After nine years at the helm of the University of Pittsburgh, Patrick Gallagher plans to step down as chancellor next summer.
Gallagher, who has a doctorate in physics from the university, will move into the classroom to teach, according to a Pitt release. During his tenure as the 18th leader of the system, he oversaw the university’s five campuses including its flagship in Oakland, the largest in the region.
Gallagher told the Post-Gazette that he wanted to give the board sufficient time to find a replacement for his successor and plans to leave the position in summer 2023. According to the Post-Gazette, enrollment on the main campus grew under Gallagher and the endowment more than doubled to $5.6 billion.
Before Pitt, Gallagher was the director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Since his 2014 arrival, Pitt added academic offices in sustainability, equity, diversity and community engagement, as well as the School of Computing and Information.
Mary Ellen Callahan, the vice chair of the Board of Trustees, called Gallagher transformational in a university release.
“Pat has that rare set of skills that enable him to see around the corner while also engaging in the day-to-day activities of running a multibillion-dollar organization like the University of Pittsburgh,” she said.
Gallagher said in a statement to students, faculty and staff that he wanted to remain in the position for as long as “I believed that I could carry it out to the fullest of my abilities.”
“When next summer arrives, I will have served as your chancellor for nine amazing years," he said in the message. "This is both long enough to have accomplished some great things together, but not so long that I have worn out either myself or my welcome."
