Stepping Up: Alia Pustorino-Clevenger and the Brother Keating Initiative

Since its founding at Duquesne in 2018, the Brother Keating Initiative (BKI) has been helping food-insecure members of the campus community receive access to supportive services. The initiative’s comprehensive services address health and wellness and include meal vouchers and a campus food pantry.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Alia Pustorino-Clevenger—who oversees the program—has transitioned the initiative to a model in which students could request services online or by telephone.

Pustorino-Clevenger, director of student life assessment and co-curriculuar community engagement in the Center for Student Involvement, has seen an increased need during this time of coronavirus-related business closures and financial uncertainties. As a result, she has been hand-delivering groceries from the food bank and gift cards on behalf of the BKI on Fridays to in-need students and their families.

“It is abundantly clear that Alia cares deeply for the students she serves,” said Dr. Adam Wasilko, assistant vice president for student involvement. “I believe she is not only serving our students with food insecurity with the essentials they need, but also with the kindness and extreme compassion that characterizes our Duquesne community.”

According to Pustorino-Clevenger, faculty and staff have been generous in collecting gift cards and donating supplies for the food pantry. She said the Center for Global Engagement has been instrumental in reaching Duquesne’s international student population. The BKI also has become a campus referral site for the Emergency Student Assistance Fund.

“The pandemic has solidified the opportunity for us to discuss the reality of housing and food insecurity in collegian populations,” said Pustorino-Clevenger. “The outpouring of support from campus colleagues, departments and our Student Government Association is overwhelming.”

Since the beginning of March, the BKI has served more than 170 individuals. Pustorino-Clevenger has made more than 22 grocery deliveries and mailed more than 14 grocery store gift cards to students and their families/roommates in need.

“The Brother Keating Initiative is one of the many things that make our campus community an incredibly special group to be a part of,” said Wasilko. “Alia and the Brother Keating team are helping to keep our Spiritan mission moving forward during this difficult time.”

The initiative is named for Spiritan Brother Gerald Keating, who served the Duquesne community from 1924 until 1980. During the Great Depression, Keating quietly supported students impacted by the economic collapse, enabling them to successfully complete their academic studies.

For more information about the BKI or to donate, contact Pustorino-Clevenger at pustorinoa@duq.edu.

Thank you, Alia and team, for your service to students and their families in need!

Stepping Up

We’re recognizing individual Duquesne employees who are going above and beyond in their job duties (beyond transitioning to online services) to serve our students, our campus and local community during these uncertain times. To submit an individual for nomination, email Emily Stock at stocke@duq.edu.