September 24, 2024
Dear Colleagues,
As many of you know, we have been evaluating best paths forward as we consider how the University of Pittsburgh can advance and strengthen its presence in the online and hybrid educational space.
In consultation with Chancellor Joan Gabel, I engaged in a year-long dialogue with our deans and other members of the Academic Leadership Team, as well as with additional experts across campus and beyond. As a result of that work, I am pleased to announce the creation of Pitt EDGE—The Center for Excellence in Digital Education. The center will be entirely devoted to the development, advancement and promotion of Pitt’s educational efforts in the digital space.
Having such a dedicated center will lend powerful support to the planning, development, and implementation of online and continuing education programming by providing a mix of centralized services while engaging with existing teams within schools that are working to advance Pitt’s digital presence as we strive to reach new populations of students nationally and internationally. In this way, we will be able to work more efficiently and collaboratively in our online efforts across campuses.
The announcement of Pitt EDGE—so exciting in itself—is made truly exceptional as I share the news that Anthony Delitto, Dean of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS), has agreed to take on an additional role—that of Associate Provost for Digital Education—effective October 1, 2024. Tony has been right there from the beginning as the vision for Pitt’s online efforts have developed, and so this is an especially well-earned appointment.
Tony and his team in SHRS have done truly pioneering and transformative work in online education for his school—specifically in its top-ranked Doctor of Physical Therapy and Physician Assistant Studies hybrid programs, in addition to five other online programs. He is uniquely positioned to guide us as we envision Pitt EDGE as we look to launch at least five new online/hybrid programs over the next five years.
Pitt EDGE aligns deeply with the Plan for Pitt 2028, as we embrace our collective commitment to cultivating student success, especially as we seek to significantly broaden enrollment in general and graduate enrollment in particular by 2028. We also remain deeply focused on maximizing access to and affordability of a Pitt education while continuing to ensure programmatic excellence.
As well, Pitt EDGE reflects the University’s mission in important ways. It demonstrates our commitment to providing high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs that respond to the needs of Pennsylvania region—including for those interested in pursuing continuing education or non-credit offerings—as well as to the broader needs of the nation and the world. It also speaks to our engagement in work that advances learning by expanding frontiers of knowledge and creativity.
In the time ahead, Tony and I will be working closely together and with the ongoing wisdom of both internal and external partners to create additional leadership infrastructure for Pitt EDGE.
Please join me in congratulating Tony on this additional assignment—one that I know he is passionate about.
Regards,
Joe
Joseph J. McCarthy
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor
William Kepler Whiteford Professor of Chemical Engineering
University of Pittsburgh