University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Director, Community Engagement
- Email:
- Phone:
- 412-648-8240
Celeste Welsh joined the Pitt Athletic Department in 2004. She began by serving in the capacity of Media Relations Coordinator and then was promoted to Director of Media Operations and Community Engagement. She has since transitioned into the role of Director of Community Engagement, for Pitt Athletics.
Welsh’s primary mission is to encourage, educate, and coordinate community engagement opportunities with over 500 Pitt’s student-athletes, for the betterment of both. Special emphasis is placed on providing help to the individuals in the underserved neighborhoods surrounding the Pitt campus.
Welsh presently works in community engagement with communities in Homewood, Hazelwood, and the Hill District, as well as the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, Pittsburgh Public Schools, Vitalant Blood, Voting Matters, Boys and Girls Club, Western PA, ALS Association, Special Olympics, Department of Veteran Affairs, UPMC Magee Women’s Hospital, and many
other non-profits, surrounding Pittsburgh. Recently, she coordinated many events with Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, where the Pitt Football Team raised over $130,00 in various events. She also works directly with JMI Sports Marketing with key sponsorships, collaborating on community events.
In this role, she has been recognized by the NCAA for several Community Champions Awards. In 2023, Pitt ranked 5th in the nation among all Division I community service Champions Awards and ranked first overall in the awards among Power Five conferences in 2022 with Pitt Football ranked first among all Division I football programs. In 2021, Pitt Athletics ranked first in NCAA Division I schools.
Welsh has had crucial community involvement that provided great financial benefit to UPMC Children’s Hospital and other non-profits:
- She assisted in raising $135,000 with the “Cal’s Kids” initiative, with Cal Adomitis, former Pitt long snapper, currently with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Welsh worked side by side with Deslin Alexandre, former DL with the New York Jets, on a 5th Down Campaign which raised $55,000 for the children of Haiti, Deslin’s native home.
- Welsh assisted David Green with his efforts to raise $22,222 for the Boys and Girls Clubs.
- Coordinated a campaign with LB Foster Railroad and Pitt Football raising $50,000.
Welsh has shared in five “Super 11” sports information recognitions from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), which honors those offices deemed the best in the NCAA Division I Bowl Subdivision.
Her skills have been highly sought at various high-profile sporting events beyond Pitt. She has worked on such national-caliber events as the Kentucky Derby (2017), US Golf Open (2016, 2024) the men’s basketball NCAA Tournament (2012, 2015, 2018, 2021) and the women’s basketball NCAA Tournament (2007).
Welsh has recently been named to the advisory board of AD99 Solutions, former Pitt player, Aaron Donald’s non-profit.
