UPJ Centennial

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
September 2026

Dear UPJ Alumni, Faculty, and Staff,

As the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown approaches its Centennial, we find ourselves reflecting on the remarkable individuals who have shaped this institution — the professors who challenged us, the coaches who pushed us, the staff members who supported us, and the students who inspired us. Every person who has walked through these halls has been touched by someone who had a positive influence on their lives.

In honor of this milestone, we are proud to launch the UPJ Centennial Fund — a community-driven initiative to recognize the people who defined what UPJ means to each of us.

Here’s How It Works

01   Nominate, Give, and Recruit Others to Participate

Beginning in September 2026 and continuing through all of 2027, visit the UPJ Centennial microsite to nominate a faculty member, staff person, or fellow alumnus who left an impression on your life. Did a professor inspire your passion for learning? Did a coach or advisor help shape your character? Was there a fellow student whose excellence — academic, athletic, or in extracurricular activities — set an example for everyone around them? Was there someone behind the scenes whose quiet dedication made your time at UPJ possible? This is your opportunity to honor them.

You are also invited to donate in honor of your nominee and to recruit others in our community to participate. I hope that you will consider making a gift of $100, $1,000, or $10,000 — every gift, at every level, has an impact.

02   Become a Centennial Honoree

When the collective donations made in honor of any individual nominee reach $2,500 or more, that person will be named a UPJ Centennial Honoree — permanently recognized as someone who exemplified the spirit of UPJ and made a lasting impact on our community.

Nominations & Donations Open: September 2026 – December 31, 2027
Honoree Threshold: $2,500

To endow a Centennial Fund in your name ($50K plus), contact Lori Singer at lds75@pitt.edu.

We encourage every member of the UPJ community to participate. Think of the person who believed in you before you believed in yourself. Think of the individual whose example still guides the way you lead, teach, work, or serve today. Now is the time to say thank you — and to ensure that their legacy is part of UPJ’s Centennial story.

Visit the UPJ Centennial microsite to submit your nomination, donate to the scholarship fund, make an unrestricted gift to direct funds to our most critical areas of need, or give to an area that is meaningful to you.

One hundred years of UPJ is a milestone worth celebrating — and the people who made it extraordinary are worth honoring. Your gift to the Centennial Fund, at whatever level and in whatever form speaks to you, will leave a lasting mark: scholarships will open doors for the next generation of Mountain Cats, unrestricted gifts will give UPJ the flexibility to meet its most urgent needs — strengthening programs, supporting students, and investing in the campus experience — and gifts to areas meaningful to you will ensure that the causes closest to your heart continue to shape this institution for generations to come. The impact of those we celebrate today will be felt for the next one hundred years, and it is because of your generosity that their story — and yours — lives on.

With Mountain Cat Pride,
Jem Spectar
President, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown