Pitt has named a new president for Pitt–Bradford and Pitt–Titusville.
Catherine Koverola, currently a senior advisor and inaugural provost at the African Leadership University in Mauritius, Africa, will enter her new role as president on June 1, according to a PittWire article published on April 1.
Among several other administrative positions, Koverala has worked as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Cambridge College in Boston, dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., and dean of psychology and interim vice president of academic affairs at Antioch University Seattle.
She will take the place of Lawrence Feick, who has been acting as interim president at both campuses since Livingston Alexander retired last June. Feick also serves as Pitt’s vice provost for special projects.
Koverala, according to PittWire, earned her doctorate in clinical psychology and her master’s in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. She also has a bachelor’s in biology from the University of British Columbia and a master’s in clinical child psychology from the University of Western Ontario.
Much of her research examines interpersonal victimization and violence in global communities. She also specializes in working with traumatized youth in minority, indigenous and inner-city communities.
“Catherine’s exceptional experience in the needs of students and of rural communities, as well as relationship building and innovation within those spaces, is as impressive as it is substantive,” Ann E. Cudd, provost and senior vice chancellor, said in PittWire. “From start to finish, she possesses the leadership qualities that can both continue the successes of the campuses at Bradford and Titusville and propel them forward in a time of transformation.”
In her new role, she will take the reins of Pitt–Bradford’s student population of roughly 1,500 and 38 bachelor’s programs and four associate degree programs. She also will be in charge of Pitt–Titusville, which is transitioning into a “training hub” to fit the region’s changing demographics and specific needs. The transition has meant some cuts in faculty and staff at Titusville.
“It is truly an honor to be given this opportunity to further strengthen both the Bradford and Titusville campuses to ensure they keep developing as distinctive leading academic institutions serving the students and communities of the region,” Koverola said in PittWire. “I look forward to weaving together the strengths of the vibrant regional campuses with the tremendous capacity within the University of Pittsburgh as a large research-intensive institution.”
Meanwhile, the search for a president at Pitt–Greensburg is ongoing, and it’s unclear when the position will be filled.
— Donovan Harrell