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Pittsburgh Technical College

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month

May 4, 2022

Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) has been observed in May in the United States since 1949.  The purpose is to raise awareness and educate the public about mental illnesses as well as sharing strategies for maintaining mental health and wellness.  Additionally, MHAM strives to reduce the stigma that surrounds mental health.  The theme for 2022 is “Back to Basics” with the goal of providing foundational knowledge about mental health and what people can do if their mental health is a cause for concern. 

PTC is implementing the Make It OK and Seize the Awkward campaigns during May for both students and staff.  This campaign is focused on reducing the stigma of mental illness.  You will find information about the campaigns posted in common areas on campus.  You are encouraged to learn what to say to someone who is struggling using the table tents and other resources located in the cafeteria, student lounge, and staff lounge.  And you are encouraged to Pledge to Make it OK by signing one of the cards outside of the cafeteria.

Another important note is that PTC is becoming a JED Campus!  The JED Foundation is a non-profit organization that helps schools build comprehensive systems, programs, and policies that support students.  They focus on supporting students in multiple ways, but special effort is made to increase mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention efforts.  We will have JED Campus representatives with us on May 17th and 18th to meet with our Task Force who will be involved in creating and implementing a strategic plan to address the mental health needs of our students. 

Finally, the Citrone 33 Foundation will be hosting a breakfast on May 19th for members of the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education at PNC Park.  Our President and CEO, Dr. Harvey-Smith, will be the keynote speaker and will address mental health needs at our local colleges and universities while also kicking off the Pittsburgh Youth Mental Health Coalition which will follow the breakfast. 

Dr. Stephanie Svilar

Dean of Counseling & Student Development

    Cultural Competency Professional Development

    April 6, 2022

    April 6th kicks off DEI’s cultural competency training, which are as follows:

    What’s in a Name?  Understanding and Respecting Preferred Names and Gender Pronouns

    Session description:  The session covers best practices for using preferred names and gender pronouns. It will provide information on how faculty can promote inclusivity and belonging in the classroom through recognizing, respecting, and creating a safe space for students to share their preferred names and gender pronouns. In addition, instructors will learn how to encourage and support students when seeking guidance on where to go to update their information.

    Diversity and Cultural Sensitivity Training

    Session description:  Diversity and cultural sensitivity training aim to encourage people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to engage in meaningful conversations to understand how to interact effectively. We must improve diversity and inclusion and motivate positive attitudes and behaviors. Multicultural, multigenerational interaction is increasing; therefore, improving employee engagement, teamwork, and satisfaction is critical to attracting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce. 

    Marsha N. Lindsay

    Marsha N. Lindsay

    Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer

      Celebrating Women’s History Month

      April 5, 2022

      We had a wonderful time celebrating Women’s History Month. 

      On behalf of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Office, and DEI Task Force, we wish to extend a heartfelt appreciate to everyone who attended the Women’s History Month program.

      Special Thanks…

      Program participants:
      Dr. Alicia B. Harvey-Smith
      Frank Schurter
      Dr. Melissa Wertz
      Dr. Stephanie Svilar
      Mr. Shane McGarvey
      Mr. Lee Cottrell
      Mr. Mike Russell

      Students:
      Nate Turner (greeted guests)
      Kat Stagg (designed program)
      Chef Flesch, thank you for indulging me by allowing Alex to be the impromptu trivia host. 

      Pittsburgh’s Hill District

      March 2, 2022

      Have you ever read about the history of Pittsburgh’s Hill District? It has a phenomenal history. At its height (about 1930s-1960s), it was a thriving, vibrant community that inspired August Wilson’s Fences, and a nationally recognized hub of culture, business, and music for the African American community. The Pittsburgh Courier had a national distribution, and entrepreneurs (especially women) thrived on a national level.

      To learn more, click the links below:

      Diving Into The Hill District’s Rich History | CBS Pittsburgh

      The Crawford Grill | Heinz History Center

      Wylie Avenue Days DVD

      Lower Hill District Interactive News Article

      Nora Stroop

      Library Coordinator

        Combating Racism Through Knowledge

        March 2, 2022

        Ignorance is a root cause of our race and culture wars. This is a bold statement. Let me describe my support and then discuss ways to overcome it. Most people and cultures fear what they do not understand. You can see this in your daily lives. Think about the anxiety most people face when they must do something new. Let us extend this to our current political and social climate. Politically, we currently ‘hate’ China. Our politicians are rattling sabers and describing how they “fought China” and describing how their rivals “gave in to China”. We hate China because our politicians and media tell us to hate them. We do not know anything about them, we just follow along.

        A similar argument can be made about our race issues in America. Many of our parents taught us to ‘hate’ people who look differently than we do. This is not just a white hating black thing; many people of color are similarly taught to hate white people. As good children, we emulate our parents and hate the people that they hate. Many of our societal structures mirror this hate, with systemic racism and bias as custom or even law.

        The counter to this familial and cultural hate is to learn more about those we hate.  The only way to do this is to interact with the culture. Brad Pitt’s character in 7 Years in Tibet, did just this. He entered the country skeptical of the savages that lived there, wanting only to climb the mountains. He left years later as a friend to the Tibetan people and the Dali Lama. This true tale written by Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer is awesome, but impractical. Few of us can spend years in a culture to better understand it.

        A practical way to learn about a culture is to explore their art. Fiction is always flavored by the culture in which it was written. The culture and experiences of the author come through in the prose of the story. Consider N.K. Jemison’s Broken Earth Trilogy. The trilogy of The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, and The Stone Sky are remarkable. The series marks the first time an author has won three Hugo Awards on three consecutive book releases.

        The trilogy follows Essun through many stages of her life and depicts her struggle to protect her children from the evils of the world. The world is ravaged by tectonic disasters called seasons, that make survival difficult. There is one group of people in the world called roggas, that have dealt with systemic racism for over 40,000 years. Roggas are not visually distinct, instead they are born with a genetic trait that gives them magic called orogeny. This magic can protect the world from the earth. Despite this, the Stills (non-roggas) will kill their own rogga and feel that they did the right thing. Essun’s story paints a fantastically detailed picture of the racism she, her children, and other roggas face daily.

        The author, N.K. Jemison, is a black woman. Ms. Jemison clearly used her experience as a black woman in America to flavor Essun’s interactions with her society. The parallels drawn between rogga and a popular derogatory term for black person is obvious. Reading Essun’s struggle, triumphs, and failures, really made systemic racism resonate with me. Essun’s tragedy and triumphs have stuck with me, long after I completed the book.

        As DEI member I understand systemic racism, academically. I can define it, point to examples of it, and rally against it. But I can never really understand it. Through these books, I have a much better understanding of the issue. There is no way that a white author could believably have made this issue so clear.

        Reading is not for everyone. Movies, provide another way to explore another culture. Netflix provides access to movies from nearly every culture on the planet. While movies are contrived, the basic principles of the culture that produced them can be experienced. A good example is The Wandering Earth. This is a Chinese disaster film, every bit as fun and ridiculous as anything Hollywood would produce. However, the characters, plot points, tropes, and society are so different from a Hollywood perspective, that they must be a product of the Chinese culture. The character dialog references different histories, and shared experiences.  By watching the movies, you can get a feel for Chinese culture. You can also begin to understand that our government’s hatred of China is unfounded. The people in the movie are people. People just like us.

        Lee Cottrell

        Lee Cottrell

        Faculty – School of Information Systems & Technology, DEI Taskforce Co-Chair

          CompTIA is changing the language used on all Certification Exams:  Here’s why.

          March 2, 2022

          Inclusive Technical Language | CompTIA

          In support of DEI initiatives, IT organizations have recognized that terminology and concepts that had become common industry promoted racial and cultural bias. In response to our current social justice movement, there is a push toward replacing that identify and replace language that does not foster a healthy workplace and foster equity.

          As a Technical College, we must promote inclusive language and curate materials from sources committed to creating a collaborative and diverse workforce. Language is an expression of intent; we as educators, who traffic in language as we deliver academic products to our learners, must be aware of industry terminology that is not only biased but lends itself to marginalize specific demographics within our College Community. 

          Our language signals our intent, and our choices of words indicate how we think and feel, as well as what we believe. It influences the way we want others to perceive things, which, when those terms are racially biased, signals and supports and accepts systemic racism.

          One example of this language, potentially adopted from the western movies of the past that are common in ethical hacking, is Black Hats and White Hats, with Black Hats representing malicious hackers and White Hats representing ethical hackers. Language has been with me all of my career and, on occasion, was used as a slight against me when I began to be involved in Incident Response, Network Defense, and Ethical Hacking. It was a bit of a running joke until I moved on.

          “The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy.” (CompTIA) “There’s a big adjustment happening in our industry toward using more inclusive language,” CompTIA Senior Director, Exam Services, Carl Bowman explained. “Large and small vendors alike are reconsidering what terms they use to describe technical functions.”

          As we continue to mature our products and develop new curricula and educational strategies, we must consciously identify and remove the barrier of exclusive language in technology and other academic disciplines because it undermines humanity by minimizing the worth and capabilities of individuals from marginalized groups.  

          Michael Russell headshot

          Mike Russell

          Faculty – School of Information Systems & Technology, DEI Taskforce Co-Chair

            Celebrating Black History Month

            March 2, 2022

            Black History Month Reflection

            Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently has been observed in Ireland, and the United Kingdom. It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. It is celebrated in February in the United States and Canada, while in Ireland, and the United Kingdom it is observed in October.

            Regardless of when other countries celebrate Black History Month, we can enjoy learning about the remarkable contributions of African Americans throughout the year.

            To learn more visit BlackHistoryMonth.gov


            Sweet Treats

            Submitted by Mary Fistler

            Celebrate the legacy of Black baking
            Cheryl Day shares four recipes that honor American traditions.

            See the recipes at King Arthur Baking


            Black History – 365

            Business

            Black In Business: Celebrating The Legacy Of Black Entrepreneurship (forbes.com)

            Criminal Justice

            These 14 black lawyers broke down barriers and made history (gallery) (abajournal.com)

            Culinary Arts

            The Inductees | African American Chefs Hall of Fame

            Design & Engineering Technology

            16 Black STEM Innovators & Famous Leaders | Engineer Role Models (idtech.com)

            Energy & Electronic Technology

            10 Black Technology Inventors and Innovators to Know | VMware Radius

            Notable contributions to telecom, technology honored during Black History Month | Wireless Infrastructure Association (wia.org)

            Healthcare

            Celebrating 10 African-American medical pioneers | AAMC

            Hospitality

            Black Meetings & Tourism – The Most Influential African-Americans In The Meetings/Tourism Industry (blackmeetingsandtourism.com)

            Information Systems & Technology

            Most Influential Blacks in Technology (businessinsider.com)

            Nursing

            A Celebration of 14 Famous Black Nurses in History | Chamberlain University

            Black History Month – Notable Nurses Throughout History – Trusted Health

            Trades Technology

            African-American Technological Contributions: Past, Present, and Future | NIST

            Sports

            25 Black Athletes Who Changed the World | Complex

            Entertainment

            50 Black Actors Who Made Entertainment History | Stacker

            Finance

            10 Black Finance Leaders in History | BECU

            Black Finance: African American Financial Leaders To Follow (moneylion.com)

            75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall Street – Black Enterprise

            Black History/365

            300 Years of African-American Invention and Innovation | The MIT Press Reader

            275+ Famous Black People Who Changed the World [A List of Activists, Actors, Athletes, Entrepreneurs, Musicians, & More!] | Ongig Blog

            There Are Only 7 Black Billionaires in the United States (businessinsider.com)

            The Tuskegee Airmen Memorial

            March 1, 2022

            This memorial honors the nearly 100 Tuskegee Airmen from Western Pennsylvania (more than any other region of the United States.). It is the largest memorial of its kind in America. These pioneering African Americans overcame racial prejudice and discrimination along with opposition of the US Army High Command to become an elite corps of pilots and support personnel who helped defeat the Nazis. The Tuskegee Airmen were named after the place where they trained at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. They were the first African American military aviators in the United States Armed Forces. The memorial consists of four large monuments with two containing the names of Western Pennsylvania Airmen of the unit. Atop the memorials, the central tower is an aircraft tail sculpted from red granite which is a nod to the unit’s nickname, the “Red Tails”. On February 14, 2016, Tuskegee pilot Mitchell Higgenbotham died and was buried at the memorial.

            The Tuskegee Airmen Memorial – Sewickley Cemetery

            Tuskegee Airmen Memorial of Greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | The American Legion

            Frank Gold

              Being An Authentic Employer of Choice

              March 1, 2022

              I recently participated in a panel hosted by Allvoices and SingleSprout. The topic for the discussion centered around “How to be an authentic employer of choice and ensure people feel valued.” I started thinking about what that means to me and how I can ensure everything I do supports and promotes making every person feel respected and valued. 

              I was recently asked, “what does DEIBA mean to you?”  Here is my response: 

              Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Accessibility

              Diversity is hiring someone in the underrepresented community how is the best qualified, not because the check the “diversity” box. 

              Equity is providing them as they wish to be treated not how you perceive they should be

              Inclusion is supporting them as a unique individual with valuable contributions in a space where they can be their “authentic” self. 

              Belonging is knowing that were ever you are in your career; you can be in any seat at any table and breath with confidence that you are meant to be there, you are heard, and you are respected.

              Accessibility is having everything you need to succeed available to you without obstacles, or hindrances to create barriers for you to fail.

              To listen to the panel discussion, click the link:  https://youtu.be/Pz4trO96IOA

              As I celebrate my first anniversary at PTC, I hope that my contributions centered around diversity, equity, and inclusion evidence my commitment creating an authentic culture here.  With pandemic life, we are living in unparalleled times, and we must focus efforts on creating an environment in which everyone can thrive.  So, we must continue working together for the community to recognize us as an institution and employer of choice. 

              I want to express my appreciation to the students, faculty, and staff that support events hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Student Services. This year, the ODEI and task force will continue making PTC an environment focused on culture, collaboration, communication, and care.

              Marsha N. Lindsay

              Marsha N. Lindsay

              Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer

                Jingle & Mingle

                January 10, 2022

                Tuesday, December 14th Student Services and the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion hosted the Jingle & Mingle.  A wonderful time was had by all, and the event could not have happened without the involvement of the following individuals who made up the Jingle & Mingle ensemble: Alex Hazen, Dr. Alicia B. Harvey-Smith, Marsha N. Lindsay, Lisa Michaux, Leigh Moss, Frank Schurter, and Crystal Wamalwa.

                Special thanks are also extended to Jaclyn Smith, Melissa Gnoth, and Mark Bellemare for setting up the Gallery, Eric Joseph & Multimedia students for AV support, and Ethan Mansberger for photographing the event.

                Of course, we appreciate the support of students, staff and faculty who participated in the activities.

                We are a small, but mighty institution, leading with our hearts. We strive to create an authentic culture of communication, collaboration, and care. Kindness is demonstrated daily, and we should all be proud to be part of the PTC Magic!

                Marsha N. Lindsay

                Marsha N. Lindsay

                Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer

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                  Pittsburgh Technical College

                  With more than 30 programs, Pittsburgh Technical College, a nonprofit institution, prepares students for career success. Degree-seeking students experience internships, clinical rotations, or employer partnerships in capstone projects before they graduate.

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