Noteworthy names of the numerous and needed notables at Pitt
May 10, 2006
Mark Nordenberg
Chancellor
107 Cathedral of Learning
(412) 624-4200
On June 20, 1996,… Mark Nordenberg
Chancellor
107 Cathedral of Learning
(412) 624-4200
On June 20, 1996, Pitt’s Board of Trustees elected Mark Nordenberg to be the 17th chancellor and chief executive officer of the University by a unanimous vote. During the preceding academic year, he served as interim chancellor.
Nordenberg joined Pitt’s law faculty in 1977, was awarded tenure in 1980 and eventually became a full professor in 1983. In 1985, he was named interim dean of the Law School and was officially given the position two years later.
In 1984, Nordenberg became the first recipient of the Excellence in Training Award, an honor now bestowed annually by Pitt’s Student Bar Association. Nordenberg was also awarded the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 1985, which recognizes teaching excellence University-wide.
As chancellor, Nordenberg oversees all University policies and coordinates major fund-raising initiatives.
James Maher
Provost
801 Cathedral of Learning
(412) 624-4223
After receiving a doctorate in physics from Yale in 1969, James Maher became a post-doctoral research associate at the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois before coming to Pitt in 1970. Maher became provost in 1994.
As chief academic officer, Maher oversees all degree and certificate programs at the University, and his office is in charge of the review process for awarding tenure to professors. Also, all of the deans report to him.
Kathy Humphrey
Vice Provost and Dean of Students
801 Cathedral of Learning
(412) 624-4221
Kathy Humprey comes to Pitt from Saint Louis University in Missouri, where she served as vice president for student development for almost five years. She has a doctorate in higher education administration and is the author of the book “Let Your Leadership Speak: How to Hear and be Heard.”
According to the University’s Web site, Humphrey oversees departments such as the Office of Student Life, Residence Life, University Counseling Center, Student Health Service, University Judicial Affairs System, Career Services, Disability Resources and Services and the Office of International Services.
Her primary responsibility is to oversee undergraduate programs. She ensures that students are satisfied with their undergraduate experience.
John Cooper
Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
917 Cathedral of Learning
(412) 624-6090
After attending Balliol College, Oxford, from 1969 to 1976, and leaving with a bachelor of arts in philosophy and a doctoral degree in chemistry, John Cooper was a professor of chemistry and natural sciences at Harvard. He came to Pitt in 1986.
In 1989, Cooper became chair of the Pitt’s department of chemistry and in 1998 he was named dean of the faculty of the School of Arts and Sciences. He is responsible for maintaining affordable excellence at the undergraduate level. At the faculty level, he strives to maintain scholarly excellence.
Betsy Porter
Director of Admissions and Financial Aid
120 Alumni Hall
(412) 624-7164
Having joined the University of Pittsburgh staff in 1978, Betsy Porter is now the director of the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.
Students interested in attending Pitt and their parents visit OAFA to receive academic information on undergraduate programs available and take campus tours given by Pitt Pathfinders. Students already enrolled visit to receive financial counseling.
Shawn Brooks
Residence Life Director
203 Bruce Hall
(412) 648-1154
Shawn Brooks became interim Residence Life Director last year, replacing Deborah Furka. According to Residence Life’s Web site, the University organization “exists to provide a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable student-centered learning environment that supports the academic mission of the University, encourages student growth by supporting and challenging residents’ exploration of personal development, and promotes civic responsibility and an appreciation for diversity.”
Whether it concerns a Resident Advisor, or one of the many residence halls, Shawn Brooks said in a letter on the Web site that “having fun, and living and interacting with a diverse group of others in an environment that is created to enhance your academic success is what you can expect from your residential experience.”
Tim Delaney
Chief of Pitt Police
G1N30 Posvar Hall
(412) 624-4216
Tim Delaney, who attended Pitt in the 1970s, is a second-generation police officer at Pitt. He is in charge of overseeing the daily operations and administration of Pitt’s police department.
Jeff Long
Director of Athletics
3115 Petersen Events Center
(412) 648-1980
After five months with no athletic director at Pitt, Chancellor Nordenberg appointed Jeff Long to the position on May 16, 2003. As athletic director, Long oversees all activity in the athletic department.
Before coming to Pitt, Long spent two years with the Sooners program as the senior associate athletic director at Oklahoma University. He has more than 20 years of experience with collegiate athletics.
Kenyon Bonner
Director of Student Life
130 William Pitt Union
(412) 648-1196
Last year Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies and Dean of Students Jack Daniel selected Kenyon Bonner to replace Birney Harrigan as the director of student life. Bonner, who earned his bachelor’s degree from Washington and Jefferson College and a master’s from Kent State University, said that he looked forward to leading and learning from the student body.
As director of student life, Bonner oversees many undergraduate programs at Pitt.
Robert Hill
Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs
433 Craig Hall
(412) 624-8891
If you hear or read a statement about the University’s policy on anything, chances are it came through Robert Hill.
Hill joined Pitt’s public affairs staff in October 1999, and was promoted to the newly created vice chancellor position in December 2001. Since then, he has continued to be the main voice of the chancellor and the University to the outside world.