September 4, 2024
Dear Colleagues,
As you may remember, in October of 2023, Charles (Chuck) Perfetti shared his intention to step down from his long-standing and impressive role as director of the Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC). I then launched a national search for his successor. I am very pleased to announce that, after a diligent search, I have appointed Elizabeth Votruba-Drzal to serve as the LRDC’s next director, effective September 1, 2024.
I am convinced that Elizabeth and I share a common understanding of the importance of preserving and advancing a strong Learning Research and Development Center as our University continues to grow and develop.
Elizabeth joined the University of Pittsburgh as a faculty member in 2005 and currently serves as Chair of the Department of Psychology. In her nearly 20 years at Pitt, Elizabeth has built a robust program of research that investigates how socioeconomic inequality shapes and structures human development over the life course.
Importantly, she is also a senior scientist at the LRDC, where over the past seven years, she has helped to build the Developmental Processes and Outcomes research area, which consists of multiple interconnected research labs that focus on the social and developmental contexts of learning and human development.
Over the course of her career, Elizabeth has worked to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. She previously served as Director of the Hot Metal Bridge Program in the department of psychology, a post-baccalaureate program for underrepresented students interested in graduate training in psychology. There she was involved in intensive mentoring of students during the academic year as well as communicating with faculty to monitor student progress and supporting students during the graduate admission process. She also served as Director of Diversity Initiatives in the Department of Psychology from 2017 to 2022.
Elizabeth earned her PhD in human development and social policy from Northwestern University and her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University.
I want to thank the search committee—co-chaired by Mike Bridges, Executive Director of the University Center for Teaching and Learning, and Amanda Godley, Vice Provost for Graduate Studies—for its robust work and commitment to identifying the next transformative leader of the LRDC.
Please join me in congratulating Elizabeth as she embraces this new role.
Regards,
Joe
Joseph J. McCarthy
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor
William Kepler Whiteford Professor of Chemical Engineering
University of Pittsburgh