The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Alumni Association will recognize Dr. Michael Klausner, associate professor of sociology, and Richard “Rick” Weinberg ’94 during Alumni and Family Weekend Sept. 22-24.
Klausner will receive the Pitt-Bradford Alumni Association Teaching Excellence Award, and Weinberg will receive the Denny Lowery Distinguished Volunteer Award at a dinner Sept. 23.
Both Klausner and Weinberg will be recognized alongside Athletic Hall of Fame inductees Diego Vacaflores ’00 and men’s and women’s soccer coach Peter Butler at 5:30 p.m. in the Mukaiyama University Room of the Frame-Westerberg Commons. The cost is $25 for adults, $12 for children aged 6 to 12 and free for children 5 and under.
Weekend events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For reservations, visit www.upb.pitt.edu/afw or call 814-362-5091.
Dr. Edward G. Robinson ’88 will present the teaching award to Klausner, who began teaching at Pitt-Bradford in 1976.
While at Pitt-Bradford, Robinson played forward on the basketball team and was inducted into the Pitt-Bradford Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.
“I can’t remember a single game that he didn’t attend,” Robinson said of Klausner and his support of the basketball players. “He was such an inspiring figure, and he played a massive role in many of us completing our academic journeys, myself included.
“I was incredibly lucky to have him not just as a professor but also as a mentor. We’ve had so many insightful chats that truly made a difference in my life.”
In 2005, Klausner was also inducted into the Pitt-Bradford Athletic Hall of Fame for his support of student athletes from the years in which the university competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics through its move into NCAA Division III.
He has been the director of the university’s Social Sciences Symposium Series and teaches a variety of sociology classes, including Deviance, Introduction to Sociology, Socialization, Organizational Behavior and Sociological Theory. He is known for his passion for his subject and his humor in the classroom. He lives in Bradford.
Weinberg has been an alumni volunteer since shortly after his graduation, serving on the PBAA board during the 2000s.
A member of Sigma Lambda Chi during his time as a student, Weinberg became an active volunteer with the group in 2012, serving as an alumni advisor to the active members, organizing get-togethers for the fraternity’s alumni several times per year and raising money for the fraternity’s scholarship.
“Many graduates still feel a connection to the university and its community as a result of his time and efforts,” wrote David Baron ’97 in his nomination. “Rick has a contagious attitude and is constantly eager to meet new people and collaborate with them on projects. His entire life has been committed to his loved ones, close friends and the development of the community and the university.”
Weinberg is a professional developer and curriculum coordinator with the Cattaraugus-Allegany (N.Y.) Board of Co-operative Education Services. He lives in Bradford with his wife, Kimberly, who is a member of the staff at Pitt-Bradford. The couple has two children, a daughter, Madeline, who is a senior environmental studies and environmental science major at Pitt-Bradford and an adult son, Preston.
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