University of Pittsburgh

Someday in the near future, the tomatoes grown in greenhouse farms may be harvested by a robot developed by a team of University of Pittsburgh students — a team whose early success stemmed from the vision of a former window company executive. That former CEO, Bob Randall, is a Pitt alumnus whose passion for entrepreneurship education is increasingly bearing fruit.

About half the fresh tomatoes sold in the U.S. today come from greenhouse farms, said Daniel Garcia, a senior neuroscience major at Pitt. He presented his well-honed, fact-filled elevator pitch to a full house at the 10th Annual Randall Family Big Idea Competition awards showcase.

In the protected greenhouse environment, tomatoes are nurtured under optimal conditions, but harvesting is painstaking, labour-intensive and expensive for this USD 2 billion industry. Labour is the biggest uncertainty.

“The costs are skyrocketing, and the availability is plummeting,” continued Garcia onstage at the Charity Randall Theatre on Pitt’s campus. “We’re using advancements in robotics and machine learning to provide analytics and automation to the greenhouse industry.”

Garcia, of Four Growers, is confident in the company’s automated solution that can identify and pick ripe tomatoes. The innovation is attracting the attention of the greenhouse industry. And the young innovators are attracting attention in student entrepreneurship competitions.

Team Four Growers is a product of Pitt’s student entrepreneurship programming, coordinated by the Innovation Institute. Before taking on the Big Idea Challenge, the teammates participated in Pitt’s Startup Blitz weekend and Blast Furnace student accelerator programme.

The team is a winner of a $25,000 grand prize. More about this…

The majority of courses are taught by the 5,000+ faculty members, who are experts in their field of study. The focus is on practical learning and applying the concepts learned in class in real-life scenarios. 61% percent of undergraduate classes have fewer than 30 students only 6% have 100 or more and offer small group sessions for questions and answers. These small class sizes and friendly teachers reflect the University’s commitment to a satisfying undergraduate educational experience.

Teachers

Great teaching isn’t just respected at Pitt—it’s also honoured and rewarded. Each year, the University’s highest teaching honour, the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, goes to five of Pitt’s finest educators. Individual schools and departments also bestow their own teaching awards for example, the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences honours outstanding teachers with its annual Tina & David Bellet Teaching Excellence Awards.

Pitt also honours its outstanding mentors and innovators.

Researchers

Pitt researchers push the boundaries of knowledge in areas ranging from literary criticism to the quest for quantum computers. They frequently reach across disciplines within Pitt and collaborate with colleagues at other universities and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, as well as with corporate partners.

The University of Pittsburgh offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses across a wide spectrum of subjects, ranging from accounting and anthropology, to medicine and Asian studies.

The various constituent colleges and schools across which these study options are offered are:

• Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
• Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business
• College of Business Administration
• School of Dental Medicine
• School of Education
• Swanson School of Engineering
• College of General Studies
• School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
• University Honours College
• School of Computing and Information
• School of Law
• School of Medicine
• School of Nursing
• School of Pharmacy
• Graduate School of Public & International Affairs
• Graduate School of Public Health
• School of Social Work
• University Centre for International Studies

On-Campus Housing

Fall-term freshmen are guaranteed on-campus housing for three years if they are offered admission and pay an enrolment fee by the May 1 deadline. The Resident Student Association (RSA) is the student organisation for all students living in the residence halls on Pitt's campus. RSA is committed to offering students an outstanding residence hall experience by providing campus-wide events, advocacy initiatives, and leadership opportunities.

Athletics

The Pittsburgh sports teams have a long history of winning numerous sports events and the University offers world-class sports and athletics facilities to all of its students. Baseball, football, soccer, swimming, basketball, wrestling, and track and field events are extremely popular among its students.

Wellness Centre

The Student Health Services and the Counselling Centre are housed in the University’s newest residence hall, Nordenberg Hall. Student Health Service (SHS) is a primary care facility that features a health care clinic and pharmacy staffed by medical doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, a pharmacist, and other health care professionals.

The University Counselling Centre is staffed by psychologists, counsellors, social workers, psychiatrists, and pre-doctoral interns. The Counselling Centre provides personal and group counselling for a variety of conditions. All counselling services are free of cost and student confidentiality is maintained.

Academic Resources

The Writing Centre and Math Assistance Centre (MAC) help students improve on writing and math skills which are important for any major. Walk-in services and appointments are offered in both centres. The Oral Communications Lab offers individual and small group instruction to help students improve skills in public speaking, debate, and group communication. There is no additional cost to students for taking advantage of these services.

Student Organisations

There are more than 400 student organisations ranging in focus from the arts, to pre-professional support, international interests, political, athletic, and much more. If students don’t find an organisation that suits their interests, they can find nine other students with the same interest and start their own student organisation.

International Student Groups

With students from various countries studying at Pitt, learning is a multi-cultural experience. There are numerous student groups which focus on fostering friendship among international students. The Global Ties Mentors sponsors a number of student volunteers who mentor new international students and help them with their queries about life on-campus.

Outside the Classroom Curriculum

OCC or ‘Outside the Classroom Curriculum’ is an initiative which focuses on the all-round development of a student. OCC provides a structured way for students to develop holistically and grow in ten key areas: leadership development, sense of self, career preparation, Pitt pride, communication skills, global and cultural awareness, wellness, service to others, appreciation of the arts, and initiative and drive. As part of the OCC, students are trained in experiential learning theories, public speaking skills, presentation creation, and advanced leadership skills.

The Office of Career Development and Placement Assistance offers support for students’ future professional lives with the help of the ‘Career Services’ team. The chief function of this team is to improve the employability of students by conducting training sessions and seminars and also helping students find jobs relevant to their area of study. Students are assured of a relevant internship programme with the University of Pittsburgh’s Internship Guarantee. 94% of Pitt graduates are successfully placed in employment or in higher study within six months of graduation.

Some of its services include:

• Individual career guidance appointments
• Career assessments
• Job shadowing
• Informational interviewing
• Volunteering
• Internship planning
• CV & cover letter reviews
• Interviewing
• On-campus recruiting
• Job & internship posting system
• Graduate school preparation
• Career development workshops
• Various events each semester
• Networking opportunities and more