Not so fast: Nordenberg to remain at Pitt in new role

Chancellor Nordenberg may be stepping down from his role as chancellor, but he won’t be leaving Pitt any time soon.

Ken Service, vice chancellor for communications, said in a statement released June 16 that Nordenberg has been selected to be the chairman of the Institute of Politics, a new position within the institute. 

Service said in an email that University administrators chose Nordenberg for the position. 

“It was the consensus of current and future leadership at the University that having Chancellor Nordenberg serve in this capacity would be beneficial to the University and the community,” Service said.

Nordenberg, who will step down as chancellor after 19 years in the position on Aug. 1, will begin his role as chairman of the Institute of Politics on Jan. 1, 2015. 

According to the statement, the institute provides a neutral forum for public and private decision makers to study and discuss issues. The institute can then deliver information on the issues discussed to community leaders, elected leaders and the public.

The Institute of Politics, which is a component of the chancellor’s office, is made up of seven staff members and 58 members on the Board of Fellows, who provide the Institute with knowledge and guidance, according to the Institute’s official website. 

According to Service, Nordenberg hasn’t announced any specific projects he plans to pursue, but he intends to bring many of his interests to the institute, including community safety, economic development, education, the efficiency and effectiveness of the government, immigration, infrastructure, public health, transportation and workforce development. 

Stephen R. Tritch, chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees, announced Nordenberg’s appointment to the new position and praised him or his accomplishments.

“Mark Nordenberg set a new standard for the active engagement of a sitting University leader in meeting the shared and never-ending challenge of building an even stronger region,” Tritch said in the statement.

Tritch added that as the new chairman, Nordenberg “will be able to invest even more of his time in this important work, which will be good for Pitt, for our home communities and for the Commonwealth.”