Amanda Godley, a professor in the School of Education, has been named vice provost for Graduate Studies, effective July 1. 

She replaces Nathan Urban, who announced in March that he was leaving Pitt to become provost at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., as of July 1.

Godley was chosen through an internal search lead by Joseph McCarthy, vice provost for Undergraduate Studies. She has been at Pitt for 18 years and has led various professional development, recruitment, mentoring and diversity programs both within and outside Pitt.

She serves as a professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Leading in the School of Education with secondary appointments in the Department of Linguistics and the Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Program. She is also a faculty fellow in the Center for Urban Education and the Honors College, and a center associate at the Learning Research and Development Center.

In early June, she kicked off the Institute for Learning’s Leaders Forum with a very timely talk about what teachers have learned during this period of forced online instruction and how that plays into equity issues.

Godley has been associate chair of the Department of Instruction and Learning, and chair of the School of Education Promotion and Tenure, Academic Affairs, and Ph.D. committees. She also was one of the designers of the School of Education’s first online master’s program in English Education

“I have been deeply impressed by Amanda’s firm belief that the strength and development of our faculty and our students is integral to the strength and development of the University as a whole,” Provost Ann Cudd said in an announcement to faculty. “Her collaborations with academic units across Pitt in faculty and student development, mentoring and diversity have greatly enhanced cross-campus networking and sharing of ideas.”

Godley’s research is focused on improving instructional quality and equity at the college and high school levels. She pursues three strands of research: dialect diversity and inclusion in the classroom, high-quality classroom discussions, and peer review and revision of writing.

This year, she was part of a university-community partnership that was honored with a Partnership of Distinction Award from the senior vice chancellor for Engagement for educational enrichment for refugee and immigrant communities.

Godley has a master’s and Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, both in Language, Literacy and Culture. She also has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago in Classics and Great Books.

She is the third vice provost named this month. Lu-in Wang, a professor in the School of Law, and John Wallace, a professor in the School of Social Work, are replacing Laurie Kirsch as vice provost for Faculty Affairs and vice provost for Faculty Diversity and Development, respectively.