Volume 58 |
ISSUE 4: October 3, 2025

Staff Matters: Meet this year’s Staff Council leadership volunteers

Friday, October 3, 2025

By SARAH McMULLEN

Staff Council members are appointed to committees throughout the campus, including the Board of Trustees committees and Senate Council committees. In addition, all Staff Council members are required to serve on one of the five standing committees of Staff Council. Although many committee meetings are confidential to the public, Staff Council members champion the interests of staff. 

These leadership volunteers bring their lived experiences, knowledge and expertise to their committee service — offering the staff perspective and insights on the impact of decisions on staff.

Feel free to reach out to Staff Council reps or contact us at sc@pitt.edu. We want to hear from you!

Thank you to all Staff Council leadership volunteers for dedicating their time on behalf of the University.

Committee members are listed below, along with the unit they work in at Pitt.

All committee positions are voluntary, and volunteers are not compensated for their service.

Staff Council Executive Committee 

President: Lindsay Rodzwicz, Swanson School of Engineering

Executive Vice President: Christine Jackson, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Parliamentarian: Caitlin McCullough, School of Public Health

Vice President of Finance: Suzanne Lynch, Center for Teaching and Learning

Vice President of Membership: Marcie Johnson Spratt, School of Public Health

Vice President of Public Relations: Sarah McMullen, University Communication and Marketing

President Emeritus: Andy Stephany, Office of Real Estate

Staff Council committee leadership

Standing Committees:

External Relations Committee: Chair, Becky Wagner, DLAR:Animal Husbandry; Vice Chair, Scott Szypulski, School of Public Health

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee: Chair, Zachary Davis, Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing; Vice Chair, Audrey Portis, Planning and Design Administration

Operations Committee: Chair, Stacey Adams, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences; Vice Chair, Jocelyn Runyon, School of Public Health

Staff Life Committee: Chair, Tristan Lucchetti, Health Sciences Library System, Vice Chairs, Kenny Doty, Pitt Digital, and Samantha Young, Pre-Health Resource Center

Staff Relations Committee: Chair, Kathryn Ferguson, School of Dental Medicine; Vice Chair, Barb Klipa, School of Medicine

Ad-hoc Committee:

Kennywood Committee: Kristen Felser, School of Dental Medicine; Scott Szypulski, School of Public Health

Board of Trustees committees 

  • Audit, Risk, and Compliance:  Ray Winstead, Pitt Digital

  • Wellbeing:  Zachary Davis, Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing 

  • Finance and Budget: Suzanne Lynch, Center for Teaching and Learning

  • Investment:  Andy Stephany, Office of Real Estate

  • Mission and Academic Experience:  Kelly Sanzari, Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement

  • Property and Facilities:  Pete Chambers, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

  • Research, Innovation, and Partnerships:  Dacia Mace, School of Medicine

University Senate committees 

Staff Council has one voting member and one non-voting member on each committee. The voting member is listed first.

  • Athletics & Recreation: Jesse Mullen, School of Business; Brandi McClain, Center for Military Medicine

  • Benefits and Welfare:  Lindsay Rodzwicz, Swanson School of Engineering; Tammeka Banks, School of Education

  • Budget Policies: Adriana Maguiña Ugarte, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences; Jocelyn Runyon, School of Public Health

  • Bylaws and Procedures: EJ Milarski-Veenis, School of Education  

  • Campus Utilization, Planning and Safety (CUPS):  Barb Klipa, School of Medicine; Jordan Hoover, Facilities Management

  • Community Relations:  Kelly Gilliam, Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement; Doris Dick, School of Medicine

  • Computing and Information Technology:  Kenny Doty, Pitt Digital; Tricia Connell, Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement

  • Educational Policies:  LaShanda Lemmon, Pitt Digital; Robin Leaf, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

  • Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Discrimination Advocacy:  Tricia Connell, Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement; Audrey Portis, Planning and Design Administration

  • Faculty Affairs:  Jessica Thomas, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences; Jocelyn Runyon, School of Public Health

  • Governmental Relations:  Debbie Whitfield, School of Dental Medicine; Matt Schmitt, School of Public Health

  • Library:  Andrew Lang, Planning and Design Administration; Brandi Belleau, Pitt Digital

  • Research:  Marissa Arlet, IACUC; Sarah Ondriezek, School of Medicine

  • Student Admissions, Aid, and Affairs:  Kathryn Ferguson, School of Dental Medicine; Nancy Briones, Financial Reporting

  • Tenure and Academic Freedom:  Monica Costlow, School of Public Health; Nancy Harter, School of Medicine

University committees 

  • Campus Master Plan Committee: Caitlin McCullough, School of Public Health

  • Cathedral of Learning 100th Anniversary Celebration Committee: Marcie Johnson Spratt, School of Public Health; Jody Federer, School of Business

  • Gift Advisory Committee: Sarah Ondriezek, School of Medicine

  • HR Advisory Committee: Lindsay Rodzwicz, Swanson School of Engineering  

  • Information Technology Advisory Committee (ITAC): Kenny Doty, Pitt Digital

  • Institutional Conflict of Interest Committee: Becky King, Pitt Digital

  • Medical Advisory Committee: Lindsay Rodzwicz, Swanson School of Engineering

  • Senate Council: Voting members: Lindsay Rodzwicz, Swanson School of Engineering; Caitlin McCullough, School of Public Health; non-voting, Sarah McMullen, University Communications and Marketing

  • University Planning and Budgeting Committee (UPBC): Voting: Lindsay Rodzwicz, Swanson School of Engineering; Christine Jackson, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences; Non-voting, Suzanne Lynch, Center for Teaching and Learning

  • University Safety Committee: Tristan Lucchetti, Health Sciences Library System

Staff Council serves as a center for input and dissemination of information, provides a means of communication between staff and other members of the Pitt community, and provides opportunities for professional development.

Staff Council has historically represented the interests of Pitt staff not covered under a collective bargaining agreement and continues to participate in shared governance on campus to advocate for the interests of staff members on issues not addressed by collective bargaining. Additionally, the council continues its mission to advocate for non-represented staff members. 

Stay informed with the Staff Council Newsletter: View past issues and subscribe

Stay connected:  

For more information about Staff Council, visit the Staff Council website.

Sarah McMullen is Staff Council’s vice president for public relations and director, Project Management Office, in University Communications and Marketing.