John N. Murphy, a top leader of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, died June 13, 2023, at 83.
As executive director of McGowan, Murphy was essentially its chief of operations, said William Wagner, McGowan co-director under whom Murphy served for the past dozen years, “with so many of the faculty whose careers and lives he impacted,” Wagner added. “There are dozens of us who can point to our resume and say, ‘This (accomplishment) is because John took time to listen to an unsuccessful grant proposal attempt or other challenges.’”
He described Murphy as the go-to person for both solving internal challenges and guiding visitors through the institute’s work, for dealing with the University’s administrative requirements and for keeping the institute running day to day.
Murphy also was known for writing “extremely effective … letters of nomination and support for dozens of faculty” awards and projects, “sometimes secretly,” Wagner said. Such nominations “were very impactful for a lot of people.”
“He was delightful,” Wagner recalled. “You’d never hear a word of complaint. Always excited to get things going. Stoic (but) friendly, positive attitude, always upbeat. If you have some bit of a challenge, he was someone who could give you good advice. He used to always say, ‘You can’t win if you don’t play.’ ”
Patrick Cantini, McGowan’s strategy and business development officer, joined McGowan with Murphy in 2001 but also worked with him earlier in other capacities.
“John was a constant,” Cantini said. “He was a steady force. Regardless of the situation … of the challenges, John was there to face it and overcome the challenge. He was a resource beyond resources. He was one of those steady rocks. He was there, regardless of the time. He was a true gentleman, kind and engaging and his door was always open. His demeanor, his work ethic were just beyond what I’ve ever seen in anybody.
“John’s most enduring asset was his ability to engage people,” he added. “At our donor events especially, John was the socializer in the room. He would engage with anyone in the room and make them feel welcome and make them feel one of us. People just gravitated to him and listened to him talk about the qualities of McGowan.”
A graduate of St. Justin Catholic High School (1957), Murphy earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Pitt (1961) and later his MBA from Duquesne University.
He began his career as an electrical research engineer at the U.S. Bureau of Mines and advanced to director of the Pittsburgh Research Center of the bureau in 1978, working with mining organizations worldwide on health and safety issues for miners. He developed micro-ventilation circuits that are still being employed.
His work with many federal agencies resulted in collaboration with NASA in the 1960s, assessing the safety system of the Titan II rocket, which was to propel Gemini program vehicles into space.
By the late 1990s, Murphy had become senior scientist at the Pittsburgh lab for the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health and joined Pitt’s Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering in the Swanson School of Engineering, where he taught courses on safety and other issues. When the McGowan Institute hired Alan Russell, another chemical engineering professor, as director, Russell brought Murphy aboard in 2001. McGowan had earlier concentrated on developing medical devices, but that year it took on its current name and focus.
His early work at Pitt included developing a pioneering interactive classroom for team and computer work among engineering students. He held a pair of patents, published nearly 100 technical publications and served as president and member of the SME Foundation, the National Mine Rescue Association and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Among his honors are the Department of Interior Distinguished Service Award, the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive and the Presidential Award for Distinguished Executive.
“John put his stamp on every aspect of McGowan,” Cantini said. “His legacy is that he was everywhere. He just gave 100 percent of himself to the Institute.”
He is survived by son Michael and his wife Catherine, brothers Thomas and Richard, and three grandchildren.
Memorial gifts are suggested to the SME Foundation or the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
— Marty Levine