By SHANNON O. WELLS
Shannon Wanless grew up in Alexandria, Va., pursued her education and passion for teaching at schools in Ohio, Michigan and Oregon, and as a Fulbright scholar studied cultural influences in children’s social and emotional development in Taiwan.
Based on her professional interests and goals, however, it turned out that the Steel City — and its accompanying educational and cultural legacy — had her name on it.
“My work sits at the intersection of education and psychology, and has always been very applied in community settings,” says Wanless, executive director of the School of Education’s Office of Child Development. “I came to Pitt in 2011 because it was one of the few places in the country with an Applied Developmental Psychology program (in) a school of education.”
She cites the program’s “extraordinary” history with leaders in the “out-of-school time space,” including connections with lauded scholars like Dr. Benjamin Spock, Erik Erikson, and Margaret McFarland. The latter, Wanless noted, advised Pittsburgh icon Fred Rogers in developing pioneering children’s public broadcasting show, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
“I also met with the directors of (Pitt’s) Office of Child Development when I interviewed, and knew this was a university that valued community-engaged scholarship,” she explained. “I knew this was the perfect place for me.”
Following a national search, Wanless, was recently appointed director of the University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR), effective July 1.
In this role, Wanless, who will continue her appointment as tenured associate professor in the School of Education, will report to Provost Joe McCarthy and collaborate directly with Lina Dostillo, inaugural vice chancellor for external relations.
Wanless took a moment from wrapping up projects at the Office of Child Development to talk with University Times about her new role at UCSUR.
UTimes: What led you to pursue the leadership position for UCSUR? What aspects of your professional and personal background have prepared you for the role?
Wanless: I applied to be the director of UCSUR because I have learned a lot while leading the Office of Child Development about the incredible assets in our region and the significant struggles that many families are facing in our region.
For children and families to thrive, all of the systems in our region need to be supporting them. They need housing, a livable wage, access to social services, equitable health care, schools they trust and safe neighborhoods.
For some families in the region, those needs are being met, but for others they are not, and it is taking a toll on them and their children. It doesn’t need to be that way. Moving to UCSUR will give me a greater opportunity to support wide-scale systems-level work, and help advance the University’s community-engaged mission.
UTimes: What have you enjoyed about your experience in the Office of Child Development?
Wanless: Although I have not worked with UCSUR before, the Office of Child Development was previously part of UCSUR before moving to the School of Education.
Leading the Office of Child Development has been the highlight of my career. The office has 50 staff and students that are all deeply committed to support child and family thriving. They are brilliant, passionate and a joy to work with. When I look back over some of our accomplishments, I am so proud.
In the last seven years that I was director, some key milestones include:
-
Co-creating a new mission and vision with a lens of social justice and equity.
-
Hiring new leadership team members, promoting leaders internally, and creating two new associate director positions.
-
Continuing our Books for Change Book Drive which contributed more than 5,000 racially-affirming books throughout Allegheny County.
-
Expanding our initiatives throughout Pennsylvania in literacy, early childhood mental well-being, positive racial identity development, and continuous quality improvement.
-
Deepening our relationships on campus by serving on the Community Engagement Center advisory board, adding Pitt colleagues to our Advisory Board, inviting Pitt faculty to serve on panels for Student Fellows, and increasing our partnerships with people/units across campus.
-
Moving out of our Lexington Avenue space off-campus, to a largely remote office with some spaces in Posvar Hall and East Liberty.
-
Winning three “Partnership of Distinction” awards for HealthyCHILD, the 3Rs Initiative, and Partnerships for Family Support.
-
Building relationships with 10 schools on campus and countless community partners.
UTimes: What is keeping you occupied this summer? Are you involved in existing projects that relate to UCSUR’s mission?
Wanless: Once I start my role, I will learn more about projects (specific to UCSUR) and can give an update.
For me personally, I am on the leadership team of a statewide group called the Pennsylvania Alliance for Social, Emotional & Mental Wellbeing. This is a new group aiming to bring awareness of the importance of (social, emotional & mental wellbeing) to the state, and support the advancement of policies, practices and networks that can improve … programming and services.
My role is to lead a statewide group of higher education institutions and community leaders to do a statewide scan of assets and needs in social, emotional & mental wellbeing for pre K-12 schools. We are building our team this summer, designing our research plan, and then beginning to collect data in January 2026.
UTimes: Why is this an appropriate and exciting time for UCSUR to take on a more holistic role and partner with the Community Engagement Centers and the Office of Engagement and Community Affairs?
Wanless: The University has prioritized community engagement and developed infrastructure that has supported this mission. Not only are the Community Engagement Centers a tangible example, but they are a place where new partnerships and ideas are invited to flourish.
There has been an increase the number of faculty and staff that see community engagement as a valued scholarly aim. It is not uncommon for a faculty or staff member to come into my office and ask, “Do you know how I can use my skills to be part of a community-engaged effort?” There is a growing interest and aspiration to do research with the community, not on the community.
Community-engaged research requires skills and methods that may or may not have been part of the education that our faculty and staff received. Knowing how to listen, balance expertise with humility, and blend rigorous research methods with real-world circumstances is essential. I am excited for UCSUR to be a place where we can model these skills and bring them in our own projects, but also support faculty and staff who are interested in learning them.
There is so much incredible research happening at Pitt. By aligning these efforts with the goals of our region, we can unlock synergies that will make a positive impact on families and communities.
UTimes: What does community-engaged scholarship mean to you? What is its significance in UCSUR’s expanded mission and goals?
Wanless: Community-engaged scholarship is when researchers and community members are working together and sharing decision-making power as they seek answers to meaningful questions. Questions usually come from the experiences and hopes of community members, and the research findings can inform change that will benefit the region.
When we can match community organizations with researchers who have expertise in related issues, community-engaged scholarship can be mutually beneficial.
UCSUR’s expanded mission leverages the University’s commitment to community-engagement, our investment in Community Engagement Centers, and our Plan for Pitt pillars. Pitt has high-caliber researchers who are interested in serving our community. UCSUR can (help) facilitate that goal.
UTimes: What do you consider the more notable challenges facing the region/communities and in reshaping UCSUR’s mission?
Wanless: The region has many assets, and a notable challenge is to find and facilitate synergies among those assets to optimally serve the community. This means widening the table to include groups with varied perspectives and moving from a competitive mindset to a collective mindset.
We are all working toward a thriving community, even if our ideas about how to get there are sometimes different. The more we can work together, the more we can ensure that our goals are met — and that they are met for everyone.
UTimes: Does the change in federal priorities regarding support for higher education and research funding present a significant obstacle to fulfilling UCSUR’s role and goals?
Wanless: Of course, the changes in federal priorities will impact most parts of the University, including UCSUR, but that will not deter our focus on serving the region. Our community partners and regional agencies are feeling shifts in funding as well, and it is the right time for UCSUR to play a major role in harnessing Pitt’s efforts to partner with the region. UCSUR’s role as a home for community-engaged research at Pitt will allow Pitt to leverage our strengths and align them with areas where we can be most impactful.
Shannon O. Wells is a writer for the University Times. Reach him at shannonw@pitt.edu.
Have a story idea or news to share? Share it with the University Times.