Rita Bean Receives Pitt’s Highest Alumni Honor

The School of Education professor emerita was recognized at an awards ceremony on October 23

University of Pittsburgh School of Education Professor Emerita and alumna Rita Bean (MEd ’66, PhD ’74) has been named a 2025 Distinguished Alumni Fellow, the highest honor bestowed by the Pitt Alumni Association.

An accomplished scholar, educator, and philanthropist, Bean has devoted her career to improving reading instruction. Since joining the School of Education faculty in 1970, Bean has championed the understanding that reading comprehension is a critical skill for student success across academic disciplines.

Bean’s scholarly impact is profound. Her research has been cited more than 4,175 times, and her influential books—including The Reading Specialist: Leadership and Coaching for the Classroom, School, and Community and Coaches and Coaching in Reading First Schools: A Reality Check—have shaped literacy education. She has served as president of the International Literacy Association and was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame in 2009.

In the classroom, Bean taught the reading specialist certification program, mentoring countless students who have gone on to become reading specialists and university professors. Her teaching drew from both scholarship and practical experience as a former elementary teacher and K-12 reading supervisor.

Bean’s commitment to Pitt extends to philanthropic activities. Along with her late husband, Tony Eichelberger, Bean established multiple funds, including the Rita M. Bean Endowed Student Resource Fund for literacy education students, the R. Tony Eichelberger Endowed Scholarship supporting Pitt Baseball student-athletes, and the Rita M. Bean and R. Tony Eichelberger Endowed Fund promoting interdisciplinary research on equity and structural obstacles.