David Brown is Pitt’s new vice chancellor for government relations and advocacy

David Brown will lead the University of Pittsburgh Office of Government Relations and Advocacy as its new vice chancellor, responsible for engaging lawmakers and advocating for Pitt’s policy priorities at all levels of government. Brown will assume the role on May 9.

Brown comes to Pitt from the University of Southern California (USC), where he most recently served as the university’s vice president of federal relations and prior to that as the interim senior vice president of university relations, managing a staff of more than 200 in support of USC’s advocacy efforts.

“David’s background checks every box,” said Kevin Washo, chief of staff for Chancellor Patrick Gallagher. “He has expertly navigated the complex fields of higher education, medicine and all levels of government, and he is well-positioned to usher in a new era of government affairs and advocacy at the University of Pittsburgh.”

Brown brings more than two decades of experience in higher education government relations as well as an additional decade in health care policy. At Pitt, his role will include advocating for issues like access and affordability for Pennsylvania students and for policies that will enable and enhance Pitt research.

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“It’s a privilege to represent the exceptional faculty, staff and students of a world-class academic and research university like Pitt,” Brown said. “I’m looking forward to cultivating relationships with elected officials in Pittsburgh, including the mayor’s office, in Harrisburg and in Washington to continue Pitt’s legacy of research success and provide opportunities for Pennsylvania students and families.”

Brown also emphasized his commitment to collaborating with other Pitt offices to engage with Pittsburgh and other Pennsylvania communities as part of his role. “One of the things that’s really important to me is working in concert with community relations,” he said. “They’re so closely integrated with the work we do in government relations.”

In addition to his leadership positions at USC, Brown has years of experience working with leading research universities, including an 11-year tenure advocating for the University of California health system on issues related to health professions, training and biomedical research.

Brown received his master’s degree in health administration from Virginia Commonwealth University and his bachelor’s from the University of Virginia. In his new role as vice chancellor, Brown succeeds Paul Supowitz, who will become special assistant for strategic initiatives in the Office of the Chancellor. Supowitz joined Pitt in 1997 and has held leadership roles in government relations since 2002.

“Paul has done exceptional work representing the University for the past two decades,” Brown said. “I’m excited to work with the great team he’s put together and build on those efforts.”

— Patrick Monahan