Frequently Asked Questions
About REU Programs at Pitt

Last Updated:  

1. When does it start and end?

This exact information can usually be found on the web site (REU Home page and/or the REU calendar). The starting dates will change from summer to summer, but usually early June to early August for a 10-week period. For example, the exact dates for the Chemistry REU program can be found Announcements web page, the Description & Requirements web page, and the web Calendar.

2. What dorm will I be in and will I have a roommate?

If you accept the housing we provide, you will be living in a University of Pittsburgh dorm.  In Summer of 2002, these will be on the 5th floor of Brackenridge Hall, (its my understanding that only REU students will be in this dorm).  (Last summer we used Litchfield Towers - but those dorms are being renovated this summer and are not available.)

Brackenridge Hall is within easy walking distance of the Chemistry Building.  (See FAQ #10 for various maps.)  

Some specifics about Brackenridge Hall:  Please pick up your Keys and Welcome Packets at the Panther Service Center in the Lobby of the Towers (open 24/7; right next to Brackenridge Hall) during check-in where you will receive your keys and room assignments (updated 5/30/02).  When you collect your keys and welcome packet, ask where you can "park" during unloading, if you need that info.  The keys for your room will open the entrance door to your suite as well as the door to your bedroom.  The bedrooms are furnished with a chest of drawers, single bed and desk and have ample closet space.  The common area has a kitchen with a small dorm size refrigerator, microwave and sink.  All rooms within the suite have ceiling fans but are not air conditioned.  Each bedroom has bathroom facilities with a sink, shower and toilet.  You will need to bring with you your own bedding including pillow, single size sheets, blankets and towels.  The kitchen is not equipped with dishware or eating utensils, so you will need to bring those with you also.  Janitorial services are not provided, so you will be responsible for keeping your suite clean.  (As an emergency, Prof. Grabowski's home phone number is 412-242-7423; call him on Sunday if problems arise.(updated 5/30/02))

3. Are there certain hours that I will be working each day or is more "come in when you need to"?

The minimum expectation is that every student will work a full 40-hour week, on a regular schedule. For example, you might start at 8:00 am, work till 12:00, take a 30-minute lunch break, and then work 12:30-4:30. Students who want their project to progress more rapidly are welcome to put in additional hours as they see fit and in agreement with their advisors. As you will discover, our research groups are extremely active with most graduate students and post-doctoral fellows putting in additional hours in the evening and on Saturday. At all times, safety is of paramount concern and so the policy of never working alone in a laboratory is rigorously enforced. The REU Program director encourages you to explicitly discuss your exact working hours with your research advisor at your first meeting.

4. Are there activities planned that are not work based?

We hope to schedule several social events - these will be posted on the REU web site, (e.g., on the Calendar web page). There is also a mandatory REU weekly meeting (see the calendar), required participation in the Duquesne city-wide poster fair, and the end-of-the summer symposium. For the most part, we leave the organizing of social events up to the group. Pittsburgh has lots of nearby attractions, including water parks, amusement parks, museums, professional baseball, rafting, and so on. We encourage each member of the REU program to "organize" a group activity for a different weekend. The activities of course will depend on what the group is interested in doing.

We are also trying something new this summer (as is the HHMI-REU program run out of Biology but which Chemistry is involved with):  we've signed all you up for the Pittsburgh Interns 2002 program and will be providing you with additional information about this at a later time.  Be sure to let me know pros and cons of this program.

5. I have a computer and I am hoping that I will be able to bring it with me this summer and have a hookup in my dorm room that is separate from the phoneline?

All dorm rooms are hard-wired with EtherNet ports.  We should have Pitt Computer Accounts for you when you arrive.  Thus, you will be able to connect to the Ethernet directly from your room, bypassing the phone/modem.

6.  What should I use for my 10-week mailing address?

See the Services link in FAQ 2 for the standard University answer for students who will be in their dorm room for 2 semesters.  Once a room is assigned to you, you can use that service.  However, a more convenient alternative will be to use the following address:

     Your Name
     c/o Ms. Deb Hunt
     Room 234 Chevron Science Center
     Department of Chemistry
     University of Pittsburgh
     Pittsburgh, PA   15260 

You can either stop by Ms. Hunt's office and pick up your mail as convenient, or request that it be put in the group mail box for your research group.  Due to the very limited nature of your stay, and the fact that Ms. Hunt can keep your best interests in mind, we recommend using the Chemistry address for necessary snail mail rather than the standard one.  Feel free to make your own choice.

7.  When will I receive my stipend checks?

The stipend will be paid in three equal allotments, the last working day of each month.  As most of you will not be on campus the last day of August, be sure that a valid mailing address is on file for you before you depart at summer's end.  The June and July checks can be picked up from the payroll officer in CSC-234; be sure to bring a picture ID.  Direct deposit is not available for this summer program.

8.  What paperwork will I need to complete or bring with me?

Ms. Deb Hunt, the coordinator for our REU program will have been in contact with you requesting specific information that is required to be able to issue your stipend check.  You can send the information to her (her address is in FAQ #6 above; omit your name, of course) or you can contact her by e-mail, debhunt@pitt.edu or by phone 412-624-8203 if necessary.

9.  Can you provide me with travel directions?

See this web site for travel directions.

Once you arrive on campus, you can go directly to Brackenridge Hall (click here to see a campus map showing Brackenridge Hall) to check into your room.  Check in at the Main Desk (open 24 hours); you will receive an information packet and a room assignment.  You can borrow a luggage cart for a $20 deposit (100% refunded with the carts return).  We will leave a manila envelope with miscellaneous information in it with the "check in" desk in the Lothrop Hall - be sure to get it.

If you are coming by air, when your arrive at the airport, proceed to the  “Ground Transportation” area.  Your options to get to Pitt are:

A.  Port Authority public bus service, 28X Airport Flyer, $2.50.  This stops at Forbes Ave. and Bouquet St., near the dorm.  For a schedule of times and stops, go to http://www.portauthority.org/ride/schedule.asp and select Airport Flyer, inbound.  You must handle your own luggage on & off the shuttle.

B.  Airlines Transportation Company (412) 471-8900 Shuttle, $15.00 one way/every hour, to hotels in the University area.  The shuttle is marked “Oakland”.  You can get off at the Holiday Inn, but you will have to go several blocks to the Litchfield Towers.

C.  Taxicab, ~$40 from airport to Pitt campus.  You can call Peoples Cab at (412) 681-3131 or Yellow Cab at (412) 665-8100.

10.  Are there other "maps" I would find useful?

     for the ID Center, click here
     Soliders and Sailors (parking garage is under the front lawn)
     Chevron Science Center (the Chemistry Building)
     Brackenridge Hall (dorm)

11.  Anything special I need to know about Checkout?

Yes.  Check out time is 1:00 pm on Saturday, 10 August 2002.  (THIS IS A TENTATIVE TIME/DATE FOR SUMMER 2002 AT THIS POINT IN TIME.)

Also, Lost keys or a failure to return the room key before checking out will cause your final stipend check to be withheld until you correct the problem.  These are Pitt dorm policies and are not set nor controlled by the Chemistry Department REU program.

12.  Is there a packet of Welcome Information that I should expect to receive as part of this program?

     a.  WelcomeInfo (2 page, check-in/getting started info; in pdf format).

 

REU Web page maintained by Prof. Joseph J. Grabowski.   Updated