New Genealogical Educational Opportunity in 2012 -- The Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh

GRIP – The Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh – a new genealogical institute of learning announces a genealogy educational opportunity planned for July 2012. Consisting of four courses, it will be held Monday, July 23 through Friday, July 27, 2012, at LaRoche College, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. According to Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL, and Deborah Lichtner Deal, directors of GRIP, “the demand for in-depth genealogical education is so high that week-long courses sell out shortly after registration opens, disappointing many potential students. At the same time genealogists who have taken many courses want new content.” GRIP seeks to satisfy this growing need for high quality genealogy education through its week-long courses with internationally recognized instructors.

Nestled in the Pittsburgh suburbs, LaRoche’s campus includes economical air-conditioned “en suite” dorm accommodations steps from the classrooms, a buffet-style cafeteria, and free parking. The instructors are all experienced researchers, lecturers, and writers who bring their expertise into the classroom with case studies and problem solving exercises. Registration will begin in February.

·        Intermediate Genealogy: Tools for Digging Deeper with Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA. Warren focuses on unusual resources, manuscripts, methodology, and analyzing records. She researches across the U.S. and has coordinated and taught at multiple genealogical institutes and conferences. Warren serves on the Federation of Genealogical Societies board and is President of the Northland Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

·        Advanced Research Methods with Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS. Jones has edited the National Genealogical Society Quarterly since 2002. A former trustee and a past president of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, he works as a researcher, writer, editor, and educator. Jones coordinates courses at Samford University’s Institute on Genealogy and Historical Research, at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, and he teaches in Boston University’s Genealogical Research Certificate program.

·        Beneath the Home Page: Problem Solving with Online Repositories with D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS. Taylor is Director of Education and Programs at New England Historic Genealogical Society, and has appeared on the television program “Who Do You Think You Are?” A frequent speaker at various venues, Taylor is a course coordinator for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. He is also Vice President of Administration for the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), where he serves as co-chair of the FGS/ISGS 2011 National Conference.

·        German Genealogical Research with John T. Humphrey, CG. Humphrey is an award winning author who specializes in German and Pennsylvania research. In 2010 he was invited to give a presentation on researching Germans in America in the Rhineland-Palatinate; in 2008, at the request of the German Embassy, he presented the keynote address at the 400th Anniversary Celebration commemorating four centuries of German immigration into the United States. Humphrey is a past president of the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society and past vice president of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania.

About GRIP

The Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh will serve a need for in-depth genealogical education in the Mid-Atlantic region and nationally. Located about 300 miles from major cities such as Cincinnati, Ohio; Ft. Wayne, Indiana; Detroit, Michigan; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Rochester, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Charleston, West Virginia; and Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh is strategically placed and economical to visit.

The directors of GRIP have been doing genealogical research for a combined 40 years and have volunteered thousands of hours to various genealogical societies. Deborah Lichtner Deal is an Ohio Genealogical Society Trustee and has run their week-long Summer Workshop for over ten years. Deal also has attended both Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and the Institute for Genealogy and Historic Research (IGHR) at Samford University, winning its prized Walter Lee Sheppard, Jr., award in 2010. She is a local lecturer and southeast Ohio researcher.

Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL, is a Board for Certification of Genealogists Trustee and instructor at Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. She is the course coordinator for the Professional Genealogy course at IGHR and has attended the National Institute for Genealogical Research in Washington, D. C. She wrote part and instructs in part of Boston University’s fourteen-week Genealogical Research Certificate course. She has encouraged others in their genealogical education in the classroom and by teaching online. Powell is past-president of two Pittsburgh area genealogical societies and served six years as a board director for the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG). She has video lectures available through the PMC Webcast link at http://www.apgen.org/ on choosing the best continuing education options and on professional development.

The directors’ commitment to genealogy educational excellence is shown in this newly-formed institute. For more information, visit our website at http://www.gripitt.org/.

CG, Certified Genealogist, CGL, and Certified Genealogical Lecturer are Service Marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certificants after periodic evaluations by the Board.

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