Dr. Quinton Cotton convened a dynamic gathering of new and incoming students—ranging from BSW to PhD—alongside faculty and colleagues from the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the School of Medicine, and the School of Public and International Affairs. The event connected trainees with a network of faculty mentors and identified fresh opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. Attendees included Dr. Aliya Durham, Dr. Katie Greeno, doctoral students Clinton Gymiah, Daniel Abusuampeh, and Ophelia Zornu, and undergraduate student Camille LaRock from the School of Social Work, as well as Drs. CeCe Williams, Andrea Peña, Jacinta Dickens, and Melita Terry from across the university.
LaRock, a Research Assistant in Dr. Cotton’s lab explained: “Our lab outing was an exciting opportunity to connect with professionals from other disciplines at Pitt, allowing me to grow my network and expand my understanding of the work being done across campus. Speaking with faculty and other students, I was able to gain insights into different career paths and see how my studies fit into a larger professional community.”
Dr. Cotton emphasized the value of building on Pitt’s existing strengths while forging new connections to advance student learning and research.
“Collaboration expands our vision of what’s possible. By connecting social work with other disciplines, we strengthen research partnerships among faculty and create rich networks of mentors, giving students the guidance and opportunities they need to spark transformative change.”