Dr. Katie Belardi; Recipient of the Chancellor’s 2022 Exceptional Early Career Achievement Award
“Each of the roles Dr. Katie Belardi carries out in her position are vital for the success of many programs and initiatives in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders (CSD),” says Bharath Chandrasekaran, professor and vice chair of Research. Belardi, CSD research administrator in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS), is the recipient of the Chancellor’s 2022 Exceptional Early Career Achievement Award. This honor is given to a staff member who is in the earliest stages of their career who has exceeded the expectations of their position, taken on numerous assignments and demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the University of Pittsburgh.
“I am very honored to receive this award. I am grateful for everyone who supported me from when I joined SHRS in 2019 to now,” expresses Belardi. “This award will also help me achieve my goal of being a leader in higher education administration, forging a new type of pathway of high-level research administration.”
In her position, she provides pre-award support for researchers. Belardi also plays an integral role in enhancing the department’s capacity to improve lives by making research more inclusive through securing NIH diversity supplements and coordinating research experiences like the Innovative Mentoring and Professional Advancement through Cultural Training Program (IMPACT), a joint effort between Hampton University and Case Western Reserve University. She also manages the day-to-day research operations and streamlines processes and procedures for faculty. When she started her position, the department had less than 1 million dollars in total grants. To date, she has helped submit 98 proposals and CSD researchers have received $21,647,627 total grant dollars, including indirect costs.
“Dr. Belardi exemplifies excellence and serves as the role model of an exceptional staff member in service of her department and the University of Pittsburgh. She always goes above and beyond,” boasts Chandrasekaran.
Before joining Pitt SHRS, Belardi was a visiting assistant professor at Duquesne University where she taught undergraduate and graduate level courses, directed the Autism and Language Disorders Clinic, and led independent research. She earned her PhD from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she studied language development in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Chancellor’s Staff Awardees receive a prize of $2,500 each and their names are added to a plaque on display in the William Pitt Union.
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Published December 16, 2022