Pitt’s search for its next chancellor begins

Board of Trustees Chair Doug Browning (A&S ’72) today appointed the search committee and the search firm that will partner to name the next chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh.

The 26-person committee represents the voices of Pitt trustees, students, faculty, staff and alumni. Eva Tansky Blum, former Board of Trustees chair, will lead the search committee. Blum also chaired the search for Chancellor Patrick Gallagher in 2013. Anantha Shekhar, senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and John and Gertrude Petersen Dean of the School of Medicine, will serve as vice chair.  

“The members of this committee bring a high level of diversity in experience, knowledge and thought leadership to the search process,” said Browning. “I fully trust in Eva, Anantha and the group to recruit outstanding candidates for the board’s consideration.”

The firm Storbeck Search has been selected to partner with the search committee in this process. Known for their strong relationships in the education sector, Storbeck Search also supported the 2013 search for Chancellor Gallagher. In 2020, the firm became a Diversified Search Group company with the purpose of promoting increased diversity across the leadership pipeline.

How you can participate

The University community is encouraged to provide input to inform the profile for the 19th chancellor through surveys and forums. Everyone is invited to share feedback by completing an online survey which will remain open until Oct. 14. In addition, forums will be hosted on the Pittsburgh campus and virtual forums will be held as well. The first two in-person forums will be held on Oct. 3 and Oct. 7.

More details regarding the forums, including locations and how to participate, will be shared on the University’s official social media channels and at pi.tt/chancellor-search.

After receiving the University community’s input, the committee’s work will be less public-facing and more confidential, especially as it relates to the candidates in consideration.

Blum said, “While the process is very public-facing initially, confidentially is critical as we recruit candidates and move through the interview process. The committee will work diligently to recruit the best candidates.”

Browning said the goals of the committee and this in-depth process are to be thorough, but also to move swiftly to enable the board to name a new chancellor in spring 2023.

For the latest updates regarding the search for the 19th chancellor, visit pi.tt/chancellor-search.

Committee leadership

Chair: Eva Tansky Blum (A&S ’70, LAW ’73), trustee

Vice Chair: Anantha Shekhar, senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and John and Gertrude Petersen Dean of the School of Medicine

Committee members

• SaLisa Berrien (ENGR ’91), trustee
• Timothy Billiar, executive vice president and chief scientific officer at UPMC and George Vance Foster Professor and Chair in the Department of Surgery
• Kenyon Bonner, vice provost for student affairs
• Bruce Childers, dean of the School of Computing and Information
• Vaughn Clagette (A&S ’89), trustee
• James Covert (A&S ’91), trustee
• Lawrence Feick, interim associate dean of the College of Business Administration and professor in the Katz Graduate School of Business
• Danielle Floyd, president of the Student Government Board
• Nicola Foote, dean of the David C. Frederick Honors College
• Sarah Gaffen, Gerald P. Rodnan Professor in the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology
• John Gismondi (A&S ’75), trustee
• Jeffrey Guterman, professor and division chair of communication and the arts at Pitt-Bradford
• Patricia Horoho (NURS ’92), trustee
• Christine Jackson, executive director of personnel and operations in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
• Larry Merlo (PHARM ’78), trustee
• Debora Miller, vice dean of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
• Varbi Mridha, vice president for finance for the Graduate and Professional Student Government
• Valerie Njie (EDUC ’71), trustee
• Lara Putnam, professor in the Department of History
• Bryan Salesky (ENGR ’02), trustee
• Hari Sastry, senior vice chancellor and chief financial officer
• Amy Seybert, dean of the School of Pharmacy
• Jem Spectar, president of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
• Peter Varischetti (CGS ’92), trustee

Staff to the committee

Geovette Washington, senior vice chancellor and chief legal officer

Stacey Czerniejewski, executive assistant