The national theme for Black History Month 2024 is "African Americans and the Arts." This year, the University of Pittsburgh will celebrate the accomplishments of six individuals who have made contributions to the Pittsburgh artistic community and who have demonstrated their commitment to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion across the Pittsburgh region. Seven members of the Pitt community will be recognized for their volunteerism and commitment to equality and justice during the University’s annual K. Leroy Irvis Black History Month celebration. From the Pitt Music Department, Dr.

Congratulations to Postdoctoral Associate Ian Copeland, who was recently awarded the Richard Waterman Junior Scholar Prize from the Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM) for his article “Pop Goes the Postcolony: Britain Remixes Hugh Tracey’s Malawi” (Ethnomusicology Forum, 2022). The award, presented by the SEM Popular Music Section at the SEM Annual Meeting in Ottawa, Ontario, recognizes the best article in the ethnomusicological study of popular music written by a junior scholar.

Pitt faculty member Andrew Weintraub’s article entitled “The Act of Singing: Women, Music, and the Politics of Truth and Reconciliation in Indonesia” was awarded the Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM) Helen Roberts Prize for the most significant article in ethnomusicology by a member of the Society for Ethnomusicology after the first ten years of their scholarly career (2020-21). The article also received the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM) Prize (Honorable Mention) for the most outstanding article in a scholarly journal or edited volume (2020-21).