Announcing the Appointment of the New Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies

June 27, 2024

Dear Colleagues, 

I am extremely pleased to share the news that Adam J. Lee, currently serving as Executive Associate Dean in the School of Computing and Information (SCI), has accepted my offer to become the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies in the Office of the Provost (OTP). His transition from SCI to the OTP will be phased, with full-time appointment effective September 1, 2024.

Reporting to me, Adam will work with colleagues in the Office of the Provost and throughout the University to advance the goals of Pitt's strategic plan, with a particular focus on the strategies for advancing educational excellence. He will also oversee compliance with University policies, state and federal regulations, and accreditation standards as they apply to undergraduate education; support deans, directors, and campus presidents in their roles by facilitating their interactions with the OTP; and serve as part of the academic leadership of the University. Adam's work in his role at SCI has uniquely prepared him for this new assignment and I look forward to the many contributions I know he will make in the time ahead.

Adam joined the Department of Computer Science in the fall of 2008. An accomplished researcher and educator, his research interests lie at the intersection of the computer security, privacy, and distributed systems fields. He is particularly interested in the design and analysis of systems that can be used to facilitate secure interactions across multiple security domains while still preserving each individual's privacy and autonomy. His work also investigates individuals' perceptions of privacy in the context of IoT and sensor-based systems, and the design of sensing systems that balance functionality and the privacy needs of users. Adam's research has been supported by the NSF and DARPA, and he is an NSF CAREER award recipient

Adam holds an MS and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a BS in Computer Science from Cornell University.

I appreciate the thorough and thoughtful work of the search committee—​Amanda Godley, Vice Provost for Graduate Studies; Kellie Kane, Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment; Lu-in Wang, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs; Belkys Torres, Associate Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence in Education; and Jay Darr, Associate Dean for Student Wellness.

I know that you will join me in warmly congratulating Adam. I also want to particularly thank Amanda Godley for generously and expertly serving as Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies over the course of the last year. 

Regards,

Joe

Joseph J. McCarthy
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor  
William Kepler Whiteford Professor of Chemical Engineering
University of Pittsburgh