Perfetti leads list of retirees with 58 years at Pitt and LRDC | University Times

Charles Perfetti, distinguished University professor emeritus of psychology and former director of the Learning Research & Development Center, leads the list of retirees over the past several months with 58 years of service to the University of Pittsburgh. He retired on Jan. 31.

Perfetti came to Pitt in 1967 as an assistant professor of psychology and as a research scientist-senior scientist in the LRDC. During his career, he served as chair of the psychology department, founding chair of its PhD program in cognitive psychology, and interim chair of the Department of Linguistics. He received the Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award in 2000 and was named a Distinguished University Professor of Psychology in 2001. He led the LRDC from 2008-24.

During his time as LRDC director, Perfetti established child development as a major research area and supported new research on college student learning and well-being, while also strengthening its neuroscience and learning technology components and increasing connections with the undergraduate education mission of the University.

“Chuck’s contributions to the science of learning — and to the University community — are far-reaching, and the LRDC and the next generations of learning and educational scientists will continue to benefit from the solid foundation he has built,” Provost Joe McCarthy said when Perfetti stepped down as LRDC director.

Perfetti has mentored more than 30 pre-doctoral trainees and 25 postdoctoral fellows over the course of his career, the majority of whom went on to work at research universities or in other research settings. He received the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring in 2022.

Many of those students will be on a panel honoring Perfetti at a celebration on March 16. Anyone interested in attending the event from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the William Pitt Union, Lower Lounge, should email Marge Gibson, mgibson@pitt.edu.

Other retirees

Center for Creativity

Kit Ayars, 31+ years, director

Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences

Troy M. Boone, 26 years, associate professor emeritus of English

John Martin Chadam, 30 years, professor emeritus of mathematics

Laurence Glasco, 56 years, professor emeritus of history

Steven Finkel, 20 years, professor and David Wallace chair emeritus of political science

Margaret Ann Judd, 21 years, associate professor emeritus of anthropology

Alan Juffs, 32 years, professor emeritus of linguistics

Michael Pogue-Geile, 40 years, professor emeritus of psychology

David Malicki, 35 years, senior operations manager

Andrew J. Strathern, 39 years, A.W. Mellon professor emeritus of anthropology

George Zuk, 29 years, engineering technician

Office of Engagement and Community Affairs

Patricia Szczepanski, 20 years, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s program coordinator

Pitt Digital

Michael Kiley, 25 years, computer accounts administrator

Pitt Research

Nita Carroll, 28 years, associate director of education and compliance support, Office of Research Protections

School of Computing and Information

Paul Munro, 39 years, associate professor, Department of Informatics and Networked Systems

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

James Coyle, 27 years, emeritus professor, Department of Communication Science and Disorders

School of Nursing

Denise Charron-Prochownik, 33 years, distinguished service professor

Lisa Foertsch, 18 years, assistant professor

Geraldine Maurer, 21 years, assistant professor

Elizabeth Schlenk, 31 years, associate professor

Lucille Sowko, 23 years, associate professor

Patricia Tuite, 25 years, associate professor

School of Medicine

Susan Benton, 15+ years, human resources manager, Division of Laboratory Resources

Meryl Butters, 32 years, emeritus professor of psychiatry clinical and translational science

Bernard Devlin, 28 years, emeritus professor of psychiatry clinical and translational science

Gregory Cooper, 35 years, distinguished professor and UPMC endowed chair, Department of Biomedical Informatics

Michael Fine, 36 years, distinguished professor of medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine

Mordechai Rabinovitz, 39 years, professor of medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

Darlene Zellers, 30 years, associate vice chancellor for academic career development, health sciences; director of the Office of Academic Career Development, health sciences; and associate dean for postdoctoral affairs

School of Public Health

Jane A. Cauley, distinguished professor of epidemiology

Steven Belle, professor of epidemiology

Anne B. Newman, distinguished professor of epidemiology  

Pitt–Bradford

Karen Strotman, 40 years, enrollment services assistant

Bob Dilks, 36 years, assistant vice president of enrollment management,

Jill Race, 27 years, data entry specialist

Pitt–Johnstown

Karen Barrick, 20 years, housing and residence life administrative assistant