August 11, 2026
Dear Colleagues,
The first pillar of the Plan for Pitt calls on us to ensure that every student who comes to our University thrives — academically, personally, and professionally. Over the years, Pitt has built tremendous strength in nearly every area that supports this commitment: a world-renowned faculty, a nationally recognized academic student success infrastructure, and a student affairs division deeply attuned to the non-academic dimensions of student life.
Our next challenge is not strengthening any one of these areas in isolation but instead ensuring they work together seamlessly so that a student's academic experience and their broader experience at Pitt reinforce one another rather than run on parallel tracks.
Today, I am pleased to announce three leadership appointments—effective August 15, 2026--that reflect investment in both student success and in our long-term financial sustainability:
April Belback: Vice Provost for Student Success
I have appointed April Belback as Vice Provost for Student Success.
Since joining the Office of the Provost in 2019 and with her appointment as Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Advising in 2023, April has strengthened the academic infrastructure at the heart of Pitt's student success efforts, including advising, retention, and academic support. The results speak for themselves.
Most recently, April received the Leadership Award from the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU) in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to advancing undergraduate education at research universities. Her work has significantly improved student satisfaction with advising while contributing to retention and graduation rates that continue to reach record levels.
April's promotion recognizes both her outstanding record of achievement and the central role her portfolio plays in our student success efforts. It also positions her work to have an even greater impact across all of our campuses and—in collaboration with Graduate Studies—on the success of our graduate and professional students.
Enku Gelaye: Senior Vice Provost for Student Experience Strategy
I have appointed Enku Gelaye as Senior Vice Provost for Student Experience Strategy.
As our strengths in academic affairs and student affairs have grown, so has the need for dedicated leadership focused on connecting these complementary aspects of the student experience. Ensuring that Pitt's academic success and student experience initiatives are fully integrated, mutually reinforcing, and assessed as a unified whole has never been more important.
While a newcomer to Pitt, Enku has led this work before. As Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life at Emory University, she created the institution's first integrated student success and experience framework, aligning strategy, budgets, and outcomes across academics, engagement, and well-being. Earlier, as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life at UMass Amherst, she helped lead a similar integration between academic affairs and student support during a period in which the university rose from approximately #99 to #64 in U.S. News & World Report's national rankings.
Most recently, Enku has worked with senior leaders across the Five College Consortium in Amherst, Massachusetts, to advance AI-driven innovation in teaching, advising, and student support—work that speaks directly to where student success is headed next.
At Pitt, Enku will develop a shared strategic vision that integrates the expertise of our student success and student affairs teams, building the frameworks that allow us to better understand—and support—the whole student.
Don Elliott: Senior Vice Provost for Budget and Institutional Effectiveness
I have promoted Don Elliott to Senior Vice Provost for Budget and Institutional Effectiveness.
Higher education is navigating significant fiscal headwinds, and the institutions that will thrive are those that modernize how they plan, budget, and evaluate their effectiveness.
Since joining Pitt in 2024, Don has made an immediate impact by strengthening our strategic budget planning and advancing data-informed decision-making. In this expanded role, he will lead the modernization of our academic budgeting and operational practices, helping to ensure that Pitt is well positioned to meet the fiscal challenges facing higher education with discipline, agility, and strength.
Together, these three appointments reflect one continuous commitment: That the strength we have built—academically, experientially, and operationally—works as one cohesive whole in service of our students and our University.
Please join me in congratulating April and Don on their well-deserved promotions and in warmly welcoming Enku to Pitt.
Regards,
Joseph J. McCarthy
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor
William Kepler Whiteford Professor
University of Pittsburgh