Alumni

Elizabeth F. Criswell ’04
Director of Undergraduate Studies for Early Childhood Programs, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
"I pursued children's literature because of my love of literature and illustration and my interest in the history of this complex literary genre. It has helped me develop invaluable ways of thinking in my career as an educator." Read More »
Jennifer Klein ’06
National Recruiter, Girls Who Code
"Needless to say, Pitt’s Children’s Literature program helped establish my career. Having that certificate really helped distinguish me from the hundreds of other applicants out there." Read More »
Megan Roth ’11
Author and Editor of Children's Books, Apps, and Interactive Content
"I put this knowledge (gained through the Children's Lit Certificate Program) to use every day and words cannot express how much these classes helped." Read More »
Mariko Turk ’07
YA Author and Faculty, University of Colorado-Boulder
"In short, the children’s literature program at Pitt made me a more open-minded thinker in both my criticism and teaching, and for this I am so very grateful." Read More »
Alexandra Cathcart ’14
Doctor with Pediatrics Specialization
"I hope to be as empathetic and thoughtful a physician as possible, and I truly believe that my time in the Children’s Literature program has prepared me well for my career." Read More »
Corey Wittig ’06
School Librarian, Falk Laboratory School
"My work on creative technology programming for kids is very much informed by works of children's literature and folk and fairy tales." Read More »
Arielle Reed '17
Associate Producer, The Fred Rogers Company
"I am so thrilled to be working in a field that has such deep involvement with creative writing, art, child psychology, and education. Earning my Children's Literature Certificate was one of the best collegiate choices I could have made." Read More »
Morgan Buck '18
Perinatal Infant Mental Health Consultant & Therapist, The Child Center of NY
"The Children's Literature program was more than just a certificate for me, it was preparation for a career in child welfare and advocacy." Read More »
Madeleine Shelley '18
Associate Producer, WGBH Kids, Boston's PBS Station
"I work with incredibly talented people who created the iconic shows I grew up with, like Arthur, ZOOM, and Between the Lions. I'm thrilled to be at my dream job working behind the scenes on projects I care deeply about, and I owe the inspiration and skills I needed to get here to the Children's Literature department!" Read More »
Jordan Mondell '19
Marketing and Publicity Assistant, Little Bee Books
"The Children's Literature program at Pitt not only gave me the tools I needed to understand my market, but it introduced me to many of my closest friends, writing partners and now colleagues, which is invaluable to me." Read More »
Cristina Restrepo '15
Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Coordinator of Specialized Programs, District of Columbia Public Schools
"The variety of perspectives in one classroom is something I highly valued throughout the Children’s Literature certificate program. Students from different majors analyzing content through a different lens led to enriched interdisciplinary conversations." Read More »
Mia Lucente '23
Doctoral Student, Pitt Occupational Therapy Program
"My experiences with this certificate program challenged me in a way that enabled me to think more critically, while keeping an open mind." Read More »
Maria Anto '22
Erasmus Mundus grad student, University of Glasgow
"The Children's Literature Program illuminated curiosities that I may not have realized as a standard English major. The frameworks established in Children and Culture tugged at my mind while I sat through biology and philosophy classes." Read More »