2026 Community Engaged Scholarship Forum
March 3, 2026
Each year, Pitt elevates, celebrates, and reflects on collective approaches to community-engaged scholarship at the University at the annual Community Engaged Scholarship Forum (CESF).
CESF provides an opportunity for faculty, students, staff and community members to present their community-engaged work, discover new avenues of partnership, network with those who do similar work and celebrate Pitt's commitment to community engagement.
CESF 2026: Community-Centered Futures
March 3, 2026, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
William Pitt Union (3959 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260)
Advance registration for CESF 2026 is closed. Walk-in registrants are welcome to join us on March 3, as space allows.
This year's theme, Community-Centered Futures, explores the systematic relationship between how we intentionally plan for economies, organizations and neighborhoods that move regional development forward for the benefit of our communities.
CESF 2026 builds on the keynote conversations of the previous two years on the Vital Conditions Framework and Investing in Community Assets toward additional pathways of economic opportunity.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Justin Heck
Justin Heck, PhD, serves as Senior Director of Research & Data Production at Opportunity@Work, where he leads investigations into labor market dynamics and economic mobility pathways. His research portfolio examines how workers navigate employment opportunities and identifies systematic approaches to improve economic outcomes across the workforce spectrum.
Dr. Heck's current research focuses on the intersection of skills-based hiring and economic mobility, with particular emphasis on workers who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs). His research has proven instrumental in challenging conventional wisdom about workforce development, particularly in demonstrating that over half of today's workforce has acquired skills through alternative routes to bachelor's degrees.
CESF 2026 Agenda
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8:30 to 9 a.m. |
Breakfast |
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9:05 to 9:10 a.m. |
Opening and Welcoming Remarks |
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9:15 to 10:15 a.m. |
Opening Plenary |
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10:30 to 11:45 a.m. |
Concurrent Workshop Session |
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12 to 12:30 p.m. |
Lunch |
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12:30 to 1:15 p.m. |
Keynote Session |
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1:15 to 1:45 p.m. |
Awards Ceremony |
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2 to 2:50 p.m. |
Lightning Poster Session |
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3 to 4 p.m. |
Closing Plenary |
CESF 2026 Sponsors
Thank you to our event sponsors, session speakers, and the Pitt community for their part in making the 2026 Community Engaged Scholarship Forum possible.
- David C. Frederick Honors College
- Office of the Chancellor
- Office of Engagement and Community Affairs
- Office of the Provost
- Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research
- University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Engagement & Enrichment