late Frances Nesta with committee activities.    

POLISH ROOM COMMITTEE   Donald Mushalko, Ph.D., Chairman  Members of the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of  Slavic  Languages  and  Literatures  and  the  Russian and East European Studies Center placed flowers in the Polish  Room  to  commemorate  those  victims  in  the April 10 plane crash that killed Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski  and 95 others.    The  note  included with  the flowers reads “In solidarity with the Polish nation dur‐ing this week of national mourning over the tragic loss of 96  lives  in  the  crash of  the presidential  airplane  in Smolensk, Russia, April 10, 2010.”  

WELSH ROOM COMMITTEE   Dale Richards and John Owen, III,    Co‐Chairmen   The  committee  joined  with  the  St.  David’s  Society  to mark St. David’s Day on Saturday, February 27, with its annual  Daffodil  Luncheon.    The  Club  at  Nevillewood provided  a  beautiful  setting  and  included  a  menu  of Tenderloin  of  Beef  or  Scrod  English  style,  with  field green  salad  with  oranges  and  wal‐nuts, baked stuffed potato, a vegetable  medley,  warm bread  pudding  with whiskey  sauce,  rolls, and beverages.   

The Welsh St. David’s Soci‐ety of Pittsburgh continues to look for opportunities to promote  Welsh culture.    We  have  been  active  in  many  ways.  Some  of  the  newer  Board  members  have  been  in‐volved,  especially  Rob  Willis  and  Drew  Richards.  Through Rob’s efforts,  the St. David’s Society  is now a permanent  member  of  the  Pittsburgh  Folk  Festival.  Drew Richards volunteered to organize the Annual Gy‐manfa  Ganu  (Welsh  Song  Fest)  to  be  held  at  the  Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church on October 17.       

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We have been collaborating with  the Welsh Society  of Philadelphia  and  the National  Library of Wales  to  col‐lect  and  then  digitize  our  history  in  an  effort  entitled the Wales‐Pennsylvania Project.  Fundraising will be on‐going  to  support  the  work.    We  are  especially  inter‐ested  in gathering  information related to  the Welsh  in Pittsburgh  and,  in  particular,  the  St.  David’s  Society which began around 1882.   Discussions with  the Pittsburgh Pirates  center  around creating  a  new  club  at  PNC  Park  called  the  Cambria Club.    It  would  have  a  Welsh  theme,  with  the  Red Dragon displayed.  The name for the room, Cambria, is another  name  for Wales.    It would  be  a  place  to  hold meetings and promote Welsh culture.    Welsh  language  lessons will be available  in  the  fall  se‐mester.  Thanks to all those who have attended.   

SCANDINAVIAN  SOCIETY  OF  WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA   Rich Neilson, President  The March meeting  featured Finnish post‐doctoral  fel‐lows  Minna  Lind  and  Janne  Lindqvist  from  Carnegie Mellon University.  They presented their views on eve‐ryday  life  and  advanced  scientific  development  in Finland.   Minna Lind, from the Department of Material Science and Engineering, spoke about steel making and the steel  inclusion modification on the  field that she is studying.  Janne Lindqvist focused on privacy and com‐puters from her vantage point as a member of the Hu‐man‐Computer Institute.   All enjoyed authentic Scandi‐navian foods after the program. 

A  concert  by  Finn  Hall,  named  Finlandia  Foundation Performer  of  the  Year  2010,  benefited  the  Finnish Room Construction Fund.   Members gathered at Frick‐Fine  Arts  Auditorium  on  Tuesday,  March  23,  enjoyed traditional  music  played  by  Ralph  Tuttila  (mandolin), Cheryl Paschke (violin), Dennis Halme (accordion) and Al  Reko  (accordion  and  singing).    The  musicians  are dedicated  to preserving  the  feel and sounds of dances at the Finn Halls found in most Finnish‐American com‐munities from the late 1800’s into the 1950’s.  But they also  included  other  ethnic  tunes  and  old  time  dance music.   

In  April,  our  2010  scholarship  recipient  Sam  Pittman spoke  on  the  topic  “Poetry,  Place,  and  the  Person:  an Icelandic  Endeavor.”    Sam  will  travel  to  Iceland  this summer  to work with poets  on his writing  and  to  im‐prove  his  Icelandic  language  skills.    A  potluck  dinner followed the meeting. 

IN MEMORIAM

Cecilia Sarocky

Czechoslovak Room Committee

WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL CLUB   Cynthia Maleski, President  The Women’s International Club met on Sunday, May 23, at the University Club in Oakland for the annual Presi‐dent’s Luncheon.  In addition to cash donations, proceeds from the sales of the Nationality Rooms Recipe Book and Karen Yee’s jasmine tea benefited the Women’s Interna‐tional Club Scholarship Fund.  We enjoyed pre‐luncheon violin and piano selections by Mayuko Matsunaga and Chiseko Hayakawa.  The keynote speaker, the Honorable Joy Flowers Conti, Federal Judge, Western District, Penn‐sylvania, discussed citizenship and the preservation of ethnic identity in her speech titled “Immigration: The Life Blood of Our Country.”  Director E. Maxine Bruhns made remarks.  Members expressed a desire for us to continue our newly established semiannual newsletter and the Spring Tea. 

We will soon be scheduling the Fall Scholarship Luncheon and the annual Holiday Luncheon.  There are plans to par‐ticipate in the Nationality Rooms Holiday Open House in December.  

Norwegian  Constitution  Day  was  celebrated  on  Sunday, May 16 at the Aspinwall Fireman’s Park with a traditional parade, speeches and games  for young and old.   The pic‐nickers  enjoyed  homemade  “pølse  med  lompe  eller brød” (hot dogs wrapped in soft potato flatbread or rolls), assorted beverages, and ice cream for dessert.  The buffet table  was  filled  out  by  covered  dishes  provided  by  the members.   

The  Society  has  announced  its  website: www.pittsburghscandinavians.org.   Anyone can go  to  the site to learn of the organization’s activities.   

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SWISS ROOM COMMITTEE 

Heinz Kunz, Chairman Frederick H. Carlson,

Vice-Chairman

The new Swiss Honorary Consul, first corporate donor Dominique Schinabeck and committee member Philip Bottonari have been busy identifying and approaching donors who may be willing to help us reach our fund-raising goals by the end of this calendar year. We are stressing to our donor community that now is the time to make their mark on this important project symbolic of Swiss fraternity and heritage; a project that will be maintained by the University of Pittsburgh in perpetu-ity. We hope to announce the success of these endeav-ors at the August 1 celebration (Swiss National Day) at the Richland Barn, Bakerstown, PA. We continue to look ahead to a May-November 2011 construction window transforming the University of Pittsburgh’s room 321 into the beautiful and historic Swiss Room. At our Swiss Night event in March at the Teutonia Maennerchor club, our historic expert Eve-lyn Ruffing explained in a series of questions and an-swers why this room is so unique with its late medie-val architecture.

Architect-of-record Stephen Altherr has completed 95% design documents which are being let for bids at this time for the contracting work. The committee has been through a series of meetings at Pitt Facilities Management offices to complete the design plan for the room, always keeping our budget in focus.

On Wednesday, May 26, the Swiss Room Committee hosted our special guests: Christoph & Regula Bubb, the Swiss General Consul/NYC and his wife, at the University’s Braun Room on the 12th Floor of the Ca-thedral of Learning. It was exactly two years ago that the Ambassador had visited the Nationality Rooms and funded the last chair in the auction that the Swiss were sponsoring that year. He gave of his personal funds to buy the Fribourg chair. We briefly updated the Ambassador with the progress of the past two years, including locating Richard Sink as woodcrafter endorsed by project design architect Justin Rüessli, our subsequent visit and communications with Rich-ard and his amazing facility, fundraising progress, and finally, the presentation of the 16-page final construc-tion documents was led by architect-of-record Stephen Altherr.

Donor Ed Graff is researching Red Clay Tile in Belle-vue as a possible source of a re-created kachelofen if we do not locate a donated or inexpensive antique.

Ambassador Bubb further elaborated on his desire to help committee members Philip Bottonari and Dominique Schinabeck with our major gift re-quests and is willing to attend private meetings in the NYC area that may be coming up in the next two months. Maxine Bruhns then took the Bubbs and SNRC attendees on a brief room tour of the 3rd floor highlights-the ones right around the fu-ture Swiss Nationality Room (321).

TURKISH ROOM COMMITTEE  Malik Tunador, Chairman The committee established the Pittsburgh Turkish Nationality Room, Inc., a non-profit corporation, which will raise funds for the Turkish Nationality Room.

The December Holiday Open House was a huge success for the committee, realizing a profit of $800 from the sale of Turkish goodies and souve-nirs.

On Tuesday, June 8, Facilities Management rep-resentatives met with local woodworking firms to invite bids for the ceiling, walls and floor of the Turkish Room. After the meeting, held in the Croghan-Schenley Room, the group proceeded to 339 Cathedral of Learning to examine the room space.

KOREAN HERITAGE ROOM  David Kim, Chairman In the committee’s recent election, David Kim emerged as the chairman. Dr. Kwan Lee intro-duced him to the group assembled to discuss the $200,000 matching grant from the Korea Foun-dation. Mr. Kim has several fundraising ideas that will be explored over the next few months.

 PHILIPPINE ROOM  Warren Bulseco, Chairman; Jun Calejesan, Project Manager The committee presented a PowerPoint summary of the Philippine Nationality Room project to date to Maxine Bruhns on Tuesday, June 8. Included were architectural renderings of the proposed room plan, a time line, and details of the chair design. Several questions were posed by Bruhns concerning design details.

        NEW ROOM ACTIVITY 

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IS AN UZBEKISTANI ROOM IN OUR FUTURE? Recently, Director Bruhns received two phone calls from peo-ple with keen interest in creating an Uzbekistani Room in the Cathedral of Learning. Bruhns explained there were no rooms available. If, however, one of the current group fails to carry through, there could be a chance. She posed the essential questions: Is there a substantial Uzbek community in Pitts-burgh? Are they capable of raising at least a quarter of a mil-lion dollars to create the room? Can they continue in our Summer Study Abroad Scholarship Program after completing the room? The affirmative answers were followed by this query:  “Is there some place we could place a plaque repre­senting Uzbekistan?”  Instead, Bruhns encouraged the Uzbeks to form a cultural group which could become affiliated with the NRIEP.

Location of Uzbekistan

A MODEL STUDENT BUILDS A MODEL CATHE-DRAL OF LEARNING

Ryan Houghtaling, a 10-year-old fifth grader in Cleveland, chose the Cathe-dral of Learning as his class project. His mother, Penny, contacted Direc-tor Bruhns for material. Ryan and his grandfather built a 52” Styrofoam replica of the Cathedral of Learning and Ryan wrote an essay from the point of view of Erie, the male falcon, who lived on the 42nd story.

Ryan’s story appeared in the Pitt Chronicle and Director Bruhns in-

vited Ryan and his family to visit the Cathedral of Learn-ing and view the falcons’ nest. “I liked the Chinese Nationality Room because of the lions and the dragon on the ceiling. I liked the Com-mons Room because it looked like Hogwarts (School of Witchcraft and Wizardry) from Harry Potter and was cool. And I liked all the wooden carvings and stone emblems above all the doors.” Bruhns also invited him to Lulu’s Noodles for lunch. Ryan watched care-fully as Bruhns demonstrated how to use chopsticks. Soon Ryan was expertly using his chopsticks to finish his lunch. His younger brother pre-

ferred to spear his chicken with a sin-gle chopstick!

From “The Falcon’s Eyes”: Across the room I see a big wooden door hang-ing open, so I fly in. Inside a scary dragon is looking down on me, like I look delicious. Then I see some cracks and realize it is just a decoration. There are amazing Chinese symbols all over the walls. Next I fly down the hall and see a Greek room with many columns. I remember that on the inside of the Cathe-dral there are many Nationality Rooms that were constructed. I see tons of stu-dents walking through an iron gate so I know it must be the exit. I follow them outside and I see Dorothy (the other fal-con) just landing on the balcony of the 40th floor. I darted up to see her, and she asks where I’ve been. “It’s a long story about an amazing place. I’ll tell you all about it, and show you tomor-row.”

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Above, the Indian Room plans were blessed by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama on November 12, 1998.

Right, the Presentation of the Deed of Gift to Chan-cellor J. Dennis O’Connor (left) by Chairman Chan-drika Rajagopal (center) and Architect Deepak Wadhwani (left) in July 1993.

Left, a stonemason displays his skills lay-ing the vast amount of brickwork in the Indian Room in the fall of 1999.

Left, stonework from Nalanda, the prototype of the Indian Room.

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The Armenian Room Committee sponsored a day-long symposium on “The Essence of Armenia and Armenians”. Experts on Armenian history, art, lan-guage and crafts presented papers and participated in a panel discussion. The event attracted wide in-terest.

1990 The dedication of the Ukrainian Room occurred on June 17, 1990

The Czechoslovak Room Committee marked the 140th birthday of Tomas G. Masaryk with a program in the Stephen Foster Memorial Social Room, fea-turing Mr. Milos Ziak, a Slovak poet and member of the Civic Forum in Bratislava. Mr. Ziak spoke on the topic “Current Slovak Literature.”

2000 Former African Heritage Room Committee Chairman Larry Glasco discussed the accomplishments of those members honored at the Sankofa Luncheon held in the Student Union on June 3. Honorees in-cluded Beatrice Adams, Lillian Allen, Kingsley Carey, Peggy Pierce Freeman, Lillie Lesesne, Thelma Lovette, Edith Mitchell and James Wofford III.

Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott spoke before a distinguished audience in Frick Fine Arts Auditorium on the occasion of the retirement of Dennison Rusinow, a Balkan expert and Research Professor in the University Center for Interna-tional Studies. Secretary Talbott mentioned how moved he was when he first saw the Yugoslav Room portraits of men who were historic heroes of the people who had created the room.

LOOKING BACK IN

THE NEWS-LETTER…

1960 The March 1960 issue of Intercom, a monthly journal on citizens‛ education and activities in world affairs, published by the World Affairs Center in New York, carried an article on the work of the Nationality Com-mittees. The Russian Room Committee cooperated with Univer-sity Russian language teachers to sponsor a Russian afternoon on May 15, 1960. The program, the first of its kind, included a full length Russian movie. The so-cial hour featured student sketches in Russian, Rus-sian music and dance. The Balalaika Players from Ali-quippa High School performed.

1970 A Wiener Abend was held in the Student Union Ball-room, featuring excerpts from Lehar‛s Die Lustige Witwer performed by an orchestra, chorus and solo singers. A buffet dinner was served. Sr. Mary Anna Childs, author of many books including The Sounds of Ireland and Joy and Gladness, was the featured speaker at the John F. Kennedy Scholarship Benefit dinner held in the Student Union on April 30.

1980 Marjorie Alexis coordinated a book promotion for the Women‛s International Club‛s recipe book. Members Kathryn Markotan and Mattie Lutz demonstrated recipes from the book at the Italian Food Fair spon-sored by Gimbel‛s Department Store before an enthu-siastic shopping audience.

Dr. Larry Glasco, who conceived the concept for the African Heritage Room, visiting the room dur-ing its construction.

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EASY CURRY 1-2 medium size onions, chopped 1 medium green pepper, chopped Butter or margarine for frying Chicken or beef (ground or in chunks) (¼-1/3 of a pound per person) Salt and pepper to taste 1 teaspoon red pepper 2 Tablespoons curry powder 1 Tablespoon turmeric Dash garlic salt 1 can of tomatoes 2 medium size potatoes, sliced or cubed 1 cup of water (add more if more liquid is desired) Sauté onions and green pepper in butter. Add meat and seasoning and brown a little. Add potatoes, water and tomatoes. Simmer 1 ½ to 2 hours until desired consis-tence is reached. Serve with rice. Mrs. Georgianna Brethaur Patel Page 100

This is a popular candy in Kerala, the Southwest state of the peninsular part of India. Kerala is the land of coconut trees, cashew nuts and lotus flowers. PAAL BURFI (Milk and Nut Candy) ½ cup almonds ½ cup cashews ½ cup shredded coconut 2 cups milk or light cream 2 cups sugar 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter 4 drops of vanilla extract Soak almonds and cashews for an hour. Grind the nuts and coconut in a blender and mix with milk and sugar. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. When mixture thickens well, add butter and vanilla essence. Continue stirring and cooking further. When mixture thickens enough that you can see the bottom of the pan clearly (mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan), pour it in a greased 13”x9” pan. Cool 15-20 minutes. Cut into squares with a knife. Yield: 40 pieces. Banu Pandali Indian American Bicentennial Committee Page 227

ABOUT THE INDIAN ROOM… The subcontinent of India is a peninsula of around 3.3 million square kilometers. It is separated from mainland Asia in the north by the Himalayan mountain range. It is sur-rounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea to the west and the Indian Ocean in the south. India is separated into four major vegetation regions: the Himala-yan, the tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, the tropical decidu-ous forests, and the thorn forests and shrubs. “Bharat”, as the land is called by her people, is a country which has a diverse mixture of ethnic groups; it is made up of 25 states and seven

Seventeen languages and more than 1,600 dialects are recognized by the In-dian consti-tution. The Indian lan-guages are Assamese, Bengali, Gu-jarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. The northern Indic languages have evolved from the Indo-European group, whereas the south Indian languages are Dravidian, influenced by San-skrit and Hindi. Many of the Indian lan-guages have their own script and are spoken in their respective states and linguistic re-gions, along with English, which is an offi-cial language. In the words of the historian of India, A. L. Basham, “The ancient civilization of India differs from those of Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece in that its traditions have been preserved without a break, down to the pre-sent day.” (from the Indian Room Dedication Book)

Recipes taken from the Nationality Rooms Recipe Book, published by the Women’s International Club to fund summer study abroad scholarships.

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COMMITTEE CORNER Susan Langer, Administrative Assistant DECORATING DAY The 2010 Decorating Day is scheduled for Saturday, November 13th. This past year there were no volun­teers to host the Decorating Day Luncheon, so the Nationality Rooms Program Office hosted an “Open House” reception. Four members of each committee were invited to socialize with cheese, crackers, fruit, dessert and beverages served and no formal pro­gram presented. (Some committees had more than four guests at the reception, however this year the total of four guests will be strictly enforced). Most committees enjoyed this low­key event and have requested that we continue this format. If you would like to express your opinion or volunteer to host this event, please contact our office 412­624­6150 no later than July 15th. HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE Sunday, December 5, 2010 the Nationality Room Committees will fill the Commons Room with holi­day music, ethnic performances, delectable ethnic foods, artifacts and old­fashioned holiday spirit! Many of our guests make this an annual holiday tradition, now introducing it to a new generation. This year will be the 19th anniversary for this Open House Format ­ with each year it grows larger and larger. Holiday Open House information will be sent to all committee chairs in August with a response dead­line of your committee participation to the National­ity Rooms Program by October 1st. Maxine will in­vite eight ethnic groups to participate in the per­formance portion of the program. Each group that is invited will receive a personal invitation either by phone or mail. Please do not assume that, if you performed last year, you will automatically be asked to perform this year. We have many interested groups, therefore we must rotate appearances. Should you have any questions or concerns, please call our office 412­624­6150. CABARET BALL The 2010 Cabaret Ball scheduled for April 17, 2010 was cancelled due to lack of volunteers. It is apparent that an annual Cabaret Ball is not practical due to other commitments for many. Therefore, we will schedule a Cabaret Ball for every other year, and, hopefully, this will spark greater interest.

Notices to form a Planning Committee for the Cabaret Ball will be sent to all Chairmen in January (please share this information with your committee) once the date has been confirmed. EVENT PLANNING All committee officers will be forwarded the up­dated “Procedures for Organizing Events”. With an increase in events being planned by many committees, it is necessary to “update” the existing Event Procedures. Our office will forward the “up­dated” procedures to you – please share with pertinent members of your committee. Please review the procedures before planning your next event. The Nationality Rooms Program will be happy to assist you with all your University needs. Should you want addi­tional copies or if you have any questions, please contact either Cristina or Susan. BYLAWS The Nationality Rooms Program Office is reviewing all committee bylaws and will advise if changes, corrections or additions should be made and need to be ratified. If there are no changes we will forward a copy to the commit­tee chairman for signature and date. Please return it to the NRP Office to be included in your committee file, as soon as possible. MEMBERSHIP LISTS We are still in need of current committee membership lists. Please forward as soon as possible. COUNCIL DUES It is time again for annual Council Dues for Fiscal Year 2010/11. You will receive, by mail, three copies of the $100 transfer request to Nationality Council. Please sign all three copies, returning two to Susan and retaining one for your committee financial files. FINANCIAL and DONOR REQUESTS Your balances with donors listed are always available to your committee chairman and treasurer. Should you re­quire financial information or donor information, you must contact the treasurer of your committee. Our office will not release any information to anyone other than the chairman or treasurer, so please do not make those re­quests. You must contact your treasurer or chairman with those requests. NATIONALITY ROOMS PROGRAM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES All Committee chairmen and officers should have received the “NRP Policies and Procedures” packet. If you have not received or need additional copies, please contact our of­fice, we would be delighted to forward it to you. Wishing you a great summer ­ see you in the fall!

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QUO VADIS Michael Walter, Tour Coordinator Here are a few highlights of the past quarter. March 19: 23 Russian Library Scientists were hosted at the University by Mary Kay Bi-agini. Ms. Biagini brought the guests for a tour, and the visitors enjoyed the Russian Room, leav-ing behind two small gifts – a painted wooden bowl and an ocarina. March 25: Tickets for Kids invited the Na-tionality Rooms to participate in an outreach presentation at the Pittsburgh Opera’s new headquarters. Besides the Nationality Rooms presentation to potential Tickets for Kids clients, the University was also represented by Kuntu Theater and (indirectly) by Pittsburgh Children’s Theater, with whom we’ve partnered for three years. Since then, more than five Tickets for Kids tours have been scheduled. Spring brought annual visitors, such as multiple Tickets for Kids tours, Weinberg Terrace Retire-ment Community, and the Disabled Israeli Veter-ans. Quo Vadis guide Marissa Goldrich should be commended on her tour for the Israeli Veter-ans – a congratulatory email from the tour or-ganizer was send to me for Marissa’s job well done. Large school tours punctuated business in April and May, with 354 guests visiting from McMurray Elementary School, 150 from Adamson Elementary in West Virginia, and 150 guests from Mt. Pleasant Area High School.

May 6: The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh held their annual Student Ambassador Conference in the Cathedral of Learning and took a tour afterwards. 349 students from 22 schools showed up to listen to representatives of European cultures, in two breakout sessions. Af-ter lunch, eleven Quo Vadis guides gave the kids a one-hour tour. Director Bruhns greeted them in the English Room for a special-focus tour. The entire day went smoothly with little noise or con-fusion. Previous years’ events were held in Law-rence Hall, but the Council was blocked this year due to a Russian Film Conference. Comments from every section – W.A.C. staff, teachers, stu-dents, Quo Vadis guides – were all positive.

May 12-17: Once again the Nationality Rooms partnered with the Pittsburgh Children’s Festival to offer spe-cially-themed tours of the rooms at a reduced adult rate. The themes were creature symbolism, fairy and folk tales, and im-ages of royalty. Unlike previous years, this year’s event was well advertised and 407 people experienced the tour

TOUR STATISTICS

Adult Youth

January 2010 538 159

February 2010 288 107

March 2010 758 1,024

April 2010 593 980

May 2010 1,022 807

TOTAL

GRAND TOTAL

3,199

6.276

3.077

Eight schools reserved guided tours, and walk-in guests took advantage of the single specialty tour offered daily at 10:30 a.m. Recent graduate Quo Vadis guide Melissa DeCecco was available every day for walk-ins and groups, dressed in the Elizabethan gown she created for the Holiday Open House.

May 18: The University’s Department of Institutional Advancement toured the rooms in an effort to remind their staff of how special the Nationality Rooms are, and how that may aid them in the fundraising efforts. The tour was espe-cially long and well received.

June 4: The Pennsylvania Federation of Republican Women toured twice this day, while meetings and luncheons were held at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association.

2010 GILLESPIE AWARD TRIP The annual Gillespie Award trip to New York City, acknowledging two outstanding Quo Vadis guides, took place from June 1-3, 2010. Ashley Bowen, Quo Vadis president, majoring in Studio Arts and Archeology, and Kimberly Fetsick, a History and Religious Studies major, were the awardees.

The flight from Pittsburgh to New York was cancelled the evening before, leaving Ms. Fetsick and me to take a later flight, via At-lanta. Without belaboring the point, what had been a planned one hour, direct flight became a thirteen hour ordeal. Wednesday was lost.

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On Thursday, we boarded the first ferry to Ellis Island. We toured a wing of the processing building

that detailed the steps by which immigrants were examined and then either released or stood before an inquiry board to determine their fate. Only 1% of those processed were sent back, including anarchists, criminals and company-hired laborers. After this tour, we visited the United Nations, which is undergoing a massive expansion and overhaul. The General Assembly Room was filled with high schoolers who had participated in a model UN program and who were graduating from the program that day. We saw an incredibly large Belgian tapestry, a gift to the UN, that, if unwoven, had enough threads to wrap around Earth six times.

The next stop was The Met, wherein we spent much time at the Egyptian collection, saw several khatchkars near the Byzantine collection, and generally ran from gallery to gallery amazed at the quality and quantity of world mas-terpieces. Later events that evening included tourism in Times Square and dinner at St. Andrew’s, a Scottish restau-rant. There Kimberly had halibut and artichokes, Ashley had gazpacho and salmon, and I relished my trout stuffed with oatmeal and crab meat, served with a maple syrup and Scotch whiskey sauce. If anyone seeks out St. An-drew’s, we all would happily recommend the sticky toffee pudding!

Tourism the next day included St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Museum of Modern Art. Lunch was at Andy Warhol’s favorite “sweet shop”, Serendipity 3, famous for the frozen hot chocolate and the $1000 Golden Opulence Sun-dae, dusted with gold dust.

Thankfully, the trip home was uneventful.

INFORMATION CENTER AND MAINTENANCE Matthew Hefferin, Coordinator

Maintenance issues have been at the fore-front of business lately, with the Annual Maintenance Inspection Tour having taken place on Tuesday, March 9. Plans to par-tially replace the English Room floor where there had been water damage were dis-cussed. Ongoing examination of floors and furniture, walls and fabrics also consumed much of the trades’ attention.

Some factors that contribute to damage are the overbooking of classes and over-long class meetings in the Na-tionality Rooms. These situations have been reported to the Registrar’s Office and we hope to further protect the rooms. Unfortunately, the Welsh Room communion table and some of the bench seats had to be repaired. The overbooked class was moved.

Comments from guests have been positive, with some people remarking upon seeing a repeated spot about Director Bruhns on WQED’s “OnQ” program.

Nationality Rooms’ maintenance is not as extensive in the summer as during the school year. Broken chairs, graffiti, and gum are not as fre-quent in the summer. However we still keep close attention on what needs to be repaired. A major repair is the Armenian door. The car-penter had to take the door off and realigned it. The door should be back in about a week.

I noticed many international students visiting the Nationality Rooms. When they rent a tape tour, they need to leave ID and often times they leave the International Student Card. There has been a lot of positive feedback from customers regarding our gifts and reasonable prices

GIFT CENTER Anita Gallagher, Gift Center Coordinator As of May 24th the Gift Center has exceeded the end of year gift sales total for 2009. We will eas-ily experience a sizable increase over last year’s gift sales. This is important as Nationality Room Book sales and Postcard sales have decreased for the last three years. Gift Sales 7/1/09 through 6/2/2010 $47,224 YTD Gift Sales 7/1/08 through 6/30/09 $46,326 In an effort to keep repeat customers, merchandise on display is rotated, changed and new items added. Visitors assume that they can use credit cards and we have lost sales due to our inability to accept credit cards for payment. A major project for this year has been the research into this proc-ess. Our goal is to begin accepting credit cards with the start of the new fiscal year, July 1, 2010. Some of the newer items for sale in the Gift Center are hand woven scarves and shawls from India in a variety of fabrics. Hand knotted jewelry in a wide variety of semi-precious stones from Southeast Asia are also popular. Summer related merchandise from Kenya includes different sized painted pots and children’s items.

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2010 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS Eileen Kiley, Scholarship Advisor

R U T H C R A W F O R D M I T C H E L L C Z E C H /S L O V A K S C H O L A R -S H I P

This year there was funding to give both a scholarship and a grant. Jana Lacekova received the $7,000 scholarship to conduct re-search in the area of elementary mathematics education. Dr. Jozef Ristvej is the winner of a $6,000 grant for the study of emergency preparedness. Both scholars will arrive in the fall semester to begin their work.

JOHN G. BOWMAN FACULTY GRANTS

Approximately every three years since 1965, as funds permit, the Nationality Rooms Program is able to offer grants to University of Pittsburgh full-time faculty to assist them in conducting research abroad for classes currently taught or in the planning stages. This year the following were named recipients of a $2,000 Bowman Grant:

Yolanda Covington-Ward African Studies Democratic Republic of Congo

Adriana Helbig Music Czech Republic

Dennis Looney French and Italian Italy

Laura Putnam History Venezuela

Todd Reeser French and Italian France

SUMMER STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM In February and early March,  the Nationality Rooms and  Intercultural Exchange Programs awarded 39  scholar­ships for summer study abroad.  The 21 graduate students and 18 undergraduate students will dot the globe in:  Argentina, Austria, Chile, Colombia, England, France (2), Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (2), Israel (2), Italy (2),  Jordan (2), Korea, Lebanon, Mali, Nicaragua  (3), People’s Republic of China (5), Palestine,  the Philippines, Scotland, Slovakia, South Africa (2), Spain, Thailand, Uganda and Ukraine.  The winners participated in an Orientation on the morning of Saturday, April 10.  Lively discussion took place on a myriad of travel topics.  After lunch, the group reassembled in Room 332 Cathedral of Learning, where, before a capacity crowd, each student received a certificate from a committee or donor representative.  Many of the stu­dents have already arrived at their study destinations.  One student had to change her physical therapy internship site from Italy to Beaumont Hospital in Ireland.  Another student had to change plans and hopes to pursue his studies next summer.  The listing below gives each student’s name and destination.  The University has announced that, because of the state of the economy and the impact it has had on the stock market, the endowment income will be decreased by 5% in fiscal year 2010­2011.    Because the University projects endowment income that averages a few years, it is anticipated that another reduc­tion of approximately 5% in fiscal year 2011­2012 will be imposed.  I was asked to prepare an impact statement on what the reduction would have on the program.  The response explained that decreasing the interest income would prevent us from offering as many scholarships, depending on the committee.  For example, rooms with en­dowments started in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s won’t be as affected as endowments started later.  If there are any changes in this proposed reduction, I will let the Council members know.

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GRADUATE AWARDS Stanley Prostrednik Award   To participate in an internship with the U.S. Steelworkers Union in Pittsburgh and in Colombia, researching is-sues vital to the membership in several cities in Colombia MATTHEW F. PATERRA              Stanley Prostrednik Grant   To research inclusion of school teachers in mass drug administration for soil-transmitted helminthi-asis in Manila, Philippines DIVYA SINHA  Stanley Prostrednik Grant   To participate in an internship and research the availability and effectiveness of therapy services for survivors of trafficking in Bangkok, Thailand EMILY E. THURSTON  Fred C. Bruhns Memorial Award   To participate in an internship with the U.N. Relief and Works Agency and conduct research in Pales-tinian refugee camps in Beirut, Lebanon LAUREN ELIZABETH PUCCI  Judge Genevieve Blatt Memorial Award   To work with the Thai health system to research infectious diseases and examine the Global Fund funding process in Bangkok, Thailand KATHRYN M. COLLINS  Ruth Crawford Mitchell Memorial Award    To work with Mityana Hospital to produce geographic-based mapping of malaria mosquitoes to en-able better strategies of prevention and treatment in Mityana, Uganda JASON MINGYI HUANG  Dr. Ryonosuke and Teruko Shiono Award   To compare the effectiveness of three surgeries currently used to repair disc herniation injuries among migrant workers at Tongji Medical University in Wuhan, People’s Republic of China         YILIN ZHANG  James W. Knox Memorial Award   To participate in an internship with APAF and investigate women’s health care and human rights in Bamako, Mali JULIE B. SAVANE  George T. and MaryAnn McGunagle Memorial Award To research technologies, managerial and sustainability strategies in the areas of electricity and clear water in Bluefields, Waslala and El Porvenir, Nicaragua and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala       ROBERT T. GRADOVILLE  Austrian Room Committee Scholarship (in honor of Heidi and the late Joseph Novak) To research the industrialization of Austria at the end of the 19th century and its impact on the development of coffee houses in Vienna, Austria HEIDI A. COOK      Hungarian Room Committee Scholarship (in honor of Dr. Samuel Gomory & Joseph Arvay)   To research the Foreign Relations Society, a cultural diplomacy organization in the 1920’s, in Pecs and Budapest, Hungary      ANDREW E. BEHRENDT 

African Heritage Room Committee Scholarship (in honor of Walter C. Worthington)  To study constitutional and business law at the University of the Western Cape and do volunteer work with chil-dren in Cape Town, South Africa MARIE E. BROWN   

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James Affleck/Scottish Room Committee Scholarship To research the political and economic impact of the Scotch Whiskey trade in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland

  DANIEL C. BISBEE Frances and Sully Nesta Award   To research the Veneto/Italian regional language to that used in Chipilo, Mexico, which was settled by Segusino immigrants, in Segusino, Italy ANGELICA F. BENAVIDES   Ivan Santa­Cruz Memorial Award To research the publication of Latin American scientific journals, especially in a University-based model, in Santiago, Chile JORGE ENRIQUE DELGADO  Scandinavian Society of Western Pennsylvania Scholarship To study Icelandic literature and culture as well as prepare a manuscript of poetry in Reykjavik, Ice-land SAMUEL E. PITTMAN  Israel Heritage Classroom Committee Scholarship To research Orthodox Jewish American women who have permanently resettled in Israel, especially women from the Pittsburgh area, in Jerusalem, Israel REBECCA F. SLAVIN  Israel Heritage Classroom Committee Grant To participate in an internship with the Palestine-Israel Journal, a not-for-profit organization in Jeru-salem, Israel LAURA K. SMITH  Chinese Room Committee Scholarship To participate in a clinical trial of a diabetes drug and record differences between Caucasian and Asian populations at Tongji Medical University in Wuhan, People’s Republic of China AMY YUN HE  John H. Tsui Memorial Award    To research multiple myeloma in a laboratory at Tongji Medical University in Wuhan, People’s Repub­lic of China NICHOLAS M. GREGG  Dorothy Bradley Brown Physical Therapy Award To participate in a clinical rotation at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland ELIZABETH A. ASHOFF

UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS  Rachel McMasters Miller Hunt Award   To participate in an excavation of a Roman city through Eco Museo Cap de Cavalleria in Gutadella, Menorca, Spain NINA M. SCHREINER  German Room Committee Scholarship To study German language and history at the University of Augsburg in Augsburg, Germany

JOSEPHINE GUSTAVSEN Helen Pool Rush Award   To participate in the Center for Latin American Studies’ field trip and research indigenous and local medical practices in Leon, Nicaragua ANNA BONDAR  Helen Pool Rush Grant To study Political Islam and International Relations in the Contemporary World at the University of Westmin-ster in London, England BLAIR D. DOUGLASS 

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Savina S. Skewis Award  To study intensive Spanish language and examine the Ar-gentine diet in Buenos Aires, Argentina     ELIZABETH LEIGH DELAVAN Savina S. Skewis Grant  To study standard and colloquial Arabic and research the water and environmental policies of the Middle East in Amman, Jordan SARAH A. SANDRIAN David L. Lawrence Memorial Award   To study Introduction to Philosophy, Global Leadership, and Management and Leadership Communication at Ko-rea University in Seoul, Korea JONG HAM

David L. Lawrence Memorial Grant  To study the standard and Egyptian Arabic language at the Birzeit University in Ramallah, Palestine JONAS X. CABALLERO John F. Kennedy Memorial/Irish Room Committee Scholarship To study the history and literature of Ireland through the IES Abroad Program in Dublin, Ireland      BREANNE M. ROCHE  Czechoslovak Room Committee Scholarship To study intensive Slovak through the Pitt-in-Slovakia Program in Bratislava, Slovakia   AARON M. PELOT    Italian Room Committee Scholarship (in memory of Jennie Ranii) To study Italian language and culture through the Pitt-in-Italy Program in Syracuse, Sicily CALEN A. CYGAN  

Women’s International Club Award (in memory of Jennie Ranii and Stephanie Matula) To participate in the Center for Latin American Studies’ field trip and research how fluency in Spanish affects pa-tient care in Leon, Nicaragua STACY C. JONES   Women’s International Club Grant (in memory of Jennie Ranii and Stephanie Matula)   To participate in an internship with Relief International and study the Arabic language in Amman, Jordan NICOLE E. COREA  Women’s International Club Grant (in memory of Jennie Ranii and Stephanie Matula)   To participate in a health care internship and study French literature through Boston University in Paris, France      RAAKA G. KUMBHAKAR 

African Heritage Classroom Committee Scholarship (in memory of Nancy H. Lee) To participate in a directed study in speech reha-bilitation at Western Cape Rehabilitation Center in Cape Town, South Africa   SIMERJIT K. MATHARU  William and Bernice McKeever Memorial Award  To participate in the Pitt-in-China Program, studying Chinese language and the political econ-omy at Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Re­public of China   JEFFREY L. CARASITI  John H. Tsui Memorial Award    To participate in the Pitt-in-China Program, studying Chinese language and economic devel-opment at Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China   MICHAEL J. DEDAD  

HONORS CONVOCATION This annual academic event convened on February 26, 2010. The Nationality Rooms Summer Study Abroad Scholarship Program recipients’ names are listed each year, along with hundreds of other outstanding stu-dents. UNIVERSITY SCHOLARS (for attaining the top two percent in cumulative undergraduate academic standing by school) ALEXA SABEDRA (2009 Rachel McMasters Miller Hunt Award) NINA E. WEAVER (2009 Savina S. Skewis Award) AMBER NELSON (2009 David L. Lawrence Memorial Award) JONAS X. CABALLERO (2010 David L. Law-rence Memorial Grant) PHI BETA KAPPA (for superior scholastic achievement in undergraduate programs in the arts and sciences) CORY RODGERS (2009 Helen Pool Rush Award)   GOLDEN KEY NATIONAL HONOR SOCI-ETY (for top 15% of the junior and senior classes) MICHELLE LARZELERE (2009 Women’s In­ternational Club Award)  NINA E. WEAVER (2009 Savina S. Skewis Award)

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ARTS AND SCIENCES UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES SCHOLARSHIP (for outstanding aca-demic achievement) SARAH M. HENRICH (2009 William and Ber-nice McKeever Award) ROBERT JOHN AND HELEN MARIE COSTER SCHOLARSHIP (for outstanding academic achievement) ANNA M. BARRY (2009 Helen Pool Rush Grant) TUNG LI AND HUI HIS YUAN PRIZE (for out-standing academic by a student of Chinese descent receiving summa cum laude honors) AMY YUN HE (2010 John H. Tsui Memorial Award) WILMA BINDER ZEDER MEMORIAL SCHOL-ARSHIP LAUREN E. BRUNE (2009 German Room Committee Scholarship) ALEXA SWAILES (2009 Women’s Interna­tional Club Grant) ACADEMY OF AMERICAN POETS PRIZE.EDWIN O. OCHESTER GRADUATE POETRY AWARD SAMUEL PITTMAN (2010 Scandi-navian Society of Western Pennsyl-vania Scholarship) CHINESE STUDIES TUITION RE-MISSION AWARD JOSEPH CICHOCZ (2005 Chinese Room Com-mittee Scholarship) SHERRI LULLO (2008 John H. Tsui Memorial Award) LESLIE WALLACE (2007 John H. Tsui Memo-rial Award) ELIZABETH U. BARANGER EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD (for outstanding teaching by a graduate student) CARLY WOODS (2008 Frank & Vilma Slater/Scottish Room Committee Scholarship) LILLIAN B. LAWLER PREDOCTORAL FELLOW-SHIP (for outstanding careers in teaching and re-search by dissertation-level students) BORYANA DOBREVA (2009 Austrian Room Committee Grant) FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND AREA STUDIES FELLOWSHIP (for outstanding graduate students in their study of other languages and regions) ANDREW BEHRENDT (2010 Hungarian Room Committee Scholarship)

KATHLEEN MORIARTY (2009 Austrian Room Com-mittee Scholarship)

NORMAN P. HUMMON MEMORIAL RESEARCH AWARD (for an outstanding research project in sociol-ogy) KAI HEIDEMANN (2005 Stanley Prostrednik Grant) MARSTINE FAMILY FOUNDATION GRANT (to support graduate student research and travel) BRIANNE COHEN (2008 Austrian Room Committee Scholarship) MITSUBISHI FOUNDATION GRADUATE FELLOW-SHIP (for the study of Japan by graduate students in the social sciences or humanities) BENJAMIN PACHTER (2008 Japanese Room Com-mittee Scholarship) ANDREW MELLON PREDOCTOR FELLOWSHIPS (for superior performance in the academic disciplines of arts and sciences at the graduate level)

AARON ABBARNO (2008 Stanley Prostrednik Award) CARLY WOODS (2008 Frank & Vilma Slater/Scottish Room Commit-tee Scholarship) K. LEROY IRVIS DIVERSITY DOC-TORAL FELLOWSHIP JORGE DELGADO (2010 Ivan Santa-Cruz Memorial Award)

NOSAKHERE GRIFFIN­EL (2009 African Heritage Room Committee Graduate Scholarship) AMERICORPS AWARD (for recognition of prior service) JULIE SAVANE (2010 James W. Knox Award) MATTHEW B. RIDGWAY CENTER AWARD (for schol-arship and service in advancing the center’s goal of inter­national security) RAMZI ASMAR (2009 Fred C. Bruhns Memorial Grant)

BRACKENRIDGE UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER RE-SEARCH FELLOWSHIP (for two or three months of summer support to engage in unfettered undergraduate research leading to a completed work of independent scholarship) JOSH CANNON (2008 William & Bernice McKeever Memorial)

ASIAN PACIFIC SCHOLARSHIP (to create global citizens and leaders by assisting students in achieving their personal and professional goals of obtaining cul-tural and academic experiences within the Asia Pacific Region) CORY RODGERS (2009 Helen Pool Rush Award) 

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THE LEONARD TOW HUMANISM IN MEDI-CINE STUDENT AWARD PRESENTED BY THE ARNOLD P. GOLD FOUNDATION (to the student who best embodies empathetic, sensitive and respectful behavior in medical care; served as a role model, and exhibited a high degree of sensitivity in working with patients) ANDRES TURNER (2006 Ivan Santa-Cruz Memorial Award) CENTER FOR GLOBAL HEALTH, HEALTH SCI-ENCES, STUDENT GLOBAL TRAVEL GRANT ANNE NAGY (2004 African Heritage Room Commit-tee Scholarship) DEAN’S SERVICE AWARD APRIL CARMAN (2008 Indian Room Committee Scholarship) STUDENT LEADERSHIP CERTIFICATE APRIL CARMAN (2008 Indian Room Committee Scholarship) DARMENDRA RAMCHARRAN (2007 James W. Knox Merit Award) HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES AD-MINISTRATION SCHOLARSHIP, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE TRAINEESHIP RAYNARD WASHINGTON (2006 African Heritage Room Committee Grant)  PENNSYLVANIA OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION REBA M. SEBELIST SCHOLAR-SHIP (for an occupational therapy student with aca-demic merit) STEPHANIE YOUNG (2008 James W. Knox Memo-rial Award)   SCHOLARSHIP UPDATE Asian Studies Certificates were awarded to: ANNE NAGY (2004 African Heritage Room Committee Scholarship) ELIADA NWOSU (2008 African Heritage Room Committee Scholarship) JEFFREY AUSTIN PRICE (2009 Stanley Prostrednik Award) KATHY JOHNSTON­KEANE (2003 Frances and Sully Nesta Award) defended her dissertation on March 19.  Her thesis is entitled “Caravaggio’s Drama: Art, Theater, and Literature during Italy’s Spanish Age”.  

JOSHUA MacCARTY (2006 Arthur Schwotzer/German Room Committee Scholarship) earned a graduate Russian and East European Studies Certifi-cate in Spring 2010.

 KATHLEEN (BRICKLEY) GALLANT (2006 Caryl Kline Scholarship for Mid-Career Women), recently sent a letter to the office: “I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the Nationality Rooms Scholarship Program. The Caryl Kline Scholarship for Mid-Career Women in 2006 and the summer I spent in London changed my life! As a woman with physical disability, travelling inter-nationally and living alone was a milestone for me. The experience of living in London helped me realize what I could accomplish, gave me more self confi-dence, and the realization that I wanted a career with an international focus. Because of this realization and experience, after I graduated from the College of General Studies, I continued into the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) to study international development and public admini-stration. During my time at GSPIA as a graduate student, I was appointed to the Executive Committee of the In-ternational Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA), based in Stockholm, Sweden. This volunteer position as a global psoriasis advocate includes a sig-nificant amount of international travel and I have made over a dozen trips to Europe and South Amer-ica during the last two years. Had I not had the initial experience of travelling and living in London alone, I sincerely doubt I would have had the courage and strength to take this position and travel by myself. Now it is a normal part of my life! Now that I have graduated from GSPIA, I will con-tinue to serve on the IFPA board and will search for a career with international connections, hopefully in the NGO realm. Looking back, I just wanted to rec-ognize you both and the scholarship committee for the part you played in my life and who I am today. Thank you!”

BORYANA DOBREVA (2009 Austrian Room Com-mittee Grant) was one of two University of Pittsburgh Arts and Sciences graduate stu-dents to receive an American Council of Learned Societies-Mellon Dissertation Comple-

tion Fellowship.  Dobreva’s areas of specialization include German and Austrian migrant literature (20th and 21st centuries), the history and politics of intellec-tual migration to German-speaking Europe after 1800, and comparative theory and literature. She is writing her dissertation under the supervision of Pro-fessor Sabine von Dirke. According to the Council, only 5 percent of the 1,148 applications received na-tion-wide were funded, which made the competition extremely rigorous this year.

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ZACHARY MORRIS (2007 David L. Lawrence Memorial Award) earned a Bachelor of Philosophy degree through the University of Pittsburgh’s Honors College and has been se­lected as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar by the Pittsburgh Rotary Club. Rotary International has assigned Morris to study comparative social policy at the University of Oxford in England.  Zachary will enroll at Oxford’s Green Templeton College in the Department of Social Policy and Social Work to complete the Master of Science degree. A summa cum laude Pitt graduate, he majored in urban stud-ies and politics and philosophy in the School of Arts and Sciences. He is currently a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs at the Heinz Family Philanthropies. In the fall of 2007, he worked as an intern for the chief executive in the Office of the Chief Executive of Allegheny County and in summer 2008, was an immigrant and refugee policy intern in Alle-gheny County’s Department of Human Services.   JONAS X. CABALLERO (2010 David L. Lawrence Memo-rial Grant) was one of three Pitt Honors College juniors to receive a 2010 Humanity in Action Fellowship. The fellow-ships “are designed to promote and facilitate an ongoing, international dialogue about the challenges that democratic societies encounter as they experience new degrees and forms of diversity.”  Caballero is working toward a BA in media and professional communication as well as a Bache-lor of Philosophy degree in international and area studies through Pitt’s Honors College.   MARK A. O’NEILL (1996 Irish Room Committee Scholar-ship) was named one of Forty Under 40 award recipients by the Central Press Business Journal in October for his professional leadership in the Harrisburg region. He was serving as executive director of Lancaster Gastroenterology, a colon cancer treatment center, but was recently called to duty with the Navy Reserve. A lieutenant and medical ser-vice corps officer, he has been deployed to the Army’s Land­strul Regional Medical Center in Germany to serve as chief of patient affairs. ELIADA NWOSU (2008 African Heritage Room Commit-tee Scholarship) appeared before a committee to defend her doctoral dissertation entitled: “Network Diversity Value and Local South African Entrepreneurial Development in a Globalizing Economy: A Grounded Theory Analysis. The meeting took place on February 24.

TOBY TAYLOR (2009 George and Mary Ann McGunagle Memorial Award) was featured in the Spring 2010 Pitt Magazine, along with scholarship donor G. PATRICK McGUNAGLE (1969 David L. Lawrence Memorial Award). McGunagle named his scholarship to honor his parents for their support of his education and global curios-ity. Al Novak, Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advance-ment, prepared an article explaining how the Nationality Rooms Summer Study Abroad Scholarship Program sup-ports the University’s goal of “providing a nurturing learn­ing environment that inspires discovery in all of the Univer-sity’s many disciplines.” 

JOSH CANNON (2008 William & Bernice McKeever Memorial Award) was one of 13 graduating seniors to receive a National Sci-ence Foundation Graduate Research Fellow-ship. An anthropology and linguistics major, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in April 2010 and will attend the University of Chicago to study in the Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations program, focusing on the archae-ology of Bronze Age Turkey. As the oldest graduate fellowship program of its kind, it has a long history of selecting recipients who achieve high levels of success in their future academic and professional careers. The pres-tige of the award helps support recipients to become life-long leaders who contribute sig-nificantly to both scientific innovation and teaching. Fellows receive a three-year annual stipend along with a cost-of-education allow-ance for tuition and fees, a one-time$1,000 international travel allowance, and the free-dom to conduct research at any accredited U.S. or foreign institution of graduate education.

JULIE DRASKOCZY (2008 Stanley Prostred-nik Grant) from the School of Arts and Sci-ences’ Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures defended her thesis on May 12. Her work is entitled “A body of Work: Building Self and Society at Stalin’s White-Baltic Sea Canal.”   She has been awarded the Stanford University Andrew W. Mellon Post-Doctoral Humanities Fellowship (2010-2012). In a competition of over 600 applicants, Julie was chosen as top for the Slavic Department, then competed with all other Stanford departments for this honor. Draskoczy is the second student in the University’s Slavic Department who has won such an honor.

JENNIFER KEATING­MILLER (2004 Irish Room Committee Scholarship) contacted the Nationality Rooms recently to tell us about a book that emerged from her time in Ireland. The research she conducted then allowed her to do preliminary archival research, conduct interviews with politicians and build contacts for a subsequent research trip to Ireland in 2006. During this stay, she interviewed many, but not all, of the writers whose work is ana-lyzed in her book, entitled “Language, Identity and Liberation in Contemporary Irish Litera-ture.”  In the e-mail, Jennifer states, “I am completely indebted to the Nationality Rooms Scholarship program for the foundation of what came to be a labor of love in this project. In addition to my current responsibilities at

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Carnegie Mellon Univer-

sity, I will teach a course

in the fall on Irish and

British Modernist writers.

My time at Pitt was fruit-

ful and substantially en-

hanced by the support of

your program. Best

wishes.” 

NEIL B. TANNER (1995 Greek Room Com-

mittee Scholarship), who graduated from the

University’s Law School in 1997, is an attorney based in Philadelphia and was named deputy

chief counsel of Cigna International and chief

counsel of Cigna International Expatriate

Benefits, which provide health care benefits to

expatriates around the world. He serves on the

board of directors of the Association Interna-

tionale des Jeunes Avocats and as an adjunct

professor at the Temple University School of

Law.

CALENDAR OF  EVENTS   All dates and times are subject to change.  For current information, call 412.624.6150.   (t/b/a = to be announced)  MAY 2010 13‑17  Pittsburgh Children’s    International Festival 14‑16  Pittsburgh Folk Festival 16    Scandinavian Society’s Sytende Mai    (17th of May) Celebration   Townsend Park,    Murrysville 23    Women’s International Club    President’s Luncheon   University Club, Oakland 31    Memorial Day holiday –    University offices closed 31  Nationality Room Tours  

 11:00 a.m. – last tour leaves at  2:30 p.m. 

JUNE 10  Nationality Council meeting   1201 Cathedral of Learning – 6:00 p.m. 20  Lithuanian Room Committee Meeting 

129 Cathedral of Learning 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. 20  Scandinavian Society of W. Pennsylvania   Midsummer Celebration & Annual Meeting   Townsend Park, Murrysville  4:00 p.m.  JULY5  Independence Day Holiday   University Offices closed 5  Nationality Rooms tours 

11:00 a.m. – last tour leaves at 2:30 p.m. 10  Annual Filipino American Association of Pgh.    Picnic—Cultural Awareness Day   Vietnam Veterans Pavilion, Schenley Park   11:00 a.m.—6:00 p.m. 15  Annual Slovak Day at Kennywood Park 18  Lithuanian Room Committee Meeting 

129 Cathedral of Learning 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. 18  Scandinavian Society of W. Pennsylvania   1228 Cathedral of Learning – 2:00 – 6:00 p.m.  AUGUST 8  Scandinavian Society of W. Pennsylvania 

Attending Pirates vs. Colorado Rockies game 15  Indian Festival   Commons Room  ‑  Noon‑4:00 p.m. 15  Lithuanian Room Committee Meeting 

129 Cathedral of Learning 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. 15  Scandinavian Society of W. Pennsylvania   1228 Cathedral of Learning – 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. 30    Fall Term begins  SEPTEMBER 6  Labor Day Holiday 

University Offices   closed 6  Nationality Rooms   tours 

11:00 a.m. – last tour   leaves at 2:30 p.m. 7  African Heritage Room   Committee meeting   330 Cathedral of Learning  6:00 p.m. 12  Scandinavian Society of Western PA   Crayfish Party/Fall Picnic   Aspinwall Volunteer Firemen’s Park 19  Lithuanian Room Committee Meeting 

129 Cathedral of Learning 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. 

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OCTOBER   T.B.A.  Nationality Council Meeting & Scholarship Debriefing 

1201 Cathedral of Learning ‑ 6:00 p.m. 5  African Heritage Room Committee meeting   330 Cathedral of Learning  6:00 p.m. 9  Scandinavian Society of Western PA   Nordic Night – Church of the Redeemer, Squirrel Hill 11  Student Fall Recess (no classes)   17  Annual Gymanfa Ganu (Welsh Song Fest)  

Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church – time TBA 17  Lithuanian Room Committee Meeting 

129 Cathedral of Learning 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. 17  Scandinavian Society of W. Pennsylvania   1228 Cathedral of Learning – 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. T.B.A.  Chinese Room Committee Scholarship Dinner   Sheraton Station Square time t/b/a T.B.A.  Czechoslovak Room Committee Meeting   1228 Cathedral of Learning  2:00 p.m. 22‑25  University of Pittsburgh Homecoming Weekend  NOVEMBER 9  African Heritage Room Committee meeting   330 Cathedral of Learning  6:00 p.m. 14  PolishFest   

Commons Room – Noon – 5:00 p.m. 13  Annual Decorating Day and Luncheon 

1228 Cathedral of Learning ‑ Noon 21  Scandinavian Society of Western PA   1228 Cathedral of Learning 21  Lithuanian Room Committee   129 Cathedral of Learning 25  Thanksgiving Day – University offices closed 

  No tours   Nationality Rooms Tours 

11:00 a.m. – last tour leaves at 2:30 p.m. 27  Nationality Rooms Tours 

9:00 a.m. – last tour leaves at 2:30 p.m.  DECEMBER 5   Holiday Open House 

Noon – 4:00 p.m. – Commons Room 7  African Heritage Room Committee meeting   330 Cathedral of Learning  6:00 p.m. 11       Czechoslovak Room Committee   Holiday Party – 1228 Cathedral of Learning  TBA    Scandinavian Society’s Holiday Party 10      Last Day of Classes 17        Fall Term ends   24‑26  Winter Break – Offices Closed; No Tours  27‑31  Nationality Rooms Tours 

11:00 a.m. – last tour leaves at 2:30 p.m. 

JANUARY 2011 1  New Year’s Day – Offices Closed;   No Tours 2  Nationality Rooms Tours 

9:00 a.m. – last tour leaves  at 2:30 p.m. 

3  University offices reopen 5  Spring Term classes begin 15  UNDECORATING DAY

  10am – 3pm 16  UNDECORATING DAY

  12 Noon – 3pm 17  UNDECORATING DAY

  12 Noon – 3pm 18    Martin Luther King 

  Jr. Holiday –      University offices closed 17  Nationality Rooms tours   11:00 a.m. – last tour leaves    at 2:30 p.m. 

EYES & EARS UPON US December 4, 2009 The PITT News Photograph of a Szopki or Polish crèche made by the Cracow Crèche Workshop December 7, 2009 The PITT News “Pitt imports world holidays: Students guide visitors through the holiday-themed Nationality Rooms” Highlighted the Quo Vadis’ role in the presentation of the Nationality Classrooms during the Holiday Open House January 2010 University of Pittsburgh recruitment bro-chures “Attention, Earthlings! The future is global. Whether you study here or abroad, you’ll be in touch with the world at large.” Opportunities for students to take advantage of the Nationality Rooms scholarships for Summer Study Abroad offered annually. February 1, 2010 Pitt ChronicleNewsmakers- “National Philanthropy Day” Photograph of Maxine Bruhns receiving the 2009 Special Lifetime Achievement Award from the Asso-ciation of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Western Pennsylvania Chapter.

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February 2010 American University of Beirut newsletter “Our Legacy” Photograph of Fred and Maxine Bruhns with Maxine commemorating Fred C. Bruhn’s memory by providing scholarships to academically qualified Palestinian students studying at the American Univer-sity of Beirut March 22, 2010 Pitt Chronicle Newsmakers Photograph of African Heri-tage Nationality Room commit-tee members Donna Alexan-der, Chair Maureen Cross Bolden, Pitt professor Jerome Branch and KDKA news re-porter Harold Hayes after the viewing of The Forgotten Root in the Frick Fine Arts Building. March 29, 2010 Pitt Chronicle “Lions and Dragons and Hogwarts, Oh Yes! Ryan Houghtaling, 10, has Cathedral of Learning standing tall in Cleveland and beyond”

Article on 10 year old Ryan Houghtaling replicating the Cathedral of Learning in Styrofoam for his 5th grade independent study project. Ryan also wrote a short story about the Cathedral from the view-point of Erie, a peregrine falcon living on the Cathedral’s structure. April 5, 2010 Pitt Chronicle “Three Pitt Honors College Juniors Re-ceive 2010 Humanity in Action Fellow-

ship” Jonas Xavier Caballero, 2010 recipient of the David L. Lawrence Memorial Grant, was selected to re-ceive the 2010 Humanity in Action (HIA) summer fellow-ship. The HIA Fellowships are designed to promote May 17, 2010 Pitt Chronicle

“78 Pitt Students Inducted Into Phi Beta Kappa” 2009 Helen Pool Rush Award Scholarship recipient Cory Rodgers was inducted into the University of Pittsburgh chapter of Phi Beta Kappa into its class of 2010

May 2010 William Penn Life “A Roomful of Traditions” by John E. Lovasz and photos by Nathan Miller Article on the history of the Hungar-ian Nationality Room’s construction, its first chairperson and the beautiful details of the room from its door, walls, ornamental ceiling, furnishing and much more June 2010 Finlandia Foundation Na-tional ARCHITECTURE Mika Grondahl received a grant to complete the furniture design and layout for the Finnish Nationality Room. Mr. Grondahl won the design competition for the Finnish smoke room, savupirtti which is the Finnish Classroom’s concept.

NATIONALITY ROOMS PROGRAM 1209 Cathedral of Learning University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA 15260

7/6/2010 Pittsburgh Tribune Review “Newsmaker: Lauren E. Pucci” Profile of Lauren E. Pucci, recipient of the 2010 Fred C. Bruhns Memo-rial Award

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