\n\tBy SUSAN JONES<\/p>\n
\n\tChancellor Joan Gabel gave her annual report at the Sept. 25 Board of Trustees meeting, which was once again interrupted by protesters.<\/p>\n
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\n\tGabel also announced at the meeting at the University Club that Pitt leadership will host its sixth online town hall next month. The webinars were started last year to disseminate information to the entire Pitt community as changes on the federal level were roiling higher education.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\n\t\u201cWe look forward to providing updates at that time on how things are progressing on campus and beyond,\u201d the chancellor said. \u201cWe\u2019ll send out a save-the-date soon, along with a link to those who would like to submit questions in advance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tPlan for Pitt progress<\/p>\n
\tThe chancellor\u2019s annual report focused on the progress the University has made to meet the 2026 goals in the Plan for Pitt. The full report is available on the chancellor\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOver the past fiscal year, fiscal year 2026, the Pitt community has diligently advanced the work streams to make progress, achieving the board-endorsed outcomes and targets articulated in the Plan for Pitt,\u201d Gabel said. \u201cBecause of these efforts, we\u2019re stronger and better as an institution, and I want to express my sincere appreciation for the important progress we\u2019ve accomplished together and in our shared commitment to advance this work, down to a person, across the institution.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tUnder the \u201cStudent Success\u201d goal, she highlighted the Pitt Finish Line Grants, which helped 152 students with $875,000 total in support to help complete their degrees, and the new tuition-free pledge at the regional campuses for students whose household adjusted gross income is $75,000 or less.<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tPitt is meeting the goal to \u201cPropel Scholarship, Creativity and Innovation,\u201d Gabel said. Since fiscal year 2024, Pitt faculty have been elected to national academies 15 times, nearly double the amount from the previous four years.<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe are a research powerhouse serving our community with meaningful discoveries,\u201d she said. \u201cWe had a very strong year in the area of innovation despite some pretty significant headwinds, advancing as one of the top 20 most innovative universities in terms of overall research productivity, startups and patents.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tGabel said a Pitt Workplace Survey showed that nearly 90% of employees understand how their job contributes to the University\u2019s mission. This has helped Pitt make the America\u2019s Best-in-State Employers 2025 list by Forbes and contributed to the \u201cBe Welcoming and Engaging\u201d goal.<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tGlobally, she said, Pitt has elevated its engagement, doubling the number of faculty receiving Fulbright awards. Locally, she cited the newly opened Hill District Community Engagement Center. Both of these contributed to the University re-earning the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement.<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tUnder the \u201cHold Ourselves Accountable and Promote Trust\u201d goal, Gabel said Pitt is \u201celevating a culture of dialogue and discourse with our participation in the Citizens and Scholars campuswide version, and \u2026 keeping our community safe, as shown by achieving the lowest campus crime rate in 15 years.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tFinally, she focused on \u201cwhat it means when we say it\u2019s Possible at Pitt. How do we commit to seizing special opportunities that have game-changing impact on the world around us, leaning into the incredible talent in our community and the incredible passion in our community for discovery?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tShe cited several examples how Pitt is powering the future:<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tLeading the life sciences century through Pitt Bioforge.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tTransforming assistive technologies to enable human achievement from mobility to restoring sight, through work by Rory Cooper, director of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, and Jos\u00e9-Alain Sahel, chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology who earlier this year received the prestigious 2026 Proctor Medal from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAdvancing digital leadership for everyone, including the work of HAIL (Hub for AI and Data Science Leadership), led by Michael Colaresi.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tPowering a healthy future through innovative programming such as One Health; a new degree in gas, renewables and oil; and Pitt\u2019s selection as part of the Resilient Energy Technology and Infrastructure (RETI) Consortium that includes 60 regional partners and an NSF award of $160 million.<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAfter the report, Board Chairman John Verbanac said, \u201cThis year in particular, given the disruptive headwinds that higher education finds itself facing, the quality, innovation, the resilience of the University of Pittsburgh and your leadership team and all the members of the Pitt community once again turned in incredible progress in a year.\u201d<\/p>\n \tProtest interruption<\/p>\n \n\tThree protesters stood during the Board of Trustees meetings to demand Pitt disclose the contents of its $6 billion endowment portfolio, divest from \u201ccompanies directly involved in genocide in Gaza\u201d and allow for community control over investment practices. The first protester cited a vote last year by Pitt students for disclosure and divestment.<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAll three \u2014 who are all enrolled students according to the University \u2014 were peacefully escorted from the meeting room by Pitt Police officers. The protesters represented the Sumud Coalition, which is not a registered student group. Members of the group also interrupted the February Board of Trustees meeting in the William Pitt Union.<\/p>\n \n\tPitt\u2019s endowment is largely invested in hedge funds, private equity or index funds. These funds are managed by outside companies and can include investments in a multitude of companies. The agreements Pitt has with these companies often include confidentiality clauses.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tLast year, Jeffer Choudhry, Pitt\u2019s chief investment officer, said there were more than 100 fund managers in the portfolio at that time.<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tSusan Jones is editor of the University Times until her retirement on Sept. 30. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \tHave a story idea or news to share? Share it <\/a>with the University Times.<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n