BCHS News
Cairo to Pittsburgh—then back again
Behavioral and community health sciences doctoral candidate Rabab Ahmed, MD, has expanded her work beyond research into workshops for parents and teachers and a YouTube storytelling initiative led by deaf children themselves. Looking ahead to a postdoctoral fellowship, she hopes to strengthen and scale the infrastructure she has built across Egypt and the Arab world.
Deakings honored as Distinguished Research Alumnus, joins Fab 40 Under 40
Jason Deakings, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences and associate director of the Center for Health Equity, recently received separate honors highlighting his research accomplishments. He was named to the 2026 New Pittsburgh Courier’s “Fab 40 under 40” list and, on behalf of Meharry Medical College, chosen as a Distinguished Research Alumnus.
Drnach-Bonaventura honored with Distinguished Early Career Award
Grace M. Drnach-Bonaventura (EdD ’24), assistant professor in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, received a Distinguished Early Career Award from her alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, where she earned her doctorate in social and comparative analysis of education. At Pitt Public Health, she teaches undergraduate and graduate students and studies the intersection of public health, health equity and education.
8 Pitt people made the New Pittsburgh Courier 40 Under 40 list
Jason Deakings, assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences, is one of eight University of Pittsburgh affiliates named to the New Pittsburgh Courier’s Fab 40 Under 40 list for 2026. Each year, the publication honors young African American professionals across the region.
Public Health faculty selected for Leadership Academy
Firoz Abdoel Wahid, MD, PhD, MPH and Jiebiao Wang, PhD, MS, have been selected to join the newest class of the Health Sciences Leadership Academy for Early Career Faculty, a yearlong professional development program designed to cultivate a generation of transformative academic leaders through shared leadership training.
Doctoral student selected for AJPH fellowship
BCHS doctoral student Aubree McMahon has been selected to join the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) Student Think Tank Fellowship for the 2026–2027 cohort. This highly competitive program brings together a small group of graduate students from across the U.S. to serve as an advisory cohort for the journal, contributing to special calls for papers, newsletters and student engagement initiatives.
Dignity is in the details: Pitt Public Health student challenges assumptions about homelessness
The most important thing Arabella Johnson brought with her on outreach visits with Street Medicine at Pitt was not a medical kit. It was a willingness to listen.
What TV gets wrong about CPR (video)
A University of Pittsburgh study looked at 169 episodes of American TV shows, all made after hands-only CPR became the standard. And, well, TV didn't exactly get the memo.
What ‘The Office’ and other TV shows get wrong about CPR
“...one thing we saw a lot was compressions that are not deep enough on TV,” said Ore Fawole, an author of the paper and a research coordinator for a lab at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. “We really want to push back against this fear that people have, and it’s a reasonable fear, but unless you’re an Olympic bodybuilder, there’s probably no way for you to do CPR too hard.” (Subscription may be required.)
Storytelling meets science
Pitt double-major Ore Fawole has long been passionate about film, an interest she shared closely with her dad and one that shaped how she thinks about storytelling and its influence. When he received a kidney and liver transplant during her junior year of high school, that connection between narrative and health took on new meaning, eventually inspiring her first scientific publication as a lead author, guided by BCHS faculty member Beth Hoffman.
As Seen on TV: Bystander CPR way behind the times
"We know that TV depictions of health topics can influence viewers," said Beth Hoffman, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences. "We've also seen news stories about people saving lives because of the CPR they learned from watching it on screen. Considering the sheer number of people who watch TV, it's important to think of how to leverage this to improve the likelihood that people will perform CPR and save lives."
Pitt PUnCh funding expands arts-based mental health initiative
A team of faculty and students affiliated with Pitt Public Health’s Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences (BCHS) has received new funding through the Pitt Un-Challenge (PUnCh) grant to expand an innovative, arts-based mental health initiative that connects students to community arts experiences as a pathway to healing and resilience.
2025 Public Health Practice Showcase
The 2025 Public Health Practice Showcase featured 15 graduate students representing each of Pitt Public Health’s seven departments, who presented work done in collaboration with community partners. Awards were also presented to faculty, staff and community partners who exemplify public health practice excellence.
In her opening remarks, Dean Lichtveld spoke of the importance of “making sure our science works for communities. Otherwise, our science doesn’t work.”
Pitt Public Health honors alumni at awards ceremony
The University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 Alumni Awards, honoring graduates whose achievements exemplify the school’s mission to advance health and well-being locally and globally.