University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences students and faculty members gathered around stovetops, chopping vegetables, simmering lentils and putting sustainability into practice in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences’ (SHRS) teaching kitchen at Pitt’s newest building at Fifth Avenue and Halket Street.
They were participating in a Nutrition for Planetary Health class, as part of a certificate program through the Health Sciences Center for Interprofessional Education (IPE). The initiative connects students from all six of Pitt’s health sciences schools, as well as the School of Social Work, to build the teamwork and communication skills needed to address complex health challenges.
During the cooking session, student teams were given the same recipe but encouraged to tailor it based on flavor preferences or cultural influences. Lentils served as the main ingredient because they are considered a sustainable food source that requires relatively few resources to grow and prepare.
“Public health is about making sure we protect all communities,” said Maureen Lichtveld, dean of the School of Public Health, who cooked alongside public health students ranging from undergraduate to doctoral candidates during the session, drawing inspiration from her native Suriname to prepare a lentil dish seasoned with masala and turmeric. “It’s not only about food and nutrition. It’s also about how we do that sustainably.”
“Training all of our students to think in an interprofessional way about patient care is a core part of how we prepare future health professionals,” added Victoria Hornyak, associate professor of physical therapy and codirector of the Office of Interprofessional Education at SHRS. “We are so excited to offer new opportunities for students of the health sciences to learn with, from and about each other, to form lasting relationships, and to have fun in the process.”
The Fifth and Halket building houses most programs at SHRS along with two floors the School of Medicine. Opened in January 2026, it was designed to bring students from across the health sciences together in shared learning environments.
The cooking session is one example of how IPE is creating opportunities for students to learn across disciplines. The program brings together 30 students for six two-hour sessions focused on sustainability in the health sciences.
“The goal of the program is to help students understand the value each discipline brings, while building friendships and respect for one another’s work,” said Corey Flynn, director of the Office of Sustainability in the Health Sciences. “Students really enjoy working together, and each week the feedback surveys reflect how much they appreciate learning from one another.”
