Welcome to Pitt’s REU Summer Undergraduate Program

June 4 – Aug 10, 2001

Welcome to Pitt’s REU Summer Undergraduate Program

Miscellaneous Info for Participants

Program dates: Monday, June 4 through Friday, August 10, 2001.

Please plan to arrive on Sunday, June 3, 2001. From now on Ms. Deb Hunt will be your contact for information about travel arrangements, housing, and related details. If you should have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call her at (412) 624-8203 or email debhunt@pitt.edu. If you cannot get in touch with Ms. Hunt, then address your concerns to Prof. Grabowski (412-624-8632 or joeg@pitt.edu) and he will ensure they are answered.

Stipend: The $4000 stipend will be paid in 3 installments, at the end of June, July, and August. Your August paycheck will be mailed to you at the end of that month. Be sure we have a valid mailing address before departing the program.

Housing: Single room, University of Pittsburgh dormitory (Litchfield Tower C), within walking distance to the Chemistry Building (Chevron Science Center). Your room is available Sunday, June 3rd through Saturday, August 11^th. The phones in the room are for local calls only. For long distance calling, we suggest that you use a calling card. You should bring towels, a blanket, a pillow and sheets. All rooms are air conditioned and are set up with Ethernet ports for computer use. (See FAQ list on our REU site for campus maps and general info about the dorm room.)

ID Card: You must go to the ID Center located at 107 McCormick Hall (it’s in the quad below your dorms by the bookstore and PNC Bank) to get your Student ID Card. Take one form of photo ID with you! Identify yourself as part of the REU Summer Undergraduate Program run by the Chemistry Department. The Hours for the ID Center are Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. This card gives you access to the libraries, computer labs, shuttle bus transportation, physical recreation facilities, and the cafeterias.

Meals: A partial meal plan is provided to you, coded into a separate ID card. This is worth $200 worth of credit (called “PittFunds”) that you can use at University cafeterias and certain eating establishments. (Previous REU students had advised us that an increase in the stipend was more useful than "PittFunds" since cash is accepted everywhere while "PittFunds" are of limited use. The "PittFunds" card is help tide you through until your first stipend check. A list of vendors is enclosed with this packet. This is also your “flash card” to get into the residence hall, so keep it handy!!!

Health Insurance: This is not provided for by the REU program. If you are not already covered by an insurance plan, health care can be purchased from the University of Pittsburgh Student Health Service for a one-time fee of $65. There is also a pay-per-service fee starting at $40 for a general visit, on upwards for specific services like X-rays, lab work, injections, allergy shots or immunizations.

Parking: Please be aware that parking spaces near the University are in short supply. We recommend that you not bring your car; parking arrangements are your responsibility. Public transportation is excellent and you will find that you can get all around town very conveniently by using the municipal bus system. The REU program will provide you with a bus pass for the month of June to facilitate your exploration of Pittsburgh. In July and August, individual bus rides can be purchased for $1.60 each or you can purchase your own monthly bus pass (see Ms. Hunt for how to do that). For those of you that have parking permits, they are used to park in Soldiers and Sailors parking garage on Bigelow Blvd.- Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On weekends or after 5:00 p.m., you can park in any lot on campus that does not require a key card. You are not allowed to park in meter spaces at anytime. Be sure to pay attention to the hours of operation for Soldiers and Sailors garage.

Computer Accounts: These have been set up for you. Stop by the main office (room 234, Chevron Science Ctr.) and see Deb Hunt for your username and password. Once you login, you can change your password to whatever you like.