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Provost Announcements

COVID-19 Update: Study Abroad and Spring Break Programs

March 3, 2020

Dear Deans, Presidents, Associate Deans, and Vice Presidents:

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread dynamically around the globe. On Sunday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance suggesting that higher education institutions in the United States consider cancelling upcoming international travel programs and asking students who are currently participating in study abroad programs to return to the United States.

COVID-19 Update: Instructional Continuity Preparations

March 2, 2020

Dear Deans, Presidents, Associate Deans, and Vice Presidents:

As you may be aware, the Centers for Disease Control has indicated that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is likely to become more prevalent in the United States and has the potential to impact daily life.  It is prudent to prepare for potential disruptions, and I am writing with some initial information regarding instructional continuity.

Nathan Urban Transition

March 2, 2020

Dear Colleagues:

Nathan Urban has served the Office of the Provost in far-reaching ways. It is with deep appreciation for all that Nathan, a proud Pitt alumnus, has brought to the University that I write to share that he has announced his decision to accept a truly outstanding opportunity at Lehigh University to serve as that institution’s Provost. He will transition to Lehigh during the summer months.

Laurie Kirsch Transition

February 3, 2020

Dear Colleagues:

For the past 27 years, Laurie J. Kirsch has provided exceptional and transformative service to the University of Pittsburgh.

Throughout her time at Pitt, Laurie has deeply engaged with its faculty—first as a faculty member herself in the Katz Graduate School of Business as Professor of Business Administration and then as senior associate dean for professional programs at Katz, where she supported faculty hiring, promotion, and tenure processes and oversaw all masters and executive programs.

The Center for Governance and Markets

October 10, 2019

Dear Colleagues,

Today we will be announcing the launch of a research center to examine how political institutions, markets, and technology impact human well-being in the United States and around the world. The Center for Governance and Markets will build upon the existing teaching and research of faculty members Jennifer Murtazashvili, Ilia Murtazashvili and Martin B.H. Weiss.

Pitt Momentum Funds

October 7, 2019

Dear Colleagues,

The Plan for Pitt calls for us to continue to seek out innovative ways to increase the impact of the excellent research happening across the University. This year, the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research have collaborated to find ways to both enhance and streamline internal funding opportunities while continuing to support high-quality research, scholarship, and creative endeavors.

Dr. Bruce Childers to serve as Special Assistant to the Provost for Data Science

September 13, 2019

Dear Colleagues,

Over the course of the last year, as I’ve established my priorities as Provost, the area of data science has emerged as one that is central the University’s forward progress. From scientific and mathematical discoveries through computation and pattern recognition, to the visualization and analysis of demographic and linguistic data, and the analysis of texts and images, the continuing expansion of digital data and our ability to store, retrieve, and analyze it is bringing about an epistemological revolution.

New Latinx Initiative

June 24, 2019

Dear Colleagues,

When I first came to the University as Provost nearly a year ago, I set diversity and inclusion as key priorities for our work ahead. 

It’s clear that demographics in Pittsburgh and in the United States as a whole are shifting—and it’s equally clear that it is critically important that the University of Pittsburgh community and our educational offerings reflect those changes.

I am pleased to announce a significant new initiative that will assist us as we move that agenda forward.