What is the A&S GSO

The Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Organization (A&S GSO) is an official university student organization that advocates the interests and concerns of the graduate students of the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences at University of Pittsburgh. A&S GSO provides the primary avenue of communications between graduate students and the administration as well as other university entities. The A&S GSO is also responsible for dispersing 50% of the student activity fees that A&S graduate students pay each semester.

We sponsor social events such as the trivia nights and the Grad Expo. We also provide travel grants, summer research grants, and teaching awards for graduate students.

Getting Involved

Any Arts & Sciences graduate student is welcome to attend and participate in any of the monthly meetings of the A&S GSO. Any member of the DSAS grad community is welcome to join committees and get involved! However, only official representatives of academic departments may cast a vote at the meetings.

The A&S GSO also elects its own officers and representatives to various other university organizations. These elections take place in the Spring term and are open to any A&S graduate student. For more information, contact your department representative.

ASGSO Election Nominations Are Open!

  • We are currently accepting nominations for individuals interested in any of the following ASGSO positions: President, Vice President, Vice President of Programming, GPSG Representative, Teaching Award Chair, DEI Chair, and Summer Research Grants Chair.
    • Note: The Summer Research Grants Chair works mainly in the Spring semester.
  • Nominations are open from February 14, 2024 to March 14, 2024.
  • Elections will be held from March 15, 2024 to March 20, 2024.
  • The nomination form is available at: https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3P3nnM7N1DQjPVA

Grad Expo 2024

This year, the Grad Expo will be held in-person on March 28th, 2024, starting at 12pm in the William Pitt Union. Poster presentations will be from 12-1pm and panel presentations (10–12-minute presentations with a 5-minute Q&A) from 12-4pm. Awards will be announced at 5:30pm. Six presenters will be selected to be awarded with $200 to be used for research activities or related purchases.

Learn more about the Grad Expo at: https://pre.asgso.pitt.edu/awards-and-grants/grad-expo/

The Grad Expo 2024 call for abstracts is now open!

We invite you to submit your abstract (<250 words) for either a poster or oral presentation format. The deadline for abstracts is February 9th, 2024 and participants will be notified about their submission by March 1st, 2024.

To submit your abstract, please follow the link: https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eXIJaZUkT3OfGnk

The Grad Expo 2024 call for judges is now open!

We invite all DSAS faculty members, post-graduates, and graduate students to join us in promoting and celebrating the work of graduate students across disciplines. Judges will be expected to participate in at least two sessions (panel or poster) and score presenters based on a rubric provided by the Grad Expo Committee. Poster sessions and panel presentations will take place across different sessions between 12pm and 5pm on March 28th, 2024.

If you are interested in supporting Grad Expo as a judge, please fill out the form at the following link by February 16th, 2024: https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b1xezWo1E5kmEdw

SORC Ordering for Spring 2024

ASGSO Administrative Assistant Christina Vega-Alemany (asgso@pitt.edu) is available to help with SORC purchasing on Tuesdays from 10am-12pm (virtual) and on Fridays from 10am-12pm (virtual). Please let Christina know in advance if you need to purchase anything with SORC’s card!

Additionally, there is a new procedure for snack ordering for meetings through SORC using SnackStop (pickup at Forbes Street Market). More information about this will be coming soon because a business manager or president is needed to do these orders.

Spring 2024 ASGSO Meetings

We hope that everyone’s winter break has been going well! We are looking forward to seeing you at our regular monthly meetings for the Spring 2024 semester.

Our meeting dates for Spring 2024 are every third Thursday as follows:

  • 18 January 2024, 11 a.m., WPU 540
  • 15 February 2024, 11 a.m., WPU 540
  • 21 March 2024, 11 a.m., WPU 540
  • 18 April 2024, 11 a.m., WPU 540

We ask that departments each supply contact information for two representatives. If you did not complete the contact form sent out earlier this month to our previous email list or from Jennifer Sadecky, the Executive Assistant of Graduate Studies for DSAS, please contact asgso@pitt.edu to be added to our email list.

Attendance is necessary to access your departmental GSO funds. At least one representative must be present at meetings. Departments in good standing will receive annual allocations from our GPSG funding. Those not in good standing may be reinstated with consistent attendance, will receive funds held during years of inactivity, and will be eligible for annual allocations the following year.

October meeting on Tuesday, 17 October

Our meeting for October will be Tuesday, 17 October, at 6 PM. Note that the location has changed. we will be meeting in Langley 219B. Our meetings are as always open to all students. If you need assistance locating the conference room, please email President Lacey Rzodkiewicz at ldr27@pitt.edu.

We will be discussing important topics such as budgets, healthcare udpates from task force representatives, and changes to stipend dispersement. Please contact ldr27@pitt.edu and asgso@pitt.edu with any additional agenda items.

Welcome back to AY23-24!

Welcome back, grads! With the start of the new year, we will be kicking off our monthly meetings.

Our meeting dates for fall are as follows:

  • Tuesday, 19 September 2023, 6 PM, WPU 539
  • Tuesday, 17 October 2023, 6 PM, WPU 539 
  • Tuesday, 28 November 2023, 6 PM, WPU 630

We ask that departments each supply contact information for two representatives. If you did not complete the contact form sent out earlier this month to our previous email list or from Jennifer Sadecky, the Executive Assistant of Graduate Studies for DSAS, please contact asgso@pitt.edu to be added to our email list.

Attendance is necessary to access your departmental GSO funds. At least one representative must be present at meetings. Departments in good standing will receive annual allocations from our GPSG funding. Those not in good standing may be reinstated with consistent attendance, will receive funds held during years of inactivity, and will be eligible for annual allocations the following year.