Pitt Chancellor Joan Gabel has added a couple more feathers to her cap
Gabel was selected for the six annual Forbes 50 Over 50 list released this month, which highlights women based in the U.S. who were born on or before Dec. 31, 1975, and are “actively leading organizations, building businesses, advancing scientific discovery, shaping public policy, creating cultural impact or driving social change,” according to the magazine.
Forbes said in its article that Gabel, 58, “is leading one of the nation's leading public research universities through an ambitious strategic plan focused on student success, research, innovation and community impact. The first woman to serve as Pitt's chancellor, while also previously the first woman to lead the University of Minnesota, Gabel has advanced initiatives to expand affordability, including the Pitt Regional Campus Tuition Pledge, while advancing the university's work in health, technology and innovation.”
The Forbes list — which is sourced from public nominations, Forbes’ editorial reporting and recommendations from MSNBC’s Know Your Value community — also includes Jennifer Garner, actor and co-founder of Once Upon a Farm; Heather Gerken, president of the Ford Foundation; Joanne Pike, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association; and Mikie Sherrill, governor of New Jersey.
Gabel said in a statement that, “Impact is integral to the mission and identity of the University of Pittsburgh. While it’s an honor to be named to the Forbes 50 over 50 list, my recognition reflects the entire Pitt community’s talent and capacity to drive possibilities for our students, for our research and for our community.”
In June, Gabel also joined the board of directors of the life sciences AI infrastructure company Ambitious Bio. The position is uncompensated and poses no conflict of interest with the University, a Pitt spokesman said.
The company, based in Cambridge, Mass., focuses on the creation and scaling of biological datasets “for training new AI models that aim to understand biology,” according to founder Elizabeth Hudson, who has a PhD in neuroscience.
“We’ve engineered datasets so they are purpose-built for pre-training frontier biological AI models, exactly as high-quality, curated text data unlocked today's large language models,” Hudson said in a news release.
“The convergence of biology and AI is one of the most consequential frontiers in science today, and the infrastructure layer is what makes it possible," Gabel said in the announcement. “I have seen how transformative advances emerge when researchers and clinicians have the tools, data and support they need. Building that foundation at the scale and rigor Ambitious is pursuing is essential work for accelerating discovery and improving human health. I am ready to be part of it.”
Hudson said Gabel’s “depth of experience governing large-scale medical research institutions makes her an invaluable voice on our board. … Joan's experience driving research productivity, invention, and national competitiveness initiatives, plus her operator-level expertise in risk and governance, is exactly what we need to scale responsibly while staying ahead in this 'Sputnik Moment' for biology.”
Gabel also is vice chair of the U.S. Council on Competitiveness, chairs the board of directors of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and serves on the boards of UPMC, the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Association of American Universities.
— Susan Jones
Have a story idea or news to share? Share it with the University Times.
Follow the University Times on Facebook.