House-Naming Party

Spring 2016

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s advising program just “moved” into six new houses, and the school wants you to help name them.

These groups—“like nonresidential Harry Potter houses,” associate dean for student affairs Joan Harvey, an MD, jokes—each contain one advisory dean and roughly 20 students per class year, granting “housemates” access to mentorship, career development, and professional enrichment opportunities. And the houses foster social community through events like meet-ups at Peter’s Pub, Arsenal Bowl, or Frick Park. (There was even a House Olympics.)

While Pitt med doesn’t yet have a sorting hat for its houses (stay tuned), the school’s 2015 orientation instead introduced incoming students to their deans and houses in a spirited scavenger hunt at the Andy Warhol Museum, which culminated in the bestowing of an iconic trophy (see right) upon the winning house, for now known as KMS (named for advisory dean Kathleen McIntyre-Seltman).

As the program anticipates its second year, Harvey is searching for house names—and she wants faculty, staff, students, and alumni to submit ideas. “We’re looking to honor special contributors,” she says, “with a connection to Pitt med.” Honorees should come from the school’s legacy rather than its present-day achievers—otherwise the sky’s the limit. And because Pitt med is home to trailblazers across gender and race lines, Harvey seeks nominations that reflect the diversity of the people who’ve shaped the school.

Have a great idea? You can send recommendations to harvey@medschool.pitt.edu through the first half of 2016.