Pitt-Johnstown: Research in Motion
Jem Spectar
The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown sits on a rural campus high above the Conemaugh Valley 70 miles east of Pittsburgh; the campus is a hub of research uniquely entwined with its community.
The multidisciplinary field of medical communications thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic when the school became the center of efforts promoting public health measures. Professor of Biology Jill Henning collaborated with medical communication researcher Susan Wieczorek, associate professor of communication, to take a critical public role in translating the new science emerging from COVID research into public health actions. Henning became the area’s go-to media source, writing a column in the Johnstown Tribune Democrat and hosting regular public meetings.
“Henning took her research to the community in a way I’ve never seen,” says Jem Spectar, president of Pitt-Johnstown. “She found a way to make the science accessible to people who may not have taken precautions or the vaccine, and those people did not feel alienated or talked down to. Without question, the work she did saved lives.
“The faculty are excellent teacher-scholars, committed to scholarly engagement, research, and publication,” Spectar says.
Chemistry and chemical engineering are standouts, with an emphasis on the “green chemistry” movement and projects turning biomass into fuel. The school is one of a handful in the state certified by the green chemistry advocacy group, Beyond Benign. Other researchers are focusing on topics such as the sustainability of the local environment and reclaiming brownfield sites in the former industrial and mining region.
“Our community is our lab,” Spectar says. “Our research engages with the quality of life here. We are facing the human condition and trying to make it better. Pitt-Johnstown is research in motion and application.”
