Chatham News

Chatham named to the Princeton Review’s Green Honor Roll, included in “Guide to 322 Green Colleges,” and named EPA Individual Conference Champion

PITTSBURGH (May 2, 2013) … Both the Princeton Review and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently recognized Chatham University for the second consecutive year as a national leader in sustainability.

According to the Princeton Review, Chatham University is one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the United States and Canada. As one of only 21 schools to earn a perfect Green Rating score of 99 out of 99, Chatham is included on the Princeton Review’s Green Honor Roll and is profiled in the fourth annual edition of its free downloadable book, “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges.”

The fourth annual edition of this free guide profiles institutions of higher education that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation. More information about Chatham’s inclusion in the Princeton Review’s Green Honor Roll and “Guide to 322 Green Colleges” is available on Chatham’s news page.

The same week the Princeton Review honors were announced, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized Chatham for the second consecutive year as the 2012-2013 Individual Conference Champion for using more green power than any other school in the President’s Athletic Conference. More information about Chatham’s recognition as the top green power purchaser in the President’s Athletic Conference is available on Chatham’s news page.

As a charter signatory of the President’s Climate Commitment, Chatham is committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2025. Since signing in 2007, Chatham’s square footage and enrollment have increased by 36 percent and 45 percent, respectively, yet has reduced its greenhouse gas net emissions by 68 percent. The Chatham University Climate Committee (students, staff, and faculty) supports sustainability and climate action goals through research, reduction projects, and outreach initiatives. Chatham’s commitment to sustainability and the environment earned it an AASHE STARS Gold Rating and recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council, the Environmental Protection Agency, the League of American Bicyclists, among others.

“Chatham University is proud to again receive recognition from the Princeton Review and the Environmental Protection Agency for our commitment to excellence in our sustainability efforts,” says Mary Whitney, sustainability coordinator at Chatham.

About Chatham University
Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pa., has a long history of commitment to the environment and today is a recognized leader in the field of sustainability Building on its accomplishments, Chatham is breaking new ground by building one of the world’s first fully sustainable campuses in higher education. Chatham is also one of only 22 schools in the U.S. to be named to The Princeton Review’s 2013 Green College Honor Roll and is mentioned in a 2012 Forbes article as one of the places contributing to Pittsburgh’s transformation into a destination for “green living.”

Located on 388 acres of formerly undeveloped farm and woodlands about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh, the new, Eden Hall Campus integrates sustainable development, learning, and living throughout its design. Here, students of all disciplines learn to solve complex sustainability and environmental challenges through immersion in a range of fields, including food and sustainable agriculture, energy and climate, water, design and planning, and our community and health.

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PITTSBURGH (May 2, 2013) … As Pittsburgh-based startups seek crowdfunding websites to get the necessary initial boost of investment, entrepreneur Josephine Caminos Oría of La Dorita will share her success story on May 10 at Chatham University. Using her flagship product Argentine-style Dulce de Leche as inspiration, Oría launched Kickstarter-funded Dulce de Leche Liquor in the fall of 2012. Oría, whose newest venture has led her into industrial kitchen share space, will be joined by Jennifer Flanagan, founder and chief business officer of Springboard Kitchens, and Alice Julier, program director and associate professor of food studies at Chatham University, to present on a panel entitled “The Business of Food: Accessibility, Affordability, and Capacity Building” from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Women Business Leaders Breakfast Series presented by the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Chatham University.

Attendees will learn about the different facets and movements involved in the food industry in Pittsburgh and get a feel for what it takes to be a food entrepreneur in both for profit and nonprofit organizations. The interactive panel will focus on issues such as sustainability, distribution, shared kitchen space, food access, and food rescue.

The cost to attend the breakfast is $25 ($12.50 for students with a valid student ID). For more information or to register for this event, visit www.chatham.edu/cwe or call 412-365-1253. Sponsors of The Center include PNC Bank, UPMC Health Plan, and UPS along with Baierl Automotive. The United Way Women’s Leadership Council is the nonprofit program partner for this event.

About The Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship
The Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Chatham University is dedicated to creating economic opportunities for women through entrepreneurial education and training, mentoring, and networking. Founded in 2005, The Center has expanded its reach throughout Southwestern PA to help an increasing number of businesswomen learn, network, connect, and achieve their business goals.

Current funding for The Center provided by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, with additional support provided by the PNC Foundation and the Alcoa Foundation. Initial funding for The Center was also provided by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and the Lois Tack Thompson Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation. For more information about programs offered by The Center call 412-365-1253 or visit www.chatham.edu/cwe.

About Chatham University
Chatham University, founded in 1869, is located in the vibrant Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa. Preparing students from around the world, Chatham’s enrollment throughout the past decade was the fastest growing in the Pittsburgh region. With enrollment of over 2,300 students and consisting of an undergraduate women’s college and co-educational graduate and online programs, Chatham has consistently been ranked among the top master’s level institutions in the Northeast by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Offering challenging academics and innovative programming in the fields of sustainability and the environment, health and lab sciences, creative and liberal arts, and business and entrepreneurship, a Chatham education is designed to meet the needs of tomorrow’s economy, today.

For more information, call 412-365-1139 or visit www.chatham.edu.

This is the second consecutive year that Chatham has been recognized as the Individual Conference Champion of the College and University Green Power Challenge

PITTSBURGH (April 24, 2013) … Chatham University was recently recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a 2012-2013 Individual Conference Champion of the College & University Green Power Challenge for using more green power than any other school in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. This is the second consecutive year in which Chatham earned this distinction.

Also, for the second consecutive year, Chatham University is one of just 21 colleges to be named to The Princeton Review’s Green Rating Honor Roll and was included in the Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges. Chatham’s commitment to sustainability and the environment earned it an AASHE STARS Gold Rating and recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council, the Environmental Protection Agency, the League of American Bicyclists, among others.

Since April 2006, EPA’s Green Power Partnership has tracked and recognized the collegiate athletic conferences with the highest combined green power purchases in the nation. The Individual Conference Champion Award recognizes the school that has made the largest individual purchase of green power within a qualifying conference.

Chatham University beat its conference rivals by using 12 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power, representing 100 percent of the school’s annual electricity usage. Chatham University purchases renewable energy certificates from Renewable Choice Energy, which helps to reduce the environmental impacts associated with the campus’ electricity use.

According to the U.S. EPA, Chatham University’s green power use of 12 million kWh is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the electricity use of more than 1,000 American homes annually, or the CO2 emissions of nearly 2,000 vehicles per year.

“EPA applauds Chatham University as the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Champion for the second year in a row in EPA’s College and University Green Power Challenge,” said Blaine Collison, Director of EPA’s Green Power Partnership. “By choosing to use 100 percent renewable electricity to power its campus, Chatham is reducing carbon pollution and demonstrating exceptional environmental leadership.”

“Chatham University supports green power through many avenues, in an effort to reduce our own footprint and to support the renewable power industry,” says Chatham Sustainability Coordinator Mary Whitney. “We own and operate our own solar thermal water systems, and we purchase Green-e certified American renewable energy credits equivalent to the electricity we use annually.”

Thirty-two collegiate conferences and 76 schools competed in the 2012-13 challenge, collectively purchasing more than 2.2 billion kWh of green power. In order to qualify, a collegiate athletic conference must include at least one school that qualifies as a Green Power Partner, and the conference must collectively use at least 10 million kWh of green power annually.

Sustainability-focused courses offered across disciplines represent Chatham’s belief that sustainability is a responsibility we all share. Chatham’s School of Sustainability and the Environment (SSE) offers a Master of Sustainability, a Master of Arts in Food Studies, an Executive Master of Sustainability Leadership, and beginning fall 2014, a Bachelor of Sustainability. . Chatham is constructing Eden Hall Campus, the future home of SSE and a zero-net energy campus being built as a living and learning laboratory for the study of sustainability.

About Chatham University
Chatham University, founded in 1869, is located in the vibrant Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa. Preparing students from around the world, Chatham’s enrollment throughout the past decade was the fastest growing in the Pittsburgh region. With enrollment of over 2,300 students and consisting of an undergraduate women’s college and co-educational graduate and online programs, Chatham has consistently been ranked among the top master’s level institutions in the Northeast by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Offering challenging academics and innovative programming in the fields of sustainability and the environment, health and lab sciences, creative and liberal arts, and business and entrepreneurship, a Chatham education is designed to meet the needs of tomorrow’s economy, today.

For more information, call 412-365-1139 or visit www.chatham.edu.

About EPA’s Green Power Partnership
The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with electricity use. The Partnership currently has more than 1,400 Partner organizations voluntarily purchasing billions of kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500® companies, small and medium sized businesses, local, state, and federal governments, and colleges and universities. For additional information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/greenpower.

For more information about EPA’s College and University Green Power Challenge, visit the Challenge website at www.epa.gov/greenpower/initiatives/cu_challenge.htm.

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Chatham is one of 21 higher education institutions in the United States and Canada to earn a perfect Green Rating score

PITTSBURGH (April 24, 2013) … Chatham University is one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the United States and Canada, according to the Princeton Review. As one of only 21 schools to earn a perfect Green Rating score of 99 out of 99, Chatham is included on the Princeton Review’s Green Honor Roll and is profiled in the fourth annual edition of its free downloadable book, “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges.”

The fourth annual edition of this free guide profiles institutions of higher education that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation.

This honor was announced the same week Chatham was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the second consecutive year as the 2012-2013 Individual Conference Champion for using more green power than any other school in the President’s Athletic Conference.

As a charter signatory of the President’s Climate Commitment, Chatham is committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2025. Since signing in 2007, Chatham’s square footage and enrollment have increased by 36 percent and 45 percent, respectively, yet has reduced its greenhouse gas net emissions by 68 percent. The Chatham University Climate Committee (students, staff, and faculty) supports sustainability and climate action goals through research, reduction projects, and outreach initiatives. Chatham’s commitment to sustainability and the environment earned it an AASHE STARS Gold Rating and recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council, the Environmental Protection Agency, the League of American Bicyclists, among others.

“Chatham University is proud to again be included in the Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges,” says Mary Whitney, sustainability coordinator at Chatham. “We are grateful to be recognized for our commitment to excellence in our sustainability efforts.”

“We are truly pleased to recommend Chatham University along with all of the fine schools in this book to the many students seeking colleges that practice and promote environmentally-responsible choices and practices,” said Robert Franek, senior VP and publisher at The Princeton Review.

Franek noted his Company’s recent survey findings indicating significant interest among college applicants in attending “green” colleges. “Among 9,955 college applicants who participated in our 2013 ‘College Hopes & Worries Survey,’ 62 percent said having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school,” he said.

The Princeton Review created its “Guide to 322 Green Colleges” in partnership with the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), with generous support from United Technologies Corp., founding sponsor of the Center for Green Schools.

“Selecting a four-year college is a big choice,” said Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools at USGBC. “When we learned that the majority of prospective college students factor a school’s commitment to sustainability into their selection criteria, we wanted to ensure we were providing the best information. We’re thrilled to team up with The Princeton Review for the fourth year to offer a guide to help make our future college students’ choices a little easier.”

How Schools Were Chosen for the Book
The Princeton Review chose the 322 schools based on a survey it conducted in 2012 of hundreds of colleges across the U.S. and in Canada to tally its annual “Green Rating” scores (scaled from 60 to 99) of colleges for its school profiles in its college guidebooks and website. The survey asks administrators more than 50 questions about their institution’s sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. The Company tallied Green Ratings for 806 institutions in summer 2012. The 322 schools in this guide received scores of 83 or above in that assessment. (Note: The Princeton Review does not rank the schools in this guide hierarchically (1 to 322) according to their Green Rating scores, nor does it include those scores in this book’s school profiles.) Information about The Princeton Review’s Green Rating methodology and its “Green Honor Roll” list saluting schools that received Green Ratings of 99 is at http://www.princetonreview.com/green.aspx.

About Chatham University
Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pa., has a long history of commitment to the environment and today is a recognized leader in the field of sustainability Building on its accomplishments, Chatham is breaking new ground by building one of the world’s first fully sustainable campuses in higher education. Chatham is also one of only 22 schools in the U.S. to be named to The Princeton Review’s 2013 Green College Honor Roll and is mentioned in a 2012 Forbes article as one of the places contributing to Pittsburgh’s transformation into a destination for “green living.”

Located on 388 acres of formerly undeveloped farm and woodlands about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh, the new, Eden Hall Campus integrates sustainable development, learning, and living throughout its design. Here, students of all disciplines learn to solve complex sustainability and environmental challenges through immersion in a range of fields, including food and sustainable agriculture, energy and climate, water, design and planning, and our community and health.

About The Princeton Review
he Princeton Review (www.princetonreview.com) has been a pioneer and leader in helping students achieve their higher education goals for 30 years through college and graduate school test preparation, private tutoring, and more than 150 print and digital publications. The team includes over 5,000 teachers and tutors in the US and Canada, and a network of international franchisees. The Princeton Review provides students and their parents with the resources to research, apply to, prepare for, and learn how to pay for higher education. The company also partners with schools and guidance counselors worldwide to assist in college readiness, test preparation and career planning services, helping more students pursue postsecondary education.

About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building certification program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council
The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is how USGBC is making sure every student has the opportunity to attend a green school within this generation. From the kindergartner entering the classroom to the Ph.D. student performing research in a lab, the Center provides the resources and support to elevate dialogue, accelerate policy and institute innovation toward green schools and campuses. Thanks in part to generous support from founding sponsor United Technologies Corporation (www.utc.com), the Center works directly with staff, teachers, faculty, students, administrators, elected officials and communities to drive the transformation of all schools into sustainable places to live and learn, work and play. For more information, please visit www.centerforgreenschools.org.

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Fostering sustainable communities in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH (April 24, 2013) … Chatham University’s Master of Food Studies program will host its second annual Food in Our Neighborhood event on Saturday, May 4. This free event is open to the community and will take place on Chatham’s Shadyside campus from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The day will feature workshops on such topics as starting your own home food business, how we connect people to neighborhoods through food and words, and alternative food options such as co-ops, buying clubs, and community gardens. More information and registration for these workshops is available online.

In the afternoon, a Community Foodscapes exhibit will feature community organizations from Pittsburgh neighborhoods, samples from Pittsburgh chefs and restaurants, and hands-on activities for all ages. These will include a seed swap, “seed bomb” building, transplanting seedlings, how to build a worm compost bin, and more.

As the movement for accessible, appropriate, and sustainable food gains momentum, Food In Our Neighborhood will highlight resources, success stories, potential partnerships, and new ideas about how to bring and keep good food in Pittsburgh’s diverse neighborhoods.

About the Master of Arts in Food Studies at Chatham University
The Master of Arts in Food Studies is one of the few graduate food studies programs in the United States and the only one to offer both sustainable agriculture and culinary arts and cuisine within a liberal arts environment. The Master of Arts in Food Studies at Chatham takes a holistic approach to food systems, from agriculture and food production to cuisines and consumption, providing intellectual and practical experience from field to table. As part of Chatham’s new School of Sustainability and the Environment (SSE), the program emphasizes the global and the local in economic, social, and environmental aspects of sustainable food and agriculture. The SSE also offers Master of Sustainability and Executive Master in Sustainability Leadership programs and will offer undergraduate programming starting fall 2014.

About Chatham University
Chatham University, founded in 1869, is located in the vibrant Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa. Preparing students from around the world, Chatham’s enrollment throughout the past decade was the fastest growing in the Pittsburgh region. With enrollment of over 2,300 students and consisting of an undergraduate women’s college and co-educational graduate and online programs, Chatham has consistently been ranked among the top master’s level institutions in the Northeast by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Offering challenging academics and innovative programming in the fields of sustainability and the environment, health and lab sciences, creative and liberal arts, and business and entrepreneurship, a Chatham education is designed to meet the needs of tomorrow’s economy, today.

For more information, call 412-365-1139 or visit www.chatham.edu.

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PITTSBURGH (April 22, 2013) … Chatham University’s School of Sustainability and the Environment (SSE) is now accepting applications for its new 16-month Executive Master in Sustainability Leadership program for professionals looking to strengthen their ability to advance sustainability in a range of professional settings. This 30-credit program can be completed in under two years, is designed for those who want to advance their careers or transition to careers in sustainability, and combines online coursework with period visits to Chatham’s new, zero net energy Eden Hall Campus. Graduates will be equipped to apply the fundamental principles of sustainability as they lead change and effectively communicate their efforts in the boardroom, to employees, and to consumers. Classes begin fall 2013.

Students will take courses designed specifically for sustainability professionals, along with courses within the Master of Sustainability program, Master of Business Administration program, communications, and other programs that will provide a broad sustainability education that focuses directly on real-world use and business application.

“Pursuing more sustainable practices is an increasingly important aspect of doing business in the United States and around the world,” says David Hassenzahl, dean of the SSE. “Clients, shareholders, suppliers, and governments are demanding that companies become accountable for their impacts on socio-ecological systems, such as air, water, waste, community health, and employee welfare.”

View admission requirements, apply online, and take a virtual tour of Eden Hall Campus at http://www.chatham.edu/EMSL. For more information about the Executive Master in Sustainability Leadership program contact Trish Golla at PGolla@Chatham.edu.

About Chatham University
Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pa., stands as both a legacy and leader in the realm of sustainability. Long recognized for its contributions to the environmental movement, Chatham is now forging new ground by building one of the world’s first fully sustainable campuses in higher education. Chatham is also one of only 22 schools in the U.S. to be named to The Princeton Review’s 2013 Green College Honor Roll and is mentioned in a 2012 Forbes article as one of the places contributing to Pittsburgh’s transformation into a destination for “green living.”

Located on 388 acres of formerly undeveloped farm and woodlands about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh, Eden Hall Campus integrates sustainable development, learning, and living throughout its design. Here, students of all disciplines learn to solve complex sustainability and environmental challenges through immersion in a range of fields, including food and sustainable agriculture, energy and climate, water, design and planning, and our community and health.

For more information, call 800-837-1290 or visit www.chatham.edu.

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PITTSBURGH (April 5, 2013) … Chatham University, Transformational Alliance Peaceburgh, and InterPlay Pittsburgh will host a public screening of independent film For the Next 7 Generations on April 26 in the Eddy Theater on the Shadyside Campus. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The community will be joined by the filmmaker, Carole Hart, and indigenous elders of Pittsburgh for a talkback session and celebration immediately following the screening.

Brought together by a common vision of peace, 13 tribal elders who are grandmothers from across the globe traveled to eight different countries to share one powerful message of hope. Five years in the making and shot on location from the remote villages of the Amazon to the steps of the Vatican, this award-winning film follows these women as they face a world in crisis. Produced and directed by the Emmy & Peabody Award-winning Carole Hart and Bruce Hart (Sesame Street, Free to Be…You and Me) and narrated by Ashley Judd, For the Next 7 Generations weaves a tapestry of tribal traditions and hope for the future. A suggested donation of $10 will be accepted at the door and all proceeds will support the work of the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers.

About Chatham University
Chatham University, founded in 1869, is located in the vibrant Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa. Preparing students from around the world, Chatham’s enrollment throughout the past decade was the fastest growing in the Pittsburgh region. With enrollment of over 2,300 students and consisting of an undergraduate women’s college and co-educational graduate and online programs, Chatham has consistently been ranked among the top master’s level institutions in the Northeast by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Offering challenging academics and innovative programming in the fields of sustainability and the environment, health and lab sciences, creative and liberal arts, and business and entrepreneurship, a Chatham education is designed to meet the needs of tomorrow’s economy, today.

For more information, call 412-365-1139 or visit www.chatham.edu.

PITTSBURGH (April 2, 2013) … Are you an outsider? With a nod to “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton, Chatham University’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program will host a public fundraiser on Friday, April 12, for Words Without Walls that will feature readings on the theme of society’s outsiders. Words Without Walls is a creative partnership between Chatham creative writing graduate students and the Allegheny County Jail (ACJ). Students from Chatham teach creative writing courses to male and female inmates at ACJ, organize readings of their work, facilitate community workshops after their release, and publish their work in an annual anthology. The event kicks off at 7 p.m. at Braddock’s Unsmoke Systems Artspace, located at 1137 Braddock Ave. Admission is $20 ($10 for students).

At the fundraiser, local writers Sheryl St. Germain, director of the MFA in Creative Writing program; Heather McNaugher, and Lo Williams will give readings alongside two former Words Without Walls students Stephan Hayes, recent inmate who is finishing his first play for fall production, and Ashley Petty, a Words Without Walls student-poet. The evening will also feature entertainment by DJ Fernando Hammer, a silent auction, a drawathon, poetry for $1 on vintage typewriters, and wood-fired pizza from the Braddock community oven.

Words Without Walls inspired the launch of a similar partnership that the MFA in Creative Writing program leads at Sojourner House, a nonprofit dedicated to providing faith-based addiction treatment for mothers and their children to help break the intergenerational cycle of addiction. The new program Make Mine Words: Writing Your Way to Recovery helps to acquaint residents with the spiritual healing that can be experienced through writing.

Find out more about our program at www.wordswithoutwalls.com.

About Chatham’s MFA in Creative Writing program
Chatham’s MFA in Creative Writing allows students to focus on tracks in creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, screenwriting, and writing for children, while encouraging them to explore two tracks simultaneously. Students take innovative field seminars that include travel to such places as Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, and Germany. In 2007 Poets & Writers named the MFA one of “Nine Distinctive Programs” and The Atlantic Monthly named it one of five innovative/unique programs in the country in its “Best of the Best” graduate program listings. In January 2012, The Writer named it one of the “4 top schools you should consider” and in 2009, named it one of ten programs that offer a specialty focus. Chatham University also offers an undergraduate BFA in Creative Writing, an online Master of Professional Writing, and a low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. For more information, visit www.chatham.edu/mfa or contact Sheryl St. Germain at sstgermain@chatham.edu.

About Chatham University
Chatham University, founded in 1869, is located in the vibrant Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa. Preparing students from around the world, Chatham’s enrollment throughout the past decade was the fastest growing in the Pittsburgh region. With enrollment of more than 2,300 students and consisting of an undergraduate women’s college and co-educational graduate and online programs, Chatham has consistently been ranked among the top master’s level institutions in the Northeast by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Offering challenging academics and innovative programming in the fields of sustainability and the environment, health and lab sciences, creative and liberal arts, and business and entrepreneurship, a Chatham education is designed to meet the needs of tomorrow’s economy, today.

For more information, call 412-365-1139 or visit www.chatham.edu.

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PITTSBURGH (March 29, 2013) … Chatham University will host Ugandan women Joan Ahimbisibwe and Teddy Namuyiga, who will tell their stories of overcoming poverty through opportunities provided to them through the nonprofit BeadforLife. The organization helps impoverished women in Uganda by locating global markets for recycled paper jewelry and shea products. Members earn fair trade wages, receive entrepreneurial training, and open their own small businesses. Today, Ahimbisibwe and Namuyiga are among 74 percent of BeadforLife’s artisans that have started businesses — and their overall success rate is almost double that of start-ups in the United States. The free public event BeadforLife: Eradicating Poverty One Bead at a Time is part of BeadforLife’s six-city Opportunity Tour and will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Friday, April 12, in the Welker Room of the James Laughlin Music Center on the Shadyside Campus.

More information about BeadforLife’s Opportunity Tour and other upcoming events is available at www.beadforlife.org. Chatham University’s social work department, SWIRL Social Work Club, and Student Activities are sponsoring the April 12 event. Contact Melissa Bell, assistant professor of social work, at mbell@chatham.edu for more information.

About Chatham University
Chatham University, founded in 1869, is located in the vibrant Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa. Preparing students from around the world, Chatham’s enrollment throughout the past decade was the fastest growing in the Pittsburgh region. With enrollment of over 2,300 students and consisting of an undergraduate women’s college and co-educational graduate and online programs, Chatham has consistently been ranked among the top master’s level institutions in the Northeast by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Offering challenging academics and innovative programming in the fields of sustainability and the environment, health and lab sciences, creative and liberal arts, and business and entrepreneurship, a Chatham education is designed to meet the needs of tomorrow’s economy, today.

For more information, call 412-365-1139 or visit www.chatham.edu.

The evening is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics at Chatham University and the Hillman Foundation

PITTSBURGH (March 26, 2013) … Senator Olympia Snowe, widely known for her efforts to build bipartisan consensus on key issues, is Chatham University’s Elsie Hillman Chair in Women and Politics for the 2012-13 academic year. The Elsie Hillman Chair is an honor that is awarded by the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics (PCWP) at Chatham University with financial support from the Hillman Foundation. As such, she will deliver a public lecture at the Campbell Memorial Chapel on Chatham’s Shadyside Campus at 6 p.m. on April 15. Snowe will offer her perspective on the current environment in Washington and what can be done to fix the broken system. Registration is available on the PCWP website.

About Olympia Snowe
After announcing in March 2012 that she would not seek reelection in the November election, Snowe retired at the end of her third term as a U.S. Senator from Maine on January 3 of this year. Throughout the years, her dedicated work in the U.S. Senate has garnered her nationwide recognition as a leading policymaker in Washington. In 2005, she was named the 54th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine. In 2006, Time magazine named her one of the top ten U.S. Senators. Calling her “The Caretaker,” it wrote of Snowe: “Because of her centrist views and eagerness to get beyond partisan point scoring, Maine Republican Olympia Snowe is in the center of every policy debate in Washington, but while Snowe is a major player on national issues, she is also known as one of the most effective advocates for her constituents.”

With her election in 1994, Snowe became only the second woman senator in history to represent Maine, following the late Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, who served from 1949-1973. In November 2006, she was re-elected to a third six-year term in the United States Senate with 74 percent of the vote. Before her election to the Senate, Olympia Snowe represented Maine’s Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for 16 years. Senator Snowe is only the fourth woman in history to be elected to both houses of Congress and the first woman in American history to serve in both houses of a state legislature and both houses of Congress. When first elected to Congress in 1978, at the age of 31, Olympia Snowe was the youngest Republican woman, and the first Greek-American woman, ever elected to Congress. She has won more federal elections in Maine than anyone since World War II.

Focusing her attention on efforts to build bipartisan consensus on key issues that matter to Maine and America, Snowe has built a reputation as one of the Congress’ leading moderates. In 1999, she was cited by Congressional Quarterly for her centrist leadership, and was co-chair with Senator Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) of a bipartisan, consensus-building group in the Senate called the Common Ground Coalition — a forum for communication and cooperation between Senate Democrats and Republicans.

During her time in the Senate, Senator Snowe worked extensively on a number of issues, such as budget and fiscal responsibility; education, including student financial aid and education technology; national security; women’s issues; healthcare, including prescription drug coverage for Medicare recipients; welfare reform; oceans and fisheries issues; and campaign finance reform.

During her tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives, she co-chaired the Congressional Caucus on Women’s issues for 10 years, and provided leadership in establishing the Office of Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health. She also served as a member of the House Budget Committee and House Subcommittee on Human Services.

She served in both Houses of the Maine Legislature, first elected to the Maine House – representing her hometown of Auburn — in 1973 to the seat left vacant by the death of her first husband, the late Peter Snowe, in an auto accident. She was re-elected in 1974, and was elected to the Maine Senate representing Androscoggin County in 1976.

About the Elsie Hillman Chair in Women and Politics
The Elsie Hillman Chair in Women and Politics was established by The Hillman Foundation, Inc. in 1997 to honor the Pittsburgh, Pa., native and long-time political native. The chair serves as an inspiration and role model for students, as well as other members of the university community and citizens of the state of Pennsylvania.

The purpose of the chair is to bring nationally renowned political leaders, scholars, and activists to Chatham University to enrich the experiences of students and educate citizens about the role of women in the political process.

About the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics
The Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics (PCWP) is a non–partisan center devoted to fostering women’s public leadership through education, empowerment, and action.

The first center to focus on women’s political involvement in Pennsylvania, the PCWP integrates disciplinary knowledge, civic education, and capacity building while examining the intersection of women and public policy. The Center conducts candidate and advocacy trainings, offers educational programs in applied politics, and provides timely analysis on women’s issues.

The Center is also home to the University’s membership in Project Pericles – a select group of liberal arts colleges and universities that have made institutional commitments to promoting participatory citizenship and social responsibility.

The Pennsylvania Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy was established in 1998 through the generosity of the Hillman Foundation, Inc. and the Maurice Falk Medical Foundation. It was then reconceived and endowed in 2003, by the Hillman Foundation.

About Chatham University
Chatham University, founded in 1869, is located in the vibrant Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa. Preparing students from around the world, Chatham’s enrollment throughout the past decade was the fastest growing in the Pittsburgh region. With enrollment of more than 2,300 students and consisting of an undergraduate women’s college and co-educational graduate and online programs, Chatham has consistently been ranked among the top master’s level institutions in the Northeast byU.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Offering challenging academics and innovative programming in the fields of sustainability and the environment, health and lab sciences, creative and liberal arts, and business and entrepreneurship, a Chatham education is designed to meet the needs of tomorrow’s economy, today.

For more information, call 412-365-1139 or visit www.chatham.edu.

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