As the 19th chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, Joan Gabel oversees a community of more than 34,000 students and 16,000 faculty and staff members across five distinct campuses, all working to advance Pitt’s legacy of academic excellence, community service and research innovation.
During her tenure, the University has achieved record new student applications, graduation rates, postgraduation placement and research expenditures. Gabel also led the creation of the University’s first metrics-driven strategic plan, the Plan for Pitt 2028, which prioritizes the University’s values and impact. To ensure a Pitt education remains accessible and affordable, she launched the innovative Pitt Finish Line Grant to provide just-in-time financial support for students nearing graduation.
Since her arrival, Gabel became a founding member of College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, which has grown to represent 100 colleges and universities. She serves as chair of the Fulbright Scholar Advisory Board (CIES); as chair-elect of the board of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities; as academic vice-chair of the Council on Competitiveness; and on the boards of the American Council on Education and the Association of American Universities.
Gabel previously served as the president of the University of Minnesota (U of M) System and Twin Cities campus. Under her leadership, U of M developed its first comprehensive systemwide strategic plan, which resulted in record-setting graduation rates and annual research expenditures, as well as unmatched startups, patents and private giving, including the completion of a $4 billion capital campaign that exceeded its goal by 10%. Transformational partnerships, such as the NXT GEN MED program between the university, Mayo Clinic and Google, led to reimagined research and student opportunities.
Prior to joining U of M, she served as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of South Carolina and as dean of the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business at the University of Missouri. Gabel began her teaching career at Georgia State University, then joined Florida State University where she was the DeSantis Professor of Legal Studies; chair of the Department of Risk Management and Insurance, Real Estate and Legal Studies; and director of international relations within the College of Business. She is the recipient of numerous research, service and teaching awards, including recognition as a Fulbright scholar, elected membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and inclusion on the Pittsburgh Business Times’ Power 100 list of influential leaders. Gabel holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Haverford College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law.