Despite the uncertainties of the past year, the University of Pittsburgh has continued to far exceed expectations in research and funding success. Our researchers and scholars have doubled down in publishing, applying for funding and advocating for research, while our leadership has remained steadfast in support of our research enterprise and continuing to build our life sciences ecosystem in Pittsburgh. These combined efforts not only keep knowledge moving forward but also help to keep the United States—and the Pittsburgh region—competitive on the global stage.
One area where we are certainly keeping our foot on the gas is artificial intelligence (AI) research. We are all witnessing the revolution of AI, which will drive some of the most profound technological, social, political, scientific and economic transformations in generations—on a par with the Internet and perhaps greater.
At Pitt, we are using, measuring, evaluating and exploring AI in every way imaginable. Our faculty members have the breadth and depth of expertise to apply AI in any field, and here at Pitt, they have the resources to keep up with the velocity of the changing technology. Together with our academic partners; the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center; and new industry partners like NVIDIA Corporation, Dell Inc. and Amazon Web Services, Inc., we are turning Pittsburgh into an epicenter of AI research and integration.
Complementing our work in AI, Pitt faculty members are exploring new ways to generate the energy needed to drive the technology as well as to keep our society healthy and communities moving forward. These efforts to maximize our natural resources to create efficient and sustainable energy sources will help to secure the nation’s energy independence.
No matter the field or tool that they use, Pitt researchers continue to strive to improve human life and engage human curiosity. In this annual report, you’ll find out about groundbreaking work not only in AI and energy but also in areas as diverse as agriculture in East Africa, the effect of social media on girls’ mental health, how infrastructure shapes communities, novel Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and how consumers relate to different types of branding.
I hope you find this annual report to be both insightful and inspiring. At the University of Pittsburgh, we take immense pride in our research enterprise, which spans a diverse array of fields and unique perspectives. I am confident that you will uncover the breadth and depth of our innovative work throughout these pages.
Rob A. Rutenbar
Senior Vice Chancellor for Research