Engaging and connecting with the community is a major goal at the University of Pittsburgh, and in the Department of Psychology in particular. We are always working to reach out and connect to local, regional, and national groups through a variety of academic, research, and service initiatives.

Researchers are working to make research accessible to all people. Labs often set up informational tables at community events, support community organizations at fundraisers, present at community research advisory boards, and broadly share information with the Pittsburgh community about their ongoing work. For example, labs have been partnering with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh to provide information about research at their annual Reading Extravaganza at the beginning of the summer and smaller events at local branches.

Our faculty are also deeply committed to impacting the Pittsburgh community through their world-class research and scholarship. Such work has supported and bolstered community connections, while also taking a leadership role on many issues. For example, our faculty have worked with pediatric primary care providers to enhance positive parenting practices in young children. Our faculty also have helped translate recent research on academic achievement to policy discussions on gifted and talented education programs in the local public schools.

Through these efforts, we hope to connect the university to community stakeholders, highlight the importance of research, and to contribute to the discussion of a wide-range of issues related to psychological well-being.