Pittsburgh is rolling verdant hills snugging in some 90 neighborhoods, the confluence of two rivers forming the mighty Ohio, a true cultural center and welcoming population.  A very remarkable transformation from a grimy city of steel production and manufacturing to one of “meds & eds” and innovation & technology. 

Liz Troy, Keith Cooley, Peg Cooley and Mike Troy

53 chapter members and family attended our 2022 retreat, some four years in the making.  We kicked off our journey on Wednesday evening with cocktails and dinner at the historic Duquesne Club, our Pittsburgh “home.”  Thursday morning on the way to Carnegie Mellon University, we were treated to an architectural tour of the city by a representative from the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Services.  After a warm welcome and overview of CMU by Dean Lehman, Subna Das presented an interactive program on The Chemistry of Taste - how smell, sight and taste intertwine.  After lunch, four faculty members gave a TEDx style talk on cutting edge research in fields including computer science, software design and computational biology.  We topped off the evening with a tour and dinner at The Frick Clayton and Carriage House, home of Henry Clay Frick - industrialist, art collector and Chairman of Carnegie Steel.

Angelle Hamilton and Ellen Adair Wyche

We spent Friday morning at the Human Engineering Research Laboratory (HERL) at the University of Pittsburgh and were greeted by its founder, Rory Cooper.  Breaking into small groups, we rotated through HERL labs and the fabrication/manufacturing facility, where engineering and technology develop and then build aids for the disabled, particularly for U.S. Armed Forces Veterans.  Everything they do at HERL facilitates mobility towards a better life. During a free afternoon, we could explore Pittsburgh’s many attractions, like the incline up to Mt. Washington, the Andy Warhol Museum and the renown Phipps Conservatory.   We were also free to choose from among the city’s many excellent restaurants for a relaxing dinner out.

Susan Boyd, Anne Sterchi, Beth Finnerty and Anne Boyd

Saturday morning found us at The Carnegie Museum of Natural History, where small groups were guided through the 20,000 square foot Dinosaurs in Their Time exhibit and behind-the-scenes looks and lectures in the Paleo Lab and Big Bone Room.  Our presenters were so fascinating talking about earth science and their research that it was hard to keep our groups moving.  Who doesn’t love all things Dinosaur!  After an afternoon for more independent exploration, we celebrated our educational opportunities and time together at The National Aviary, where we were greeted by an enormous horned owl, were visited by a penguin, saw rare and endangered birds in their various ecosystems, and enjoyed one more fabulous meal.

If it sounds like we ate our way through Pittsburgh, well, maybe we did – such outstanding cuisine.  But we all came away with a sense of hope and wonder of what our future can hold through knowledge, innovation and just plain hard work on the part of our educators, scholars and researchers.  And we can’t wait to learn more during our next retreat on April 24, 2024, in Washington, DC, chaired by Liz Troy and Janis Henry. 

To see the shared album of photos from the Pittsburgh Retreat, click ARCS ATL Pittsburgh Trip 2022

Elaine Davis, Chair    

Janie Wilson & Carol Stockman, Co-Chairs