Global Appalachia Learning Alliance (GALA) Reading Group
The Global Appalachia Learning Alliance Working Group launched this innovative reading group series during the Spring 2024 semester. This series brings together both Pitt and non-Pitt faculty, graduate students, staff, and community members to collectively delve into issues that hold significance for the region. Led by faculty members from Pitt and West Virginia University, the series hosted discussions in January, February, and March. These discussions shed light on the often-neglected aspects of this region, even within our own university community.
Spring 2026 Session Description:
Theme: Spaces
Registration is required.
The Global Appalachian Reading Group for Spring 2026 examines the complex intersections of regional identity, connectedness and disconnectedness to lived spaces, and environmental justice as they pertain to Appalachia and its connections to the wider world. Through thoughtful engagement with The Appalachian Trail by Philip D'Anieri, No Last Place to Rest by Dineo Skosana, and Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver, participants will explore the spaces that comprise and define Appalachia, reflect on the theme of dispossession within the context of Appalachia, and discuss global climate change through displaced species that find a home in Appalachia. This reading group invites participants to connect local narratives with global contexts, fostering deeper understanding and critical conversations about place, space, identity, sustainability, and the future of Appalachian communities.
The series theme is Spaces. Participation in all three events in the series is not required but encouraged. All events will take place from (please see dates below) 1:30-3:00pm (EST) in 4217 Posvar Hall. Copies of the books will be available in the Global Studies Center for local registrants to pick up. Please contact Veronica Dristas at dristas@pitt.edu with questions.
Note: We are able to fund and distribute books to registrants as funding allows. Registration will remain open after this amount is reached. Registrants will be notified if we are unable to provide them with the reading material.
Schedule and Book Descriptions:
January 21, 2026: The Appalachian Trail by Philip D'Anieri. The Appalachian Trail is America's most beloved trek, with millions of hikers setting foot on it every year. Yet few are aware of the fascinating backstory of the dreamers and builders who helped bring it to life over the past century.
February 18, 2026: No Last Place to Rest by Dineo Skosana. This book examines the impact of coal mining on the lives of former labor tenant and rural communities in post-apartheid South Africa.
April 1, 2026: Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver. Flight Behavior takes on one of the most contentious subjects of our time: climate change. With a deft and versatile empathy Kingsolver dissects the motives that drive denial and belief in a precarious world.
What is the Global Appalachia Learning Alliance (GALA)?
The Global Appalachia Learning Alliance (GALA) aims to enhance global studies in and of Appalachia. The formal definition of Appalachia, which spans 13 states from southern New York to Northern Mississippi, dates to the early 1960s, when regional governors encouraged the Kennedy and Johnson administrations to assist their mountain counties, where one in three residents lived in poverty. Since then, much of the study of the region has been inward-looking. This initiative looks outward in two ways: first, by offering supporting faculty research and course development support, career toolkits for students, and K–12 teacher training in global studies, targeting regional schools; and second, by promoting research on the global history and challenges of the region. A collaboration between Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh, which offers both rural and urban Appalachian perspectives, GALA is a consortium of institutions that shares resources and improves international education and research across the region.
The GALA is dedicated to advancing discourse and dialogue by:
- Building capacity across a wide range of diverse identities and perspectives
- Creating inclusive spaces where individuals feel empowered to contribute
- Ensuring conversations reflect the multiplicity within our community
Affiliated Programs, Groups, and Initiatives
Global Appalachia: Interdisciplinary Perspective on a Region in Motion
This initiative seeks to build an interdisciplinary cohort of scholars and activists whose work involves the Appalachian region for more engaged discussion and scholarship. This cohort will be part of a regional consortium of institutions of higher education, Community Colleges and Minority Serving Institutions, to stimulate research, share programs and resources, and provide curriculum and professional development opportunities throughout the 13-state region. This approach reflects a broader strategy to avoid one-off events and focus on building lasting scholarly communities and networks tied to Pitt’s global thematic priorities.
Global Appalachian Working Group
The working group, in collaboration with the Institute for Spatial History Innovation(ISHI), the School of Public and International Affairs(SPIA), and the Global Studies Center aims to facilitate collaborative discussion on regional issues through a global lens. This partnership, integral to the broader initiative of the Global Appalachian Learning Alliance (GALA), operates through Pitt’s Global Studies Center and Penn State’s Center for Global Studies. Leveraging existing networks and partnerships, the working group has established a consortium dedicated to sharing educational resources and programming across the frequently overlooked 13- state region.