In This Issue:

• October Happy hour
• Pancakes and Politics Breakfast with Rep. Joe Sestak
• A Graduate Masquerade Ball
• GPSA Committee Positions
• Upcoming Community Healthcare Forum
• New Travel Grant Requirements
• G-20 Wrap-up

October Happy Hour!

The GPSA and AGORA from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs are teaming up to bring you another Happy Hour. This time we're hitting up Steelhouse in Station Square.

We're buying you:

• Free Cover (if you sign up in advance)
• One Free Drink

Steelhouse is giving you:

• Complimentary Buffet at 7pm
• $1 drinks and $1 Bud Light bottles
• A coupon for one free coors light and free admission to Steelhouse for any Steelers game

The guest list (for free cover) will consist of those who RSVP as Attending on Facebook and/or anyone who emails VP of communication PJ Dillon at communications.pittgpsa@gmail.com. Since we're paying for your cover in advance, only list yourself as attending if you're sure you'll be there!!! Otherwise, your wasting money we'd be spending on you elsewhere.

Rep. Joe Sestak, Pancakes, & Politics

Join GPSA for breakfast and an opportunity to speak with federal representative Joe Sestak: Oct. 6th, 2009 in the Lower Lounge of the William Pitt Union at 8:15am! Congressman Joe Sestak (PA D-7th) will join University of Pittsburgh students for the 2nd Pitt GPSA Pancakes & Politics breakfast session. He will speak on recent events concerning Iran and foreign policy issues before taking questions from students. Representative Sestak was born in Pennsylvania, attended the US Naval Academy, and achieved the rank of Rear Admiral through 31 years of service in the Navy.In his 2nd term in congress Rep. Sestak is vice-chairman of the Small Business Committee and a member of the Education and Labor and Armed Services committees. On August 4, 2009, Sestak declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in Pittsburgh, posing a democratic primary challenge against Senator Arlen Specter.

Joe Sestak is serving his second term as the Representative from Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, which includes most of Delaware County and parts of Chester and Montgomery Counties.

GPSA will have a buffet including French Toast, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Coffee, & Orange Juice.

For more info and to RSVP see our Facebook event page. Hope to see you there!

GPSA Masquerade Ball

Mark your calendars! GPSA will be having a Masquerade Ball on October 30th, 2009. The location is still forthcoming (watch our website and Facebook), but get your costume and mask ready now! There will be games, food, drinks, and dancing, to say the least!

Vacant Committee Positions

Vacant Committee Positions

There are still a few committees that need graduate student representation! These vacant committee positions include the following:

• Provost's Award for Excellence in Mentoring Selection committee
• Senate Benefits & Welfare committee 
• Senate Bylaws & Procedures committee
• Senate Library committee
• Senate Tenure & Academic Freedom committee
• Senate Senate Child and Dependent Care subcommittee
• University Review Board
• Parking & Transportation committee

These University-wide committees are a great way to contribute to the Pitt community and are great for your resume. For more information on open committee positions, please email committees.pittgpsa@gmail.com or visit our website, http://www.gpsa.pitt.edu/committees.php.

Chancellor's Distinguished Teach Award Nominations

The deadline for nominating professors for the Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award is October 9, 2009. For more information, visit the website, http://www.provost.pitt.edu/documents/teaching_award_guidelines.pdf. To nominate a faculty member for this award, you must send a maximum 2 page nomination letter to Dr. Patricia E. Beeson, c/o Ms. Nancy Reilly, Office of Measurement and Evaluation of Teaching, G33 Cathedral of Learning. The faculty member must have been a full-time at Pitt for at least 5 years. Previous award winners are ineligible.

GPSA and PUMP Healthcare Forum

Friday, October 23, 2009
6:00pm - 7:30pm
Public Health Auditorium (Corner of Fifth Avenue & DeSoto Street)

Washington, D.C. policymakers will discuss health care legislation with Pittsburgh students & young professionals! Speakers will include:

Representative Jason Altmire (D - PA 14)
Co-chair of the New Democratic Coalition’s task force on health care reform and serves as a subcommittee chairman on the Small Business Committee. Prior to his election to Congress in 2006, he served as a Congressional Health Legislative aide and UPMC Vice President for Governmental Relations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Altmire

Paul O'Neill
72nd Secretary of the Treasury, Co founder of the Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative, Founder of Value Capture, LLC. Former CEO Alcoa, Former Chairman RAND Corporation. During his government service, Mr. O'Neill helped to shape many of the policies which define the American health care system today.
Wikipedia entry: http://bit.ly/13VDB3
Health Care Op-Eds: http://bit.ly/8j9Wz, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/opinion/06oneill.html

Representative Tim Murphy PhD (R - PA 18)
"Dr. Tim", Co-chair of the 21st Century Healthcare Caucus, Mental Health Caucus and Men’s Health Caucus, and currently serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee. He is a former Pitt Psychology professor and a former health care expert for KDKA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_F._Murphy


Moderator
Dr. Beaufort Longest
M. Allen Pond Professor of Health Policy & Management, Director Pitt Health Policy Institute

RSVP's are encouraged via Facebook, and any questions can be directed to our VP of Communications.

New GPSA Travel Grant Requirements

After months of measured debate and close examination of our current Travel Grant award system, GPSA has adopted new proceedures and requirements for our Travel Grant program, which is now our Travel Award and Grant Program. We hope that this will correct certain weaknesses in our old system and allow for more equitable distribution of gradaute students' funding. Detailed explanations of these new requirements and the new forms students will need are available by clicking "Services," then "Travel Grants" (or just click here). These updated giudelines are effective October 1, 2009. After October 1st, every student wishing to apply for pre-approvalmust use the new pre-approval form availalbe on our website.

Event Recaps

G-20 Participation

GPSA and many gradaute students throughout the University have participated in a variety of ways as the G-20 came and went through Pittsburgh.

Pre-G-20: Oakland Cleanup: Several Students came out with GPSA to help clean-up Oakland on September 12th.

G-20 Volunteering: Several graduate students were selected to volunteered to help at G-20 events. The Turkish American Student Association President Mehment Ali Soytas served as a G20 student translator at the media center downtown,

and several members of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, including Yuxin Brendan Liu and Xiong Zhang, volunteered at the Westin hotel by the Convention Center; this was the headquarters for the G20 and housed the US, Chinese, Russian, & British delegations.

Additionally, members of GPSA were invited to attend events with both European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.  Finally, gradaute students wieghed in on the interactions between police, students, and protesters; Pitt Engineering graduate student Alexander Dale's letter to Pitt Post Gazette regarding Friday's police actions was published in Tuesday's paper.

GPSA Welcome Picnic

Over 100 students came to GPSA's welcome picnic in Schenley park Thursday evening. New students from all of the University's 16 school's attended! Students were grilling all evening and we had the opening night Steeler's game playing in HD.

Pittsburgh Sports League provided cornhole sets and PSL T-Shirts. And representatives from the Alumni Association's Blue & Gold society attended to let students know about the Student Alumni Association.

Click here to check out more photos from the event, and here for information about the Student Alumni Association and the Pittsburgh Sports League.

Welcome to all of the new GPSA students!

Tailgating Recap!

GPSA joined the Engineering Graduate Student Organization for a tailgating tradition before the home season opener. 40 students came out for grilling and finished every single hot dog and hamburger.
Pitt beat Youngstown State 38 to 3 with an impressive defense and running game - we're all looking forward to the rest of the season!

You can see the pictures from this event here:http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109616&id=71053952378

Hail to Pitt!

GPSA e-Bulletin: Welcome new students!, Breakfast with Rep. Mike Doyle, GPSA Welcome Picnic, Panther Bonfire

Welcome!

A warm Pitt welcome to all of the new students that have arrived over the past month! GPSA participated in 14 student orientations in August and spoke with hundreds of new students.

We all hope your time here at Pitt is rewarding, educational, and fun. And good luck to everyone over the coming school year.
Hail to Pitt!

Mike Doyle, Pancakes, & Politics

Join GPSA for breakfast and an opportunity to speak with your federal representative: Sept. 3rd, 2009 in the Lower Lounge of the William Pitt Union at 8:15am!

Congressman Doyle will make short remarks about health care legislation currently making its way through congress and its relation to students. This will be followed by a town hall style question and answer session where students will have an opportunity to ask the Congressman questions.

Mike Doyle has been representing Pittsburgh in the House of Representatives since 1994. He currently represents PA's 14th district which includes Pitt, Oakland, and the majority of Allegheny country.

GPSA will have a buffet including French Toast, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Coffee, & Orange Juice.

For more info and to RSVP see our Facebook event page. Hope to see you there!

GPSA Tailgate for Pitt Panther football

Join GPSA and the Engineering GSO for a Tailgating Party Prior to First Pitt Panthers Football Game of the Season!

Date: Saturday, September 5, 2009
Time: 10:00am - 12:30pm
Location: Abandoned BP Lot on Ridge Avenue & Allegheny Avenue by Heinz Field. (map)

See pittsburghpanthers.com/tic kets/football for more information on Student Tickets. As of 8/31 student season tickets were still available in the Peterson Ticket office (800) 643-PITT. Shuttle service is available from Oakland 3.5 hours before the game. See the facebook event page for more information.

GPSA Welcome Picnic

We're welcoming all graduate and professional students, especially the new students, to campus with a little fun in Schenley Park! Join us, other grads, and young professionals from Pittsburgh for barbeque, beer, and beautiful weather.

When: Thursday, September 10th, 3-9pm
Where: Camp David Lawrence Pavilion, Overlook Dr., Schenley Park

Free Food and Drinks!!! The grills start up at 5pm!

RSVP on our Facebook event page or by emailing us so that we can get an idea of how much food to buy. We're also in need of grills and volunteers to help cook food. If you can lend your grill and/or your time, please email our VP of Communications, PJ Dillon, at communications.pittgpsa@gm ail.com. We'll buy all the food, charcoal, and propane.

Pitt Athletics - Student Bonfire for Football Kickoff

Get fired up with the Pitt Panthers about our home 2008 season. Join your fellow students and the Panther Football team at the Bonfire Pep Rally onThursday, August 28 on the Cathedral Lawn at 8:30pm. You'll hear from Coach Wannstedt and the 2008 captains as well as performances from the Band, Cheerleaders, and Dance Team. Come out and you'll receive your very own red-hot 2008 Bonfire T-shirt compliments of the Pitt Program Council.

GPSA at Sandcastle recap

59 Grad & professional students came to Sandcastle for a sunny & beautiful summer day. GPSA had a private space set aside in sandbar all day, a generous buffet lunch, and free drinks. Pictures from the day are available on the event album on the PittGPSA facebook page.

Thanks to everyone that came out to Sandcastle and the over 600 students who've enjoyed our summer programming events. Were looking forward to seeing everyone again this fall.

Communications Update

Over this summer GPSA has published a beautiful new GPSA website, doubled the size of the GPSA facebook group, and started providing real time updates for graduate students via Facebook and Twitter. See these sites to get updates directly from Pitt GPSA.

Pitt GPSA on Facebook (for "profile" style updates):facebook.com/pittgpsa
Pitt GPSA Facebook Group (for event invites): facebook.com/group.php?gid =2204535043
Pitt GPSA on Twitter: twitter.com/pittgpsa