Lucy S. Russell

Key Areas

Policy • academic affairs • procedure • strategic fundraising • policy development • policy revision

Vice Provost and Chief of Staff Role

As Vice Provost and Chief of Staff in the Office of the Provost, Lucy Sankey Russell advises Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Ann E. Cudd on matters of policy, academic affairs, procedural issues, and strategic fundraising initiatives.

Professional Biography

Lucy Russell joined the University of Pittsburgh in 2018. Her experience includes more than a dozen years in higher education administration at the levels of provosts’ and deans’ offices. Before coming to Pitt, she served as Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives at Boston University, where she was responsible for providing strategic support in the form of planning, communications, policy development, and research. Russell’s work has encompassed undergraduate research and experiential learning, academic support services, retention and undergraduate initiatives, STEM outreach, faculty diversity initiatives, and a wide variety of high-impact student programs. At the University of Kansas, Russell served as Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies, with oversight of the Academic Achievement and Access Center and the career and writing centers. As Director of the Center for Undergraduate Excellence at the University of Virginia, Russell directed undergraduate research programs and was responsible for national fellowship advising. Before entering academia, Russell worked as an attorney and consulting regulations writer for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.