Board Appoints Nordenberg as Chancellor Emeritus

The University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees has approved the appointment of Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg as Chancellor Emeritus, effective Aug. 1.

During its June 20 meeting, the board also approved a resolution honoring Nordenberg for his distinguished leadership and service over almost four decades, including the past 19 years as chancellor. Nordenberg will step down as chancellor on Aug. 1—and will serve in the new position of chair of the University’s Institute of Politics, effective Jan. 1.

The board’s Resolution of Appreciation lauded Nordenberg’s years of service and dedication to the University, which began in 1977 when he joined Pitt’s School of Law as a faculty member.

Speaking in what was his last Pitt board meeting as chancellor, Nordenberg recognized his leadership team and staff. “I’m deeply grateful to these outstanding people for all that they have contributed to Pitt’s progress. I get a lot of the credit that should go to them,” he said.

“I’m also indebted to the members of the Board of Trustees. First, you gave me the opportunity to be chancellor and then you worked as hard as you could to make certain that I would succeed,” he said.

Also during the meeting, Stephen R. Tritch was reelected as board chair and Eva Tansky Blum was voted chair-elect.

Nordenberg then presented Tritch with a Chancellor’s Medal, considered to be the most prestigious of all medals awarded by the University—reserved for those who have left “an indelible mark on the proud traditions, values, and character inherent in the University of Pittsburgh.”

The chancellor said he awarded the medal to honor Tritch’s University of Pittsburgh roots and told Tritch that he wanted to recognize “your extraordinary professional successes and the distinctive contributions you have made as chair through what has been a very challenging time for the University of Pittsburgh.”

“I also present this medal to you as a tangible sign of my broader respect and gratitude to the entire board and also to the three outstanding individuals who preceded you as chair during my 19 years as chancellor. I’m grateful to you for what you’ve done for the University and for the central role you have played in my own academic life.”