November 16, 2023
Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to announce that Carla Panzella, who has served as the Dean of Students since August 2021 and as Associate Vice Provost since December 2022, has agreed to serve as the Interim Vice Provost for Student Affairs.
She will assume this role effective January 1, 2024, as Kenyon Bonner transitions to his role as Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer at the University of Virginia. Carla will serve in this interim role until the University completes the process of appointing a permanent Vice Provost for Student Affairs. During this time, she will continue her responsibilities in her role as Dean of Students.
As Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Students, Carla serves as liaison to the Office of the Provost to support the Office of the Provost Academic Team, with a focus on maximizing the impact of student success programs for underrepresented first-generation, and Pell-eligible students (e.g., the Provost Academy, Strada Grant, Kessler Scholars, and TRIO McNair Scholars Program), while also supporting graduate and professional students.
She also serves as a liaison to the Office of the Provost Data Analytics Team, leading assessment efforts designed to collect and analyze qualitative data to augment student survey data and provide a holistic understanding of the student experience.
In her role as Dean of Students, Carla provides leadership for innovative co-curricular programs, activities, and services that promote student well-being, sense of belonging, engagement, and diverse learning experiences. She is also responsible for the strategic direction and management of the Student Experience, Student Community and Belonging, Student Wellness, and Student Engagement and Professional Leadership Teams.
Prior to joining Pitt, Carla served as the Associate Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.
She holds a PhD in higher education from Seton Hall University, where she completed her dissertation research on “Postsecondary Pathways: A Study of Low-income Black and Latino Students,” an MA in organizational psychology and leadership from the Teachers College of Columbia University, and a BS in psychology from Saint Peter’s University.
Carla’s leadership will be essential to guiding Student Affairs through the various challenges of this transitional time, and I thank her for her willingness to accept this new assignment.
Regards,
Joe
Joseph J. McCarthy
Interim Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor
William Kepler Whiteford Professor of Chemical Engineering
University of Pittsburgh