Pitt taps Joseph J. McCarthy as provost and senior vice chancellor

A nationwide search by the University of Pittsburgh to find its next provost and chief academic officer ultimately led to the person already doing the job since last summer on a temporary basis.

Pitt officials announced Wednesday that Joseph J. McCarthy, interim provost and William Kepler Whiteford Professor in the Swanson School of Engineering, has been named provost and senior vice chancellor.

He succeeds Ann Cudd. She departed in August for the presidency of Portland State University after serving for five years as Pitt’s chief academic officer.

The announcement Wednesday did not indicate what McCarthy will earn, and a figure was not immediately available from campus officials. Cudd had a base salary of $495,670 in the months before leaving for Portland.

“I am both honored and grateful to have been selected to serve as Pitt’s provost,” McCarthy said in a statement Wednesday. “Having been at Pitt for more than 25 years — indeed my entire career — I am deeply committed to doing everything in my ability to support the diverse and talented community of scholars and professionals that comprise this exceptional University.”

His appointment is pending approval by Pitt’s Board of Trustees.

“Dr. McCarthy is an accomplished academic leader and scientist with a proven commitment to putting students first,” Chancellor Joan Gabel wrote in a message announcing the appointment to the Pitt community following a robust and competitive national search. “I’m excited to officially welcome him to the University’s senior leadership team.”

A 24-member search committee chaired by Anantha Shekhar, senior vice chancellor for health sciences and medical school dean, pursued a nationwide search for a successor.

The search was seen on campus as potentially the most important early decision to be made by Gabel, who became Pitt’s chancellor in July. Gabel herself served as provost at the University of South Carolina, before coming to the University of Minnesota, an institution she led.

McCarthy said he looks forward to working with Gabel and with faculty, students and staff as the university develops its reimagined Plan for Pitt in furtherance of its mission both on and beyond its campus. He will likely be a prominent figure in various academic matters, from efforts by its faculty union to secure it first labor contract to ongoing relations with its elected University Senate.

“Dr. McCarthy is an outstanding choice to lead Pitt’s efforts to build on the existing excellence of our faculty, teaching, research and academic programs,” said Robin Kear, liaison librarian in the University Library System and University Senate president. “His commitment to leading during transition exemplifies his dedication to the university …”

McCarthy was named Interim Provost July 1, 2023.

Previously, he was vice provost for undergraduate studies, working to enhance the academic experience of Pitt’s undergraduates. In that role, he developed and facilitated programs to improve student satisfaction and retention, student success, and the overall learning environment.

As provost, he will oversee and support scholarly efforts of some 5,900 faculty members on Pitt’s main campus as well as Pitt-Greensburg, Pitt Johnstown, Pitt Bradford and Pitt Titusville.

Pitt enrolls approximately 34,000 students at those locations.

McCarthy has been a member of Pitt’s faculty since 1998.

He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed manuscripts in various international journals, conference proceedings and popular press outlets, according to Pitt’s website.

He received a doctorate in chemical engineering from Northwestern University in 1998, and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, from the University of Notre Dame, 1993, Pitt officials said.