University Times

Brian Primack

Brian A. Primack, a scholarly researcher currently serving within the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, will assume the deanship and the Bernice L. and Morton S. Lerner Chair of the University Honors College on July 1.

“As dean, Brian’s multidisciplinary dexterity — coupled with his commitment to collaborating and leading — will ensure that our Honors College continues to serve as a defining force in our University’s mission to leverage new knowledge for society’s gain,” said Chancellor Patrick Gallagher.

Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Patricia E. Beeson said, “Under Dr. Primack’s leadership, I am confident that the University Honors College will continue to serve as the center of gravity for our most academically engaged and curious undergraduate students and as a hub of intellectual activity for our entire University community. His broad and inclusive vision is well-matched to our aspirations for the UHC and the University.”

A Pitt faculty member since 2002, Primack currently holds the Leo H. Criep Endowed Chair in Patient Care within the School of Medicine. Within Pitt’s medical school, he is a professor of medicine, pediatrics and clinical and translational science, and he is an assistant vice chancellor for research on health and society in the University’s schools of the health sciences.

Primack’s academic interests range a broad spectrum of areas, from media messaging and community engagement to clinical medicine and public health. His most recent work has investigated complex relationships between media exposures and health outcomes. To further explore concepts in this area, Primack founded Pitt’s Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health in 2012.

Primack will be the third dean of the University Honors College and succeeds Edward M. Stricker. Founding dean G. Alec Stewart held the position from the college’s inception until his death in 2010.

Established in 1986, the University Honors College seeks to meet the academic and cocurricular needs of Pitt’s highest achieving undergraduates. Through honors courses, specialized advising and multidisciplinary research opportunities, the college strives to fuse the scholarly aspirations of a major research institution with the individualized attention of a small college.

Approximately 2,000 Pitt undergraduates are engaged in the University Honors College’s activities and programs. It has awarded more than 450 Bachelor of Philosophy degrees. Additionally, through the University Honors College, Pitt alumni and students have been extraordinarily successful in winning prestigious awards, including such internationally recognized honors as the Rhodes, Truman, Udall and Churchill scholarships.

Contact:
Anthony M. Moore, amm114@pitt.edu, 412-624-8252