Mascaro Center Recognition & Engagement

Faculty Awards

Eric Beckman, Elected National Academy of Inventors Fellow David Sanchez, Soska Wilds Outreach and Engagement Leadership Award

External Boards and Committees

American Society of Engineering Education – National (Env. Engr Division) (Secretary) David Sanchez

Engineering Science Academic Advisory Committee (Member) David Sanchez

Food21 – Sustainable Regional Food Systems (Senior Advisor) David Sanchez

(IPIKU) Indigenous Pacific Island Knowledge U. (Representing all 5 national entities of Micronesia) David Sanchez

International Society for Industrial Ecology, Sustainable Urban System (Co-Chair) Melissa Bilec

Sustainable Pittsburgh, CEOs for Sustainability Advisory Board (Member) Gena Kovalcik

U.S. Technical Advisory Group for International Organization for Standardization, TC323 Circular Economy (Member) Melissa Bilec

Internal Boards and Committees

Carbon Commitment Committee, including Carbon In/Offsets & Sequestration Sub-Committee (Member) Melissa Bilec

Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Sustainability (Member) Melissa Bilec Gena Kovalcik

Community Engaged Scholarship Forum Planning Committee (Member) Gena Kovalcik (co-lead for AY22)

Swanson School of Engineering Academic Committee (Undergraduate/Graduate) (Member) David Sanchez

Year of Engagement Committee (Member) David Sanchez

Journal Leadership

Editorial Board for Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability, sister journal to Environmental Research Letters Melissa Bilec

ASCE Architecture Engineering Associate Editor and Special Editor for Circular Economy and Regenerative Buildings Melissa Bilec

Subject Editor for International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Melissa Bilec

ASCE Natural Hazards Review, Trial Associate Editor Melissa Bilec

PLOS-ONE Academic Editor Melissa Bilec

Invited Lectures

Internal

Pitt Mentoring and Advising Summit Gena Kovalcik (Invited Speaker)

“Hispanic Heritage Month” Swanson School of Engineering Workshop Oct.12, 2020, Virtual David Sanchez

International

“Plastic Economy in a Health Care Crisis.” Global Council for Science and the Environment, Plastic Cohort Workshop, April 12, 13, 15, 2021, Virtual. Melissa Bilec

“Hybrid/Flex model applied to higher education” UNISINOS Brazil Workshop Jan.13, 2021, Virtual David Sanchez

National

“Circular Economy and the Built Environment in Our High-Tech World.” NIST Circular Economy in the High-Tech World Workshop, January 27, 2021, Virtual Melissa Bilec

“Converging on Circular Economy Solutions for the Built Environment.” International Congress on Sustainability Science & Engineering, August 3-5, 2020, Denver, Colorado. Melissa Bilec

Seminars at Universities or National Research Institutes “Convergence Around the Circular Economy.” Carnegie Mellon University, Civil and Environmental Engineering, May 1, 2020, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Melissa Bilec

Workshop and Conference Organizations

Sustainable World Without Waste, May 6, 10, 12, 2021, Virtual. Organizers: Bhavik Bakshi, Melissa Bilec, Tim Gutowski, Elena Irwin, Cynthia Isenhour, Dusan Sekulic, Thomas Theis, Valerie Thomas.

NSF Convergence Accelerator: Design for Circular Economy from Molecules to the Built Environment Workshop,September 18, 24, 30, 2020, Virtual Workshop. Organizers: Melissa Bilec (PI, lead organizer), Eric J. Beckman, Jenna Jambeck, Jason Locklin, Gemma Jiang, Fernanda Cruz Rios Ford

Buildings and Infrastructure Technical Committee, ISSST, June 21-25, 2021, virtual Melissa Bilec

American Society of Engineering Education – National (Env. Engr. Division) - June, 2022, Minneapolis MN Program Chair: David Sanchez

American Society of Engineering Education – Regional (Northeast Central) - March 2022, Pittsburgh PA Conference Chair(s): David Sanchez and Irene Mena

Swanson School of Engineering Leadership

In addition to her Co-Directorship of MCSI, Gena Kovalcik served as Interim Director of Strategic Business and Financial Operations for the Swanson School of Engineering (SSOE) from September - December 2020. She was then appointed Strategic Advisor to SSOE Dean James Martin, continuing to help formalize and lead development of SSOE’s strategic processes and operationalizing strategy across all Swanson School units while still leading MCSI.