Pitt's Honors College dean at the top of his class
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Edward Stricker, dean of the Honors College at the University of Pittsburgh, gives the "state of the honors college" address to students and faculty today.
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Edward Stricker's mother wanted to be a doctor. She graduated first in her high school class and, majoring in math, first in her class at Hunter College as well.
But it was 1934 and she was poor, Jewish and female. Her college degree instead helped her land a job as a cashier at Macy's. And despite a long career that followed as a high school math teacher, she never forgot it.
"My mother died when she was 97," said Mr. Stricker. "When she was 91, she stopped complaining about not being able to go to medical school."
As the new dean of the Honors College at the University of Pittsburgh, Mr. Stricker, 70, works with bright, driven students of the sort that his mother once was. And he can help them realize the dreams that she never could.
Mr. Stricker, who officially became dean in July, will deliver his inaugural "State of the Honors College" address today at 1:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Frick Fine Arts Building, during which he will present his vision for the Honors College.
His goal is to provide an elite education at a state university, accessible to all students who choose to benefit from it. Pitt's Honors College classes have been open to all students since it was founded 25 years ago by G. Alec Stewart, who died in April 2010. Those with a grade-point average above 3.25 qualify automatically, and others can apply for individual classes.
"I went to the University of Chicago and did my graduate work at Yale," he said. "I have a pretty good idea of what people mean by a first-rate education, and I don't think it should be restricted to half a dozen places."
Any given year, 15 percent to 20 percent of Pitt students take Honors College courses. Pitt's Honors College also has a couple features unique even among Honors Colleges. It confers a Bachelor of Philosophy degree to the 50 or 60 students each year that meet stringent requirements, including an undergraduate thesis defended before a committee.
First Published January 11, 2012 12:00 am
