Pitt’s provost the man behind the University

‘ ‘ ‘ The provost has one of the most important jobs at Pitt, but many people don’t even know… ‘ ‘ ‘ The provost has one of the most important jobs at Pitt, but many people don’t even know he exists. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Provost James V. Maher not only has to guide academic and research goals, but also organize the resources needed to complete them. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Maher, a Yale graduate, joined Pitt’s faculty in 1970 as an associate professor in physics, and he has been with the University ever since. Maher served in multiple positions both as a nuclear physicist and a condensed matter physicist, and was appointed as provost in 1994. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Before he became provost, Maher spent some time as a visiting professor in the Netherlands, France, Norway, Denmark, Germany and Spain doing physics research. Although he said the lab staff usually spoke English for business, he learned some German in school and picked up French and Dutch from spending long periods of time in those countries. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Once I’m there for a couple of days I’m good by American standards, but still bad by European standards,’ he said about his language skills. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Maher said he still gets to travel as provost, but mostly to Pitt’s regional campuses, which report directly to him. In December he traveled to Brussels with the European Union Center to discuss education and science policy. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘One of the rare things about Provost Maher is the scope to transform from being a nuclear physicist to a condensed matter physicist and make contributions in both [fields],’ said Alec Stewart, a fellow condensed matter physicist and current dean of the University Honors College. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The No. 2 guy is always in the shadow,’ continued Stewart. ‘It’s kind of like being the defensive coach on the football team. He wins games but no one knows.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Stewart described the provost as a modest man more concerned with human achievement than personal advancement. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I think that’s the kind of person you need for a leader, someone who doesn’t run around complimenting himself all the time,’ said Stewart. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Kathy Humphrey, vice provost and dean of students, agreed that Maher’s priorities are making Pitt the best it can be academically and enhancing the student experience outside the classroom. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘He’s really concerned that we don’t become complacent in the strides that we’ve made,’ said Humphrey. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ As provost, Maher must ensure that each school meets certain educational goals it set for itself in previous years. Every March 1, each school gives the provost a five-year plan with goals and things it wants to change and one-year budget. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Every one of our schools has a plan to be as good as it can be,’ said Maher. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The schools also submit an updated report on which goals they have achieved and which they haven’t. Two months later, Maher meets with his senior staff to discuss the plans and the directions the schools have set for themselves. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Then, Maher begins to write long, detailed letters to the deans about their plans. He won’t send them until July, when budgets are finalized, but he said the process can take a long time. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The schools receive the letters at the start of the new fiscal year, and Maher said the timing of the letters, which give final approval for budgets and programs, help keep the schools on track. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It all comes together for the schools in July, and gets them started on the new fiscal year,’ said Maher. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Stewart said that he admired Maher’s intellectual creativity and ability to be flexible but also serious when the situation called for it. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘He knows how to keep the lights on but also manage faculty,’ said Stewart. ‘He’s very open. It’s fun to meet with him. If you get wound up tight about something, his door is always open to discuss it.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Stewart said he often wondered how he could spend so much time stressing about himself and UHC when Maher has the entire University to worry about. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I think we’re fortunate to have someone who knows the University who was willing to take on the responsibility [of provost],’ said Stewart. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Humphrey said that Maher expected his staff to solve their own problems, but he is always willing to listen and support them. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘If I’ve got a major issue that I just need to talk through, he’s a listener,’ said Humphrey. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Humphrey also said that she felt encouraged by administrators who want to continually improve their institutions. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘He’s a motivator,’ she said. ‘He’s got to be one of the most brilliant men I’ve ever worked for. He is so committed to making sure our students have the best education.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Maher said he works with each school to set up a system of self-assessment to gauge the success of things like new programs, classes and initiatives. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I’d say, in general, we’re not yet very good at evaluating the outcomes, but we’re certainly better than we were three years ago,’ he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Humphrey said that she has worked with many administrators at other institutions who forget about the students and who are more concerned with personal achievement, but that Maher isn’t one of them. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘He expects us to take the institution to another level,’ she said. ‘What we are able to do at Pitt is so far advanced because of Provost Maher’s style.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ For six years after he became provost, Maher kept his physics lab. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Eventually he had to give it up because he could only run it on Saturdays, and no students wanted to come in on weekends, he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘After years of sweating over getting my grants renewed, I had to resign them,’ said Maher. ‘I really do love teaching and I miss it.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Despite Maher’s busy schedule, he stays active in the community. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Humphrey said Maher brings his grandchildren to basketball games and that his wife can often be seen at community events. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘His wife is really a part of the community,’ said Humphrey. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Maher said his father came from Pittsburgh, but he grew up in New York City. He said that it was amazing watching his daughter and son grow up here, despite people saying how bad Pittsburgh was getting. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘You don’t know what bad is,’ he said in reference to New York. ‘This is heaven.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Maher now has six grandchildren; four live in Squirrel Hill with their mother and the other two live in Houston with his son. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ He said they try to see the grandchildren in Houston as often as possible and on breaks, but that they see the kids in Squirrel Hill all the time. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I’ve worked in labs all over the world,’ said Maher, ‘but Pittsburgh is home.’