A Message From Chancellor Gabel

Dear Pitt students, faculty and staff,

The University of Pittsburgh’s greatest asset is our people, and together, we are committed to cultivating and championing our talent and an inclusive and equitable campus community.

In this shared work, the vice chancellor for human resources position is critical to our success, providing leadership, administrative oversight and accountability for human resources strategies, programs and policies. The role is central to helping our employees maximize what is possible at Pitt, including continued progress on Compensation Modernization; commitment to employee retention, development and growth; cultivating a labor relations team that continues our tradition of positive and productive working relationships with all of our bargaining units; and sustaining enhancements to HR Shared Services, customer support, data analytics and technology.

After listening to your valuable feedback and discussing with Senior Vice Chancellor for Business and Operations David N. DeJong, I am writing to announce that the vice chancellor for human resources position will report directly to me. This infrastructure update will ensure I have a direct line to both employee feedback and HR initiatives that are championing positive change. The transition will be effective Jan. 2, 2024.

Vice Chancellor for Human Resources James W. Gallaher Jr. will remain connected to the Business and Operations (B&O) senior leadership team to maintain the positive synergies established under Dave DeJong’s leadership. Additionally, B&O will have a permanent role in the strategic direction of HR through the recently established Human Resources Advisory Committee.

I am excited to directly oversee this unit, working closely with James Gallaher and the entire HR team in providing foundational support to employees across all campuses.

If you have any questions regarding this transition, please contact the Office of Human Resources.

With warm regards,

Joan Gabel
Chancellor