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June 28, 2012

Trustees honor University police

The University’s Board of Trustees honored the Pitt Police Department and the individual officers involved for their response to the March 8 shootings at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.  Pictured are:  Front row, left to right: Lt. Holly Lamb, Officer Brian Turak, Sgt. Daniel Papale, Lt. David Basile, Officer Ronald Bennett and Chief Tim Delaney.  Back row, left to right: Commander Shawn Ellies, Officer Joshua Acre, Officer Joseph Washinski, Officer Brian Veze and Officer Thomas Laski.

The University’s Board of Trustees honored the Pitt Police Department and the individual officers involved for their response to the March 8 shootings at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Pictured are: Front row, left to right: Lt. Holly Lamb, Officer Brian Turak, Sgt. Daniel Papale, Lt. David Basile, Officer Ronald Bennett and Chief Tim Delaney. Back row, left to right: Commander Shawn Ellies, Officer Joshua Acre, Officer Joseph Washinski, Officer Brian Veze and Officer Thomas Laski.

Pitt’s Board of Trustees honored the University’s police department and the officers involved in the March 8 shootings at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.

During the incident, UPMC employee Michael Schaab was killed before gunman John Schick was shot and killed by Pitt police Sgt. Daniel Papale. Four UPMC employees, a UPMC security guard and Pitt police Officer Brian Veze were injured. In addition, Officer Guy Johnson was shot, but saved from injury by his chest protector. (See April 5 University Times.)

At the June 22 trustees meeting, Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg said, “Our officers train for situations that they hope never will arise,” noting that in his 17 years as chancellor no Pitt police officer had fired his or her gun in the line of duty until March 8.

“I continue to be overwhelmed when I think about the terrible things that could have happened at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic if our officers had not arrived so quickly. On that horrifying day, all of the good that normally comes from a neighborhood dedicated to education and healing was shattered by the actions of one single person. Were it not for the swift and effective reactions of the first responders — our Pitt police — the list of casualties might have increased to an unimaginable level. … Most of us are convinced that the numbers would not have been small,” he said.

“On behalf of the University of Pittsburgh, the Board of Trustees wishes to publicly express to the involved officers and to the entire department not only the pride we have in you but the gratitude that we have for your bravery on March 8 and every other day,” the chancellor said.

He and board chair Stephen R. Tritch presented plaques to Lt. David Basile, Papale, Officer Joshua Acre, Officer Ronald Bennett, Officer Thomas Laski, Officer Brian Turak, Veze and Officer Joseph Washinski. Pitt Police Chief Tim Delaney accepted plaques on behalf of the department and for officers Johnson and Steve Tomovich, who were not present at the board meeting.

Following a standing ovation for the officers, Nordenberg also recognized members of their families and called for a moment of silence for Schaab and his family.

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In his report to the board, the chancellor discussed state cuts to Pitt’s budget, enumerating $67 million in reductions during the current fiscal year and Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposal for additional cuts in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

“Much of our energy during the past few months, then, has been invested in advocating against those cuts. Between budget cuts and bomb threats, it would be easy to characterize this year as a period of major problems for Pitt. That would not be inaccurate. But if we stop there we would miss a very important point. Even in the face of those challenges, the people of Pitt were able to maintain our momentum by crafting another year of remarkable accomplishments,” he said, highlighting awards made to the University, faculty members and students and noting that the freshman class was the best-credentialed in the University’s history, drawn from the largest-ever pool of applicants.

Tritch commended the chancellor, saying, “On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees I really do want to pass our thanks on to you and the entire administration for really tremendous progress under trying circumstances. It’s been a fantastic year and we really appreciate all the hard work.”

*

In other business, the board approved the nominations of new board candidates David C. Chavern (A&S ’83), executive vice president and COO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.; Brenton L. Saunders (A&S ’92), president and CEO of Bausch + Lomb in Rochester, N.Y., and Jack D. Smith (A&S ’69, MED ’73), director of Excela Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Greensburg; and the re-election of trustees Eva Tansky Blum, Catherine D. DeAngelis, Brian Generalovich, Marlee S. Myers, Robert A. Paul, Robert P. Randall and Tracey Thomas Travis.

The board also re-elected Tritch as chair and elected Blum and Morgan K. O’Brien vice chairs.

Trustees Michael A. Bryson and Robert L. Hernandez were re-elected to serve as trustees of the University of Pittsburgh Trust for 2012-16 and Robert A. Paul was re-elected to the UPMC board of directors for a one-year term.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is set for Oct. 26.

—Kimberly K. Barlow


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