Kathleen Blee is stepping down as dean of the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

Kathleen Blee has announced that she will step down from her role as the Bettye J. and Ralph E. Bailey Dean of the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, returning to the faculty effective June 30, 2023.

“Kathy’s accomplishments are far-reaching, indeed,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Ann E. Cudd in a letter announcing the move. “The University of Pittsburgh has benefitted greatly from her vision and dedication — and will continue to do so after the conclusion of her deanship.”

Blee was appointed the dean of the Dietrich School in 2017 and in the following five years led a successful fundraising campaign as well as widespread efforts to advance diversity and inclusion in the school.

Along with her role as dean, Blee is a distinguished professor in the Department of Sociology, with appointments in the Department of History, the Department of Psychology and the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program.

A leading authority on white supremacy, Blee has spent close to 40 years studying hate movements in the United States, having published seven books and more than 100 journal articles and book chapters and won numerous awards for her research and writing on the topic.

Blee also serves as co-director of the Collaboratory Against Hate, a center launched in 2021 to study and prevent hate and violence against marginalized groups.

Notably, Blee has earned all three of the major teaching and research awards given by Pitt: the Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award, the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award and the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring.

A search committee will be formed in the following months to identify Blee’s successor.       

— Patrick Monahan