By SUSAN JONES
Pitt’s annual IRS 990 form filing for 2019-20 shows steep increases in salaries for football coach Pat Narduzzi and men’s basketball coach Jeff Capel and a more than $100 million decrease in the endowment.
The endowment started the fiscal year — which included the first four months of the pandemic — at $4.34 billion and ended at $4.2 billion. Contributions were at $30.4 million, the lowest in more than a decade.
The biggest hit to the endowment was in investments, which lost $1.5 million. The previous year the investments had a net gain of $204.8 million.
Highest-paid employees
Once again, the head football and men’s basketball coaches top the list of highest-paid people at Pitt.
The 990 list of top-paid employees (with base pay and total compensation, which includes retirement, bonuses and nontaxable items, such as health care) for fiscal year 2019-20 includes:
Pat Narduzzi, football coach: $3.47 million / $4.82 million (up from $2.95 million / $4.07 million the previous year)
Jeff Capel, men’s basketball coach: $3.43 million / $3.53 million (up from $2.58 million / $2.66 million during his first full year at Pitt in 2018-19)
David Thaw, associate professor of law: $118,766 / $2.08 million (includes $1.96 million in severance, according to the 990 form. Pitt had no comment about the circumstances behind this payment.)
Patrick Gallagher, chancellor: $549,994 / $1.29 million (includes $500,000 in deferred payments he received after five years at the University)
Arthur Levine, former SVC for Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine (who served in that role until June 2020): $887,908 / $1.04 million
Shawn Watson, former football offensive coordinator, who was fired in January 2019: $7,055 / $1 million (includes $954,282 in severance pay)
Greg Schuler, chief investment officer: $494,337 / $950,513 (includes $400,214 in bonuses)
Heather Lyke, athletic director: $714,752 / $805,125
Mark Nordenberg, former chancellor and chair of the Institute of Politics: $462,884 / $575,841
Ann Cudd, provost and SVC: $462,164 / $546,999
Patricia Beeson, former provost (who served in that role until August 2018 and then returned to teaching economics): $433,637 / $510,667
Kathy Humphrey, SVC for engagement and secretary to the board of trustees: $412,057 / $485,826
Geovette Washington, SVC and chief legal officer: $417,380 / $475,384
Rob Rutenbar, SVC for research: $413,270 / $463,694
Paul Lawrence, treasurer: $382,619 / $457,903
Hari Sastry, SVC and chief financial officer: $385,866 / $439,913
Amy Marsh, treasurer (through March 2018): $133,230 / $427,433 (includes $270,380 from term life insurance)
Greg Scott, SVC for business & operations (who took extended leave starting May 2020 and left Pitt in July): $344,369 / $417,279
Herbert Shear, trustee: $183,661 / $183,661
Jean Ferketish, former secretary Board of Trustees and associate professor School of Education and GSPIA: $129,154 / $158,850
Right-to-know disclosure to the state
The state also requires Pitt to disclose the 25 highest-paid non-officers at the University. The list includes some of those from the previous list, including Narduzzi, Capel, Lyke, Nordenberg, Watson and Thaw. The base salary for the other top-paid employees were (asterisks indicate those who are new to the list):
*Dietrich Stephan, McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine: $700,000
Michael Becich, chairman and professor, Department of Biomedical Informatics, and associate director of the Cancer Institute and Clinical and Translational Science Institute: $666,875
*Lance White, women’s basketball coach: $612,000
Bernard Costello, dean of the School of Dental Medicine: $607,500
Kristin Davitt, senior vice chancellor for Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement: $607,500
A. Everette James, interim dean of the Graduate School of Public Health from July 2019 to January 2021 and director, Health Policy Institute: $603,365
Randy Bates, defensive coordinator, Pitt football: $547,917
Steven E. Reis, associate vice chancellor for clinical research and director, Clinical and Translational Science Institute: $537,500
Peter Strick, chair, Neurobiology: $520,000
Jonathan Silverstein, chief research informatics officer, Health Sciences and Institute for Precision Medicine: $511,471
Angela Gronenborn, professor and chair, Department of Structural Biology: $507,500
Mark Jay Shlomchik, chair, Department of Immunology: $497,500
Suzie McConnell-Serio, former women’s basketball coach, who was fired in March 2018: $490,460
David Denis, senior chair and professor of Business Administration: $488,750
*Mark Whipple, Pitt football offensive coordinator: $476,450
Peter Wipf, professor of Chemistry: $470,366
Bruce A. Freeman, chair of Pharmacology and Molecular Biology: $470,000
Lise Vesterlund, professor of Economics: $466,725
Arjang A. Assad, dean, Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business of Administration: $462,015
Other information from the report
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Food service provider Sodexo remained Pitt’s highest-paid independent contractor at $38 million. For the 2020-21 fiscal year, Pitt Dining switched from Sodexo to British-based Compass Group.
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The next three top-paid contractors were all Western Pennsylvania construction companies — Mascaro Construction at $18.7 million, PJ Dick Construction at $13.4 million and Turner Construction at $9.9 million.
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Institutional aid was given to 18,533 students, totaling $228.6 million. Another 2,312 students received tuition remission under Pitt’s educational benefits for employees, at a cost of $29 million, and 110 children of Pitt employees attending other universities received $2 million in tuition remission.
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Expenses for legal work were $9.75 million.
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Pitt’s biggest research subcontract was once again with Carnegie Mellon University for $7.5 million.
Family connections
The IRS requires institutions to report financial information on employees who are related to senior officers, trustees or highest-paid employees.
Receiving compensation from Pitt in 2019-20 were:
Neal Becker, senior lecturer in Economics, family member of Provost Ann Cudd: $136,139
Anita P. Courcoulas, professor of Surgery, family member of Trustee Ira J. Gumberg: $242,900
Will Entrekin, writer, Office of University Communications & Marketing, family member of Trustee Eva Tansky Blum: $68,714
Sean Gallagher, family member of Chancellor Patrick Gallagher: $74,680
John Grefenstette, professor in Graduate School of Public Health, family member of Trustee Edward J. Grefenstette: $33,994
David Hickton, law professor, family member of Trustee Dawne Hickton: $300,172
Michael Nordenberg, Human Resources, family member of Mark A. Nordenberg, former chancellor: $61,592
John C. Pelusi, assistant athletic director, family member of Trustee John H. Pelusi: $93,781
Jason Richards, director of student-athlete development for Pitt Athletics, family member of Board of Trustees Chair Thomas E. Richards: $109,578
Elizabeth Scott, family member of then-SVC for Business and Operations Greg Scott: $15,667
Norman Wolmark, professor of Surgery, family member of Trustee Eva Tansky Blum: $173,845
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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