August 20, 2020
Dear Council of Deans Members and HR Partners,
We reached out last week to announce our Building Safety Concierge program, working together to guide Pitt community members on building safety protocols and access. We are reaching out again now that the scheduling software is available, asking that you help spread the word and encourage participation.
August 13, 2020
Building Safety Concierge Program Launch – We need your help!
To: Council of Deans, OHR Partners
From: Ann E. Cudd, Senior Vice Chancellor and Provost; David N. DeJong, Acting Senior Vice Chancellor for Business and Operations and Vice Chancellor of Human Resources
July 15, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
After three and a half years of outstanding service as Assistant Provost, Nancy Tannery has informed me of her decision to retire, effective September 2, 2020. I greatly appreciate her significant contributions to the Office of the Provost and to the University of Pittsburgh as a whole. I am also pleased that she has agreed to continue to assist the office on a few targeted projects going forward.
July 1, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
As you know, after serving as the dean of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) since 2007, John Keeler announced last year his intention to return to the faculty. In planning for GSPIA’s next chapter, we conducted a national search to identify his successor.
Today, I am delighted to announce that Dr. Carissa Schively Slotterback has been named GSPIA’s new dean, effective October 1, 2020. She will also join the faculty as a full professor in GSPIA.
June 29, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
With Nathan Urban’s decision to transition from Pitt to Lehigh University, we engaged in an internal search to identify the next Vice Provost for Graduate Studies.
After much consideration and a highly competitive process, I am very pleased to announce that Amanda Godley has been named Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, effective July 1, 2020.
June 26, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
As you know, we have been conducting an internal search to identify two individuals to serve as vice provosts after Laurie Kirsch steps down as Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Development, and Diversity, a role in which she has excelled since 2013, at the end of June.
June 17, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
As you know, after seven years of influential leadership and dedicated service to University of Pittsburgh faculty in her role as Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Development, and Diversity, Laurie Kirsch this year announced her intention to step down from the position at the end of June.
In conducting an internal search for her successor, the search advisory committee was charged with finding two vice provosts to serve in part-time roles—one focusing on faculty affairs and one on faculty diversity and development.
May 4, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
Paul Cohen, dean of the School of Computing and Information (SCI), has shared with me his decision to step down from that role to return to the faculty, effective July 1, 2020. Since arriving at the University in 2017 as that school's inaugural dean, Paul has worked in impressive ways to help shape an amazing school--the first new school at Pitt in 20 years.
April 14, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
I am delighted to announce that 2020-21 will be the Year of Engagement at the University of Pittsburgh. Engagement with each other—whether civic, community, or campus—allows us to create new possibilities for humanity, for fellowship, and for innovation and discovery. Engagement is fundamental to community building, to deepening the connections between us, and to critical self-discovery. A focus on engagement is ideal for a university setting because here we learn and teach about communities, while coming together to create new ones.
April 13, 2020
Dear Deans,
Let me start by expressing my appreciation for how you and your faculty and staff have handled the abrupt closure of campus. As you can imagine, every time someone accesses a building, we are expending significant resources—from coordination with Facilities Management and escorts by Pitt police to additional cleaning. Building access has been limited to those with a truly essential need related to teaching, critical research, or significant personal hardship.
