By SUSAN JONES
Pitt’s right-to-know disclosures for the 2023-24 fiscal year, which were filed with the federal government on May 15 and the state on May 29, have a little something extra this year.
Instead of requiring a list of the 25 highest-paid non-officers at the University, the state now asks for the top 200. The list, which reports salaries for the 2023 calendar year, is led once again by Pat Narduzzi, Pitt’s head football coach since 2014, at $6.9 million in total gross salary, and Jeff Capel, head men’s basketball coach, with $3.7 million.
The salaries in the top 200 highest-paid at Pitt range from the coaches’ compensation to just over $300,000 at the bottom of the list. Find the top 25 on the list below and the full list on the Controller’s Office Right to Know Disclosures webpage.
The disclosures also include the University’s annual IRS 990 form. Highlights from the report include:
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Pitt’s revenue increased from $3.13 billion in 2022-23 to $3.42 billion. And while expenses also increased — from $3.15 billion to $3.39 billion — the University still came out in the black for the year.
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As always, the largest expense was salaries, which increased from $1.69 billion to $1.85 billion.
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The largest revenue sources were grants and contracts, which amounted to $1.2 billion. Tuition accounted for around $1 billion in revenue.
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The endowment rose from $5.51 billion to $5.84 billion, mostly attributed to an increase in net investment earnings and contributions.
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Pitt’s largest research subcontract recipient was Carnegie Mellon University at $9.88 million
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Institutional aid went to 19,759 students at a cost of $264.1 million — about the same as the previous year. Another 2,244 students received tuition remission under Pitt’s educational benefits for employees, at a cost of $31.4 million, and 50 children of Pitt employees attending other universities received $1 million in tuition remission.
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The highest-paid independent contractor was Pittsburgh-based construction company PJ Dick Inc., at $54.5 million. Compass Group USA, which provides food services on the Oakland campus, was paid $50.4 million.
Highest-paid employees
The IRS 990 form list of top-paid officers, directors, trustees and key employees (with base pay and total compensation, which includes retirement, bonuses and nontaxable items, such as health care) for fiscal year 2023-24 (asterisks indicate those who are new to the list):
Pat Narduzzi, head football coach: $5.47 million / $7.26 million. Base pay and total compensation rose around $500,000 from the previous year.
Jeff Capel, head men’s basketball coach, $3.57 million / $3.95 million. Base pay increased around $80,000.
Anantha Shekhar, SVC for Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine: $1.038 million / $1.65 million
Heather Lyke, athletic director: $1.32 million / $1.64 million
Arthur Levine, former SVC for Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine (who served in that role until June 2020): $1 million / $1.11 million
Randy Bates, Panthers football defensive coordinator: $828,036 / $990,685
Frank Cignetti Jr., football offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from January 2022 to November 2023: $762,085 / $959,291
Jeffer Choudhry, chief investment officer: $727,469 / $769,241
Patrick Gallagher, former chancellor who stepped down at the end of July 2023: $648,479 / $780,469
*Joan Gabel, chancellor as of July 2023: $434,837 / $668,503
Rob Rutenbar, SVC for research: $440,473 / $535,695
David DeJong, former SVC for business & operations: $423,579 / $530,495
Geovette Washington, chief legal officer: $444,973 / $515,641
Paul Lawrence, treasurer: $408,035 / $504,929
Hari Sastry, former chief financial officer (who left in January 2024): $411,181 / $486,257
Rosalyn Jones, former secretary of the Board of Trustees (who left in August 2023): $163,436 / $490,401
*Paul Supowitz, interim secretary of the Board of Trustees: $292,929 / $358,517
Ann Cudd, former provost who stepped down at the end of June 2023: $283,221 / $357,171
Right-to-know disclosure to the state
The state also requires Pitt to disclose the 200 highest-paid non-officers at the University. The top six on the list — Narduzzi, Capel, Lyke, Levine, Bates and Cignetti — are also on the IRS 990 list above. The base salary for the rest if the top 25 highest-paid employees (asterisks indicate those who are new to the list):
Charles Partridge, former assistant head football coach, through February 2024: $797,917
Michael Becich, associate vice chancellor for informatics in the Health Sciences; chairman, Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine; and associate director, Clinical and Translational Science Institute: $751,784
Dan Fisher, head volleyball coach: $681,113
Michael Imbrogno, managing director of investments, CFO’s office: $678,295
David Almodovar, managing director of investments, CFO’s office: $661,721
Kristin Davitt, SVC for philanthropic and alumni engagement: $655,595
Steven Reis, associate vice chancellor for clinical research and director, Clinical and Translational Science Institute: $642,000
A. Everette James, associate vice chancellor for health policy and planning, Health Sciences; professor, Graduate School of Public Health; director, Health Policy Institute: $635,506
Angela Gronenborn, professor and chair, Department of Structural Biology: $628,615
Peter Strick, professor and chair, neurobiology: $610,960
Jonathan Silverstein, chief research informatics officer, Health Sciences and Institute for Precision Medicine: $603,284
*Salvatore Verdi, head women’s basketball coach: $581,689
David Borbely, former Pitt football offensive line coach, until January 2024: $576,250
*Dario Vignali, professor and chair, Department of Immunology: $569,920
Mark Geraci, associate vice chancellor for interdisciplinary research, Health Sciences: $558,400
Lise Vesterlund, professor of economics: $551,250
*Bruce Freeman, professor and chair, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology: $541,732
*Joanne Flynn, professor and chair, Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics: $532,999
*Cory Sanders, assistant head football coach: $527,083.
Find the full list of 200 top-paid Pitt employees on the Controller’s Office Right to Know Disclosures webpage.
Family connections
The IRS requires institutions to report financial information on employees or companies doing business with Pitt who are related to senior officers, trustees or highest-paid employees.
Receiving compensation from Pitt in 2023-24 were:
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Neal Becker, former senior lecturer in economics, husband of former Provost Ann Cudd: $22,249
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Allegheny Strategy Partners, a public affairs and business development firm co-founded by Nicholas Varischetti, family member of Board of Trustees member Peter Varischetti: $167,928
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Gary Gabel, associate professor of practice in the School of Education, husband of Chancellor Joan Gabel: $76,612
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Dave Hickton, founding director, Pitt Cyber, family member of Board of Trustees member Dawne Hickton: $389,636
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Peyton Kondis, coordinator for Culturally Responsive Care, Division of Student Affairs, family member of Board of Trustees member S. Jeffrey Kondis: $71,856
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Norman Wolmark, professor of surgery, family member of Trustee Eva Tansky Blum: $174,954
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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