April 26, 2023
Dear Colleagues,
As you know, after serving as Bettye J. and Ralph E. Bailey Dean of the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and the College of General Studies since 2017, Kathleen Blee announced this past June her intention to return to the faculty. We subsequently conducted a national search to identify her successor.
Today, I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Adam Leibovich has been named the new Bettye J. and Ralph E. Bailey Dean of the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and College of General Studies, effective July 1, 2023.
Many of you likely already know Adam, as he currently serves as Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development in the Dietrich School, as Director of the Pittsburgh Quantum Institute, and as a Professor of Physics. With a background that includes research, teaching, and time spent as an administrative leader here at Pitt, Adam brings to this role a great deal of ingrained institutional knowledge. He also has shared with me and the search committee his commitment to collaboration and fostering connections, in addition to his dedication to University service, and focus on innovation.
Adam came to Pitt 20 years ago as an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, advancing over the years to associate professor and professor. He has also previously served as Director of Graduate Studies, Physics and Astronomy; Associate Chair of Physics and Astronomy; Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy; and Associate Dean of Faculty Recruitment and Research Development for the Dietrich School.
Through the years, he has advanced initiatives that express his enthusiasm for improving education, faculty excellence and opportunity, and funding and enhancements for research. In his administrative roles, he has collaborated with faculty and staff on research and scholarship initiatives; diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; and education initiatives, as well as on COVID-19 crisis management efforts.
Prior to arriving at Pitt, Adam was a postdoctoral research fellow at Carnegie Mellon University and then at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). While with Fermilab, he was also a visiting postdoctoral fellow at MIT and a visiting postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon.
Adam has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Tina and David Bellet Teaching Excellence Award from the Dietrich School, an NSF CAREER Award, and a Cottrell Scholar Award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and was named an Honors College Faculty Fellow here at Pitt. He has chaired or served on numerous internal and external committees and published extensively on topics related to his research related to theoretical particle physics as well as on STEM education and teaching effectiveness. He has also received continuous National Science Foundation funding since 2003, the year he started at Pitt.
Adam holds a PhD in theoretical physics from the California Institute of Technology and a BA in physics from Cornell University.
Adam’s wide-ranging experience here at Pitt and within the Dietrich School specifically, as well as his passion for pursuing excellence for faculty, students, and staff, and strong vision for the future, make him an excellent fit for this role.
I deeply appreciate the diligent work of the search committee—chaired by Vice Provost Joseph J. McCarthy. This search was truly comprehensive, and I am grateful for everyone’s outstanding efforts.
Please join me in congratulating Adam on his appointment.
Best,
Ann
Ann E. Cudd
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor
Professor of Philosophy
University of Pittsburgh