Our Crowdfunding Groups
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitt students and alumni established the G. Alec Stewart Book & Resource Fund after the passing of the University Honors College’s founding dean. The fund is in memory of his love of reading and to carry on his tradition of gifting books as catalysts and provocations for deeper thinking and reflection. Today, we are building on this fund that will provide support for students in perpetuity. Its growth further ensures that future generations of honors students will receive the support needed to fully explore their intellectual passions through the written word. Donations defray the cost of books for students in need and support student-led UHC Discussion Groups like “Donuts & Dystopias,” “Education and Edibles,” “Pizza & Prose,” and “Healthcare & Law.”
Doc's vision, legacy, and insatiable appetite for learning live on through the University Honors College. As Dean of the Honors College, he delighted in using books to unlock students’ potential, provide them with new avenues of thought, and engage their critical minds. When a student came to chat, Doc inevitably pulled a book off his shelf related to the conversation and would check-in weeks later to discuss it.
“One of the most impactful moments of my life involved Doc and books. During my Chancellor Scholarship interview, it came up that I loved physics and I wanted to read the Feynman Lectures on Physics but the multivolume set of books was too expensive for me. At the end of my interview, I was stunned when Doc handed me a brand-new set of the Feynman Lectures. I started crying and gave Doc a hug. I later learned that when Doc excused himself from my interview he ran to the Pitt bookstore and bought the set for me. Though he barely knew me, Doc supported my desire to learn. That's the kind of person he was.”
Anna Quider ’07 | Director of Federal Relations, Northern Illinois University
The UHC is a unique, inclusive, open-access honors college. Initiative, drive, and intellectual curiosity characterize our students. The doors of the UHC are open to all academically committed undergraduate students who take the initiative to become involved in honors activities, apply for honors research experiences, come in for “big-picture” honors advising, or take an honors course. It is the students who design their unique honors experience and embrace the UHC tenets of academic attainment, intellectual curiosity, and development of social consciousness.
Support Pitt students and feed curiosity while cultivating interdisciplinary learning and critical thinking. Your gift will expand the fund that supports UHC book scholarships, book selections for discussion groups, and copies of recently released books to explore with visiting authors.
“The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day.”- Albert Einstein
Through a gift of any size, you can have an immediate impact on a student's Pitt experience. Your gift might inspire a chemistry student to pursue a passion for Shakespeare or a philosophy student to realize an affinity for economics. The possibilities are limitless.
Take a moment to think about who has impacted your life …
Make a donation on their behalf and give the gift of opportunity and knowledge!
Help the UHC to realize its goal by sharing this opportunity with your social networks. Who doesn’t love books, lifelong learning, and knowing that even $10 can impact someone’s life?
Connect with Us
Questions about this fund? Interested in talking about other giving opportunities? Contact Kristin DeLuca at kmd100@pitt.edu or 412-624-2617
*Special thanks to all of the students, alumni, friends, faculty, and staff who helped create this fund in 2010, especially to the (then) students who led the way: Utsav Bansal, Grace Lindsay, Bunmi Okunlola, and Dan Ryan. The UHC and the beneficiaries of this fund greatly appreciate the legacy you established.
A gift of $10 will buy a paperback book. One of Doc’s favorites was The Two Cultures, by CP Snow.
A gift of $25 will enable us to buy hardback books by visiting speakers like CNN’s Dr. Fareed Zakaria, author of In Defense of a Liberal Education. Books are gifted to students who agree to read in advance and take part in discussions with visiting authors.
These groups can be a catalyst for interdisciplinary exploration. A gift of $50 will fund one or two students’ participation in these lively and engaging student-led discussions.
Engaging with authors on their process and debating their arguments is a powerful experience. A gift of $125 will fund the purchase of books for a small group of students to read the work of visiting scholars like Robert D. Putnam, author of Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis, and have the unique opportunity to discuss reactions with the author.
Too often, students cannot afford to purchase books for class. A gift of $250 will provide the opportunity for a student to purchase books and truly immerse themselves in a class.
“We know what we are, but know not what we may be” - William Shakespeare. A gift of $500 will fund a UHC Discussion Group of 10-12 students where new passions and paths may be discovered. From the biology major exploring medieval literature to the economics major discovering satire, this gift unlocks potential and new passions.
From “Medicine and Muffins,” to “Race an Ongoing Struggle,” to “Discovering Plays,” the UHC typically sponsors 5+ groups a year. A gift of $2,500 will sponsor multiple groups over the course of a year.
