Dr. Carla Panzella was appointed Vice Provost for Student Affairs in June 2024 after having served as Interim Vice Provost since January 2024. Prior to that assignment, she served as the Dean of Students since August 2021 and as Associate Vice Provost since December 2022. As VPSA, she is responsible for the strategic direction and management of the Division of Student Affairs, with over 200 professional staff members in 23 offices. Dr. Panzella also serves on the Chancellor’s senior leadership team and provides leadership for the student affairs offices at Pitt’s regional campuses.
As AVP and Dean, she was integral in implementing a division-wide reorganization for Student Affairs to create departments, programs and services meeting the needs of a new generation of students and in collaborating with the Office of the Provost on data-driven academic initiatives. Student-centered work is at the forefront of her portfolio.
She holds a Ph.D. in higher education from Seton Hall University, where she completed her dissertation research on postsecondary pathways to higher education for historically marginalized students, a master’s degree in organizational psychology and leadership from the Teachers College of Columbia University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Saint Peter’s University. Dr. Panzella has also taught psychology courses at previous institutions and a graduate seminar in the School of Education at Pitt.
