Dear Pitt students, faculty and staff,
I hope that this message finds you enjoying the tail end of summer. As I write, students are arriving, and we are feeling the vibrant energy that a new academic year brings.
In a few days, members of one of the largest and most talented undergraduate first-year and transfer classes in our history will begin their studies at Pitt. It’s a class composed of resourceful and resilient students who have navigated a lot in their journey to join the blue and gold. My sincere appreciation to Vice Provost Marc Harding and his team for their hard work to allow us to greet this amazing incoming undergraduate class, which was chosen from a record-breaking 61,000 applicants.
Also adding to our energy and momentum is the entering fall class of Pitt graduate and professional students. With the number of applications increasing 7.5% this year, the class is filled with high achievers and includes the largest group of incoming doctoral students in the K. Leroy Irvis Fellowship’s history.
As the fall sports season gets underway, we encourage you to support our incredible student-athletes in person as they compete at home here in Pittsburgh or on the road. This is coming off a summer when several members of our Pitt community participated in and supported the Paris Olympics. We also welcomed Dr. Dwayne Pinkney back to his alma mater as our executive senior vice chancellor for administration and finance and chief financial officer.
The fall semester energy also includes a national election in November, a moment when we will embrace our most fundamental rights, from the right to vote to our First Amendment-protected freedom of speech. As a founding member of College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, Pitt is committed to creating an environment and a culture that contribute to a thriving democratic society. We have a host of classes, speakers and events planned for the upcoming year, and we’ve extended the Year of Discourse and Dialogue. We’ve also addressed common questions around freedom of speech and our policies on campus at freespeech.pitt.edu.
With a new semester starting, I’m reminded of a quote from Thomas Edison: “The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” In this spirit, we renew our commitment to an educational environment that welcomes debate across a wide range of perspectives. Anchored in this — and in light of Edison’s sentiment — I look forward to having a great semester and being together soon.
Best wishes and many thanks,
Joan Gabel