Joan Gabel became the 19th chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh on July 17, 2023. In this role, she oversees a community of nearly 34,000 students and more than 14,000 faculty and staff members across five distinct campuses, all working to advance Pitt’s legacy of academic excellence, community service and research innovation.
She previously served as the president and chief executive of the University of Minnesota System and Twin Cities campus. Under her leadership, the University of Minnesota developed its first comprehensive systemwide strategic plan. That plan resulted in record-setting graduation rates and annual research expenditures, as well as unmatched startups, patents and private giving, including the completion of a $4 billion capital campaign that exceeded its goal by 10%. Transformational partnerships, such as the NXT GEN MED program between the university, Mayo Clinic and Google, have led to reimagined research and student opportunities.
Prior to joining the University of Minnesota System, she served as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of South Carolina and as dean of the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business at the University of Missouri. Gabel began her teaching career at Georgia State University, then joined Florida State University where she was the DeSantis Professor of Legal Studies; chair of the Department of Risk Management and Insurance, Real Estate and Legal Studies; and director of international relations within the College of Business.
Gabel is the recipient of numerous research, service and teaching awards, including recognition as a Fulbright scholar. She currently serves as vice chair for the Council on Competitiveness and on the boards of the American Council on Education, the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, and Fulbright (CIES), among others. She holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Haverford College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law.
