University Times

By the end of next week, the search committee for a new vice chancellor for Institutional Advancement — Pitt's chief fundraiser — plans to recommend six candidates for Chancellor Mark Nordenberg's consideration.

Among the six will be Bruce A. Loessin, who held the job (then called the vice president for University Relations and Development) from 1985 until 1991, when he left Pitt for a similar position at Case Western Reserve University.

Associate Chancellor Vijai Singh, who chairs the search committee, confirmed that committee members interviewed Loessin three weeks ago on the Pittsburgh campus and that Loessin's name will be among six that the committee will pass along to Nordenberg.

"It will be up to the chancellor to do in-depth background checking on these people, and he may choose to interview some or all of them," Singh said.

The committee's report will identify each of its recommended candidates as being "viable," "viable but more information needed" or some other designation, said Singh. "Our report to the chancellor will include the names of three or four quite viable candidates. Any one of them could be a very good vice chancellor." Singh declined to identify the other candidates. He confirmed Loessin's candidacy in response to a University Times inquiry.

The University Times was unable to reach Loessin for comment yesterday.

During Loessin's six years here, Pitt's annual private income grew from $13 million to $35.8 million. Also during that time, Pitt conducted its largest capital fundraising campaign, the five-year "Campaign for the Third Century," which exceeded its $225 million goal by more than $25 million. The largest previous Pitt capital campaign had been for $50 million.

Board of Trustees leaders are eager to launch a new capital campaign but are holding off until Pitt hires an Institutional Advancement vice chancellor. Loessin's successor, Lawrence Weber, resigned in October 1995. Since then, Margaret McDonald, former assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs in the Health Sciences, has been interim vice chancellor.

Chancellor Nordenberg said he hopes to name the new vice chancellor before the holiday break.

— Bruce Steele