Our programs are held both live at the Church of the Redeemer, 5700 Forbes Avenue, Squirrel Hill, and on Zoom, on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. We ask that you do not attend our live programs if you are not vaccinated. Masks are optional.
If you cannot attend our live programs, we offer a hybrid Zoom version. SHHS members will be sent a link to the Zoom program no later than the weekend before the program. If you are not a SHHS and would like the link to the program, please contact the SHHS at sqhillhist@shhsoc.org.
NOTE for Zoom participants: Our programs are recorded and archived on our website using YouTube, so please turn off your video if you do not want to appear on the recording. YouTube guidelines do not permit sending pictures of people to others without their permission.
If you have any suggestions or ideas for future speakers or topics to put on our agenda, please email us at sqhillhist@shhsoc.org.
Tuesday, May 14th, 7:30 p.m.
“Our Futuristic Murray Avenue Neighbor: An Overview of CMU’s Robotics Institute”
Speaker: Dr. Matthew Johnson-Roberson, Director of the Robotics Institute and Professor of Computer Science in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).
Dr. Matthew Johnson-Roberson will discuss the origins of the Robotics Institute, the Institute’s role in recent developments in robotics, exciting challenges for the future, and societal concerns about robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). Dr. Johnson-Roberson previously co-directed the University of Michigan Ford Center for Autonomous Vehicles (FCAV) and founded and leads the DROP (Deep Robot Optical Perception) Lab, which researches 3D reconstruction, segmentation, data mining, and visualization. He received his Bachelor’s degree in computer science from CMU and his Ph.D. in robotics from the University of Sydney and has held prior postdoctoral appointments with the Centre for Autonomous Systems – CAS at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and Australian Centre for Field Robotics at the University of Sydney. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER award (2015).
Tuesday, June 11th, 7:30 p.m.
Lynn McMahon, author, of The Story Behind the Smile: Eat’n Park.
Tuesday, July 9th, 7:30 p.m.
“Pittsburgh’s Historic Ballparks”
Speaker Mark Fatla, author of Pittsburgh’s Historic Ballparks (Arcadia Press, 2023), states that Pittsburgh has an incredible baseball history with great players, teams, and historic moments, but few people realize that Pittsburgh has often been in the lead in ballpark design and development. Fatla chronicles the nine ballparks that hosted major league baseball in Pittsburgh between 1876 and the present, including the Negro Leagues. Historic photographs illustrate design and construction phases, the major changes as parks expanded and aged, and eventually their demolition. This talk and the accompanying book provide a unique perspective on the rich history of Pittsburgh’s ballparks.
Tuesday, August 13: (Tentative)SHHS Board Meeting and Members’ Social
Tuesday, September 10th, 7:30 p.m.
“Jewish Family & Community Services, Present & Past”
Ivonne Smith-Tapia, Director of Refugee and Immigrant Services at Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS) will explain how the organization helps immigrants and refugees build new lives in Pittsburgh and will also provide an overview of the organization’s 80-year history. Ivonne joined JFCS as Director of Refugee and Immigrant Services in July 2021. She holds master’s degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Social Work with a certificate in Human Services Management. Ivonne worked for more than a decade with the Colombian government, international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and think tanks promoting community development, education, human rights, and leadership in diverse rural and urban communities in Colombia. She moved to Pittsburgh in 2013 and has worked with the University of Pittsburgh to provide training and technical assistance to Family Support Centers and at the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh leading programming on global issues.
Tuesday, October 8th, 7:30 p.m.
“The Story of Dragon’s Den”
Guilia Lozza Petrucci, executive director of Dragon’s Den, a non-profit organization housed in the former St. Mary Magdalene Church on Amity Street in Homestead, will discuss the history of the building and how Dragon’s Den’s innovative programs teach youth from diverse backgrounds and abilities to overcome challenges in themselves, their communities, and the world.
Tuesday, November 12th, 7:30 p.m.
“Writing the First Draft of History“
Ann Belser, publisher and writer of Print, the East End Newspaper, will tell the story of how Print came to be, some of the stories behind the stories that have been published, and what it is like running a local newspaper where the people you cover are also your neighbors. She will also talk about some of the Squirrel Hill businesses that Jan Kurth has written for the newspaper.
Tuesday, December 10th, 7:30 p.m.
“Friends of Neill Log House Update”
Tony Indovina, president of the Friends of Neill Log House (FONLH), and some members of his board will report on the results of the project to restore the house, landscape the area around it, and welcome visitors to it once again.
Also in the lineup of speakers are Giulia Lozza Petrucci, executive director of Dragon’s Den (cancelled in September 2023) and Rob Ruck and Ted Muller, co-authors of Pittsburgh Rising: From Frontier Town to Steel City, 1750-1920. Also, if possible, a daytime tour of Lucyna de Barberay’s sustainable home on Fernwald Rd. will be rescheduled.
Squirrel Hill Historical Society 