By SUSAN JONES
The Sept. 26 Board of Trustees meeting included Chancellor Joan Gabel’s annual report, which echoed many of the items she’d shared with Senate Council the week before, and an update from the Pitt Alumni Association.
Gabel’s annual report, which can be found on the chancellor's website, focused on goals in the 2028 Plan for Pitt. She said that all of the goals for 2024 finished on time, and “our 2025 initiatives are on pace to be completed before the end of the year.” These include developing student and staff awards, a new student housing plan and the updated Campus Master Plan.
On another front, Gabel said, “We are an undisputed research powerhouse,” with $1.25 billion in research expenditures in fiscal year 2025, “putting us in very rare company, ranking number 17 out of 900 institutions in the most recent HERD (Higher Education Research And Development survey) rankings.”
There were a record number of invention disclosures coming out of Pitt — 444, which is 50 more than the previous record. “And we are regularly ranked as one of the top 20 most innovative universities in terms of overall research startups and patents taken collectively.”
She highlighted some other statistics about the University:
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96% of Pitt students either find a job or enroll in grad school within six months after graduation.
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The four-year graduation rate is 76% and six-year is 86%, which Gabel said places Pitt in the top 12% for public universities ranked in U.S. News and World Report’s national university rankings.
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Pitt has seen a five-fold increase in national academy memberships, which is just one measure of faculty members’ recognition and success.
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The University was recognized as a great place to work in Forbes Best-In-State Employers list, and a recent workplace survey, found that “nearly 90% said they understand how their job contributes to the University mission.”
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Pitt contributes $6.6 billion annually to the state economy, Gabel said.
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The number of alumni donors has increased by 5%.
Other parts of Gabel’s report included updates on:
Town halls: Several thousand people have tuned in for each of the three town halls held this year by Pitt’s senior leadership. “A lot of constructive feedback, opportunity for consultation, opportunity to demystify some of the things that are happening and just answer questions from the Pitt community, which we were very happy to respond to, and will continue to do so,” she said.
NIL and athletics: Pitt Athletics has assumed the responsibilities of Alliance 412, effective Sept. 30. Alliance 412 has existed since 2022 as an independent LLC and the official name, image and likeness collective of Pitt Athletics. Gabel said it has attracted many new supporters and has played a big role in attracting top talent to the University. It’s an opportunity “to streamline the process for our partners who want to work with the department, either directly or with student athletes. So it’s a real win win,” she said.
After the report, John Verbanec, chair of the Board of Trustees, said that Gabel, along with Pitt staff, faculty and students — “all of whom have been going through a year of challenging and changing times and pressures in the area of higher ed” — have shown “a continued focus, commitment and achievement in the areas of the five pillars of the Plan for Pitt for 2028. You all kept your eye on the ball. You’ve delivered wonderfully, and we’re greatly appreciative”
Trustees honored
Verbanec started the meeting by noting several honors current and former board members have received.
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The inaugural Thomas E. Richards Distinguished Lecture Series at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center was held on Sept. 8. This event honors the legacy of Richards, who served as trustees chair from July 2020 to his death in October 2021, and celebrates innovation in cancer research and care.
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On Sept. 25, the University officially dedicated the Tansky Family Commons on the ground floor of Hillman Library. The Tansky family has a long history with Pitt, including a recent $750,000 donation to the University Library System. The gift was made in honor of former Trustee Burt Tansky (A&S ‘61), who died earlier this year, by his sister, Trustee Emeritus Eva Tansky Blum (A&S ‘70, LAW ‘73), along with the Tansky Family Foundation, which includes Burt’s wife, Rita Tansky. The new fund will provide support for student experiential learning, technology-rich spaces within the library and unique special collections.
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Trustee John Gismondi was recognized for celebrating his 40th year of teaching trial advocacy at the School of Law. “After earning two Pitt degrees, his early success in the courtroom prompted the School of Law to make him one of the youngest adjunct professors ever,” Verbanec said.
Alumni report
Bill Pierce, Pitt Alumni Association board president, gave a brief update on the group’s activities during the past year.
He said the association engaged 54,522 unique alumni during the 2024-25 fiscal year, and “this surpasses our Plan for Pitt goal by more than 6%.”
The group also saw growth in career platforms and mentorship programs. Pitt Commons now has nearly 23,000 users, with more than 3,000 new users this year alone. The alumni mentorship programs made 347 matches with students across eight distinct initiatives. Ask Pitt Alumni “facilitated more than 1,170 Q&As connecting students with alumni for real world advice, quickly, easily and meaningfully.”
Pierce said the annual Lantern Night, in its 105th year, “broke records again, with a remarkable 31% increase in student registration.”
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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