Chatham announces advancement and academic leadership appointments

Chatham University is proud to announce the appointment of two new staff members, as well as a promotion for one of its longtime faculty members. 

Joseph L. Junker was named Chatham’s chief advancement officer. Before starting at Chatham, Junker was the senior major gifts officer at the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation. He was pivotal to expanding the foundation’s philanthropy efforts and securing fundraising. Before that, he worked several leadership roles at the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Philanthropic & Alumni Engagement, where he secured over $15 million in major gift commitments, led successful giving programs, and became major gift officer. He has a master’s degree in law and a bachelor’s degree in communication, both of which are from Pitt. 

Matthew Redinger was appointed as the new assistant vice president for academic affairs. Redinger comes to Chatham from the University of Providence in Great Falls, MT, where he was provost and vice president for academic affairs. He has also worked at Montana State University. His time as an administrator included leading multiple initiatives in program development, accreditation and assessment, and student success. Redinger has a Ph.D. in history from the University of Washington, as well as a BA and an MA in history from the University of Montana. 

Alyssa Abebe was appointed the program director of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program. Abebe graduated from the MPAS program in 2006 and became a Chatham faculty member in 2013. She taught problem-based learning and medical ethics courses, published work in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Associates and other journals, and researched infectious diseases. She also worked in neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery, and she has done clinical research for HIV medicine. Prior to becoming the MPAS program director, Abebe was its admissions chair and the associate program director.