Daren Ellerbee named inaugural director of Pitt’s new University Educational Outreach Center

Daren Ellerbee has been appointed as the inaugural director of the new University Educational Outreach Center, the Office of the Provost has announced.

The center is dedicated to creating equitable pathways for students to gain the potential to enroll at the University of Pittsburgh or other select colleges and universities. Ellerbee’sd team will manage and evaluate University-wide academic outreach programs, including the STEM-focused flagship program INVESTING NOW. It will also support discipline-focused programs and collaborate with University stakeholders on the development of future programs.

Ellerbee most recently served as the director of Pitt’s first Community Engagement Center in Homewood, where she used her extensive community-building and leadership experience to bridge valuable connections between the community and the University. She began her new role Jan. 18.

Ellerbee holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and rhetoric and Africana studies from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in communications and information systems from Robert Morris University. Currently, she is pursuing a doctorate in urban education in Pitt’s School of Education.