Each year since 2009, Pitt Public Health has invited students, faculty, alumni, and friends to come together as a community to read and discuss books that draw attention to contemporary concerns in public health or topics that the Dean believes are relevant to the Pitt Public Health community. These topics have ranged from the eradication of a worldwide pandemic, to the rising rates of obesity in America, to the opioid epidemic, to exploring cancer as an interdisciplinary topic.
2018–19 marks the tenth year of One Book One Community. As in past years, our program aims to provide the Pitt Public Health community with opportunities to connect the corresponding year’s book to a signature event. We have hosted One Book authors who visited Pitt Public Health to speak about their work, including: D. A. Henderson, Michael Moss, and Sam Quinones. We have also come together to watch pertinent film and plays, even hosting the world premiere of How I Live and the Pittsburgh premiere of Snow.
As our community grows, so does our programming. We joined Facebook in 2012 to stay connected with community members. A read along program was established in the seventh year in an effort to get more alumni involved. In our ninth year, a service component was added which included: Colors of Support—an art installation display to show the Pitt Public Health community’s dedication to cancer awareness, activism, and prevention and a collection of care cart package items (blankets, socks, mints) to donate to the Hillman Cancer Center.
If you are interested in finding out more specific information about past OBOC programs, click on any year’s link.