Theme: MOVE!

We hope to curate a collection of talks centered on our theme "MOVE!": exploring how we move, what moves us, and how Pittsburgh is moving forward.

William Pitt Union
3959 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213
United States

Christopher Seymour

Assistant Professor of Critical Care and Emergency Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Dr. Seymour is Assistant Professor of Critical Care and Emergency Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is core faculty member in the Clinical Research, Investigation, and Systems Modeling of Acute Illness (CRISMA) Center in the Department of Critical Care, where he contributes to the Program on Critical Care Health Policy. He is affiliated faculty in the Center for Research on Emergency Medical Services (CREMS) in the Center for Emergency Medical Services of Western Pennsylvania. Dr. Seymour received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania before completing his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He then completed a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Washington, where he obtained masters degree in clinical epidemiology at the University of Washington, School of Public Health.

janera solomon

Publisher of 1839 Magazine and Executive Director of Kelly Strayhorn Theatre at East Liberty

janera solomon is the executive director of the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, a historic live arts venue in Pittsburgh now in its seventh year of presenting progressive, evocative new works in dance, music, film, education and cultural programming. Recognized for her transformative leadership and contributions to the revitalization of East Liberty, janera managed the merger of the Kelly Strayhorn Theater and the Dance Alloy in 2011, while maintaining affordable dance instruction at The Alloy School and creating a series of diverse programs designed to inspire and engage a wide range of audiences. janera has contributed significantly to the artistic development and career advancement of numerous dancers and choreographers supported by Kelly Strayhorn’s residency programs.

John Fetterman

John Fetterman has served as mayor of Braddock for more than 10 years. After winning by a single vote, John threw out the traditional political playbook and worked to break the cycles of poverty and violence that were decimating Braddock by embracing creative ideas solutions. From a new community center to urban gardens and new businesses, Mayor John is charting a new path for Braddock. John grew up in York County and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in finance from Albright College. He also holds an MBA from the University of Connecticut and a master’s in public policy from Harvard. While living in CT, John joined Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Confronted by the stark disparity between his own life and that of his ‘little’, John quit his position in risk management and joined AmeriCorps. In 2001, John started a GED program in the town of Braddock, one of the poorest and most troubled communities in the commonwealth. He was elected mayor of Braddock in 2005 and is now in his third term.

Kerry Harling

UPMC Center for Integrative Medicine – Mindfulness Stress Reduction and Founder Of Holistic Highway

Kerry began her health journey way back in college where she studied neuroscience. In graduate school and during her public health masters courses she focused her studies on the effects of environmental toxins on human health, and saw the frustration as patients complained of a myriad of symptoms that had no specific diagnosis. They were left to ‘fend’ for themselves. At this point, she knew there had to be a different way of managing health. Through her many years of traveling and living overseas, she seemed to come back to a central question: How do we encourage certain health behavior in spite of our fast-paced culture, and how do we maintain balance in different settings around the world? “I was drawn to discover why most people by the time they reach their middle years, were so tired. Most had lost their vibrancy, their vitality and ultimately their health. I realized it was our lifestyles, our diets and our habits that determine our health and this drew me to Ayurveda.”

Michael Boninger

Professor and UPMC Endowed Chair in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Dr. Michael Boninger is a Professor and UPMC Endowed Chair in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine. He has joint appointments in the Departments of Bioengineering, Rehabilitation Science and Technology and the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine. He is Director of the UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) Rehabilitation Institute and the Senior Medical Director for Post-Acute Care for the Health Services Division of UPMC. He is also a physician researcher for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Boninger has an extensive publication record of over 200 papers. His central research focus is on enabling increased function and participation for individuals with disabilities through development and application of assistive, rehabilitative and regenerative technologies.

Raymond Gastil

Director of City Planning for the City of Pittsburgh

Ray Gastil is City Planning Director for Pittsburgh, where he leads initiatives to improve neighborhood planning, resilient communities, comprehensive planning, complete streets, and riverfront planning. He co-chairs the Affordable Housing Task Force. The Department has responsibilities for the City Planning Commission, Art Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Historic Review Commission.He has served as planning director, Seattle, and Manhattan planning director, NYC, and founding director of Van Alen Institute, where he led exhibitions, publications, and design competitions, including Open: New Designs for Public Space. Earlier, he served as transit-oriented design director for Regional Plan Association.