Chatham University President David Finegold Announces Plan to Leave Post Following 2022-23 Academic Year
Dr. David Finegold, the President of Chatham University since 2016, announced today that this will be his final year at the helm of the university.
Dr. Finegold, a renowned scholar and educational innovator who has dedicated his career to educational reform, will complete his service as Chatham’s 19th President after seven years of leadership and nearly four decades in higher education. When a new President is in place, Dr. Finegold plans to pursue writing two books on the transformations underway in higher education.
“My time at Chatham has been transformational (for me and the University) and has been one of the greatest honors of my life and career,” said Dr. Finegold. “This is not a retirement, but the start of a new chapter where I plan to write and advance some of the key priorities that I have loved during my time at Chatham, such as continuing to explore ways to combat climate change and helping academic institutions to thrive in a turbulent higher education environment. In the meantime, I look forward to working as hard as ever to continue Chatham’s positive momentum.”
“We are grateful to Dr. Finegold for his leadership of Chatham. David has led the way for Chatham as our first president since becoming an all-gender university and has overseen more than a doubling in growth for our undergraduate student body during his tenure. The impact of his leadership has been significant particularly given the challenges being placed on higher education at this time, combined with a global pandemic,” said David M. Hall, Chair of Chatham University’s Board of Trustees. “Dr. Finegold has laid the foundation for Chatham’s continued success and expansion, and he will be leaving Chatham in a very healthy position for his successor."
During Dr. Finegold’s tenure, he and his team at Chatham University have made significant achievements on several fronts, including:
More than doubling the size of Chatham’s undergraduate student body, while also significantly increasing the academic qualifications of students and graduation rates;
Being designated by U.S. News & World Report rankings as a National University (from a Regional), and ranking among the top 20 national universities for social mobility (based on the percentage of Pell-eligible students and their graduation rates);
Restoring tenure at a time when many institutions are moving away from it, while also continuing to invest in and add new faculty and staff;
Developing a range of cutting-edge new academic programs, such as Immersive Media, Data Analytics, Neuroscience, Athletic Training, and a new Social Justice minor;
Advancing Chatham’s national leadership in sustainability (currently ranked # 4 in the Princeton Review Green College list) and continuing the rapid growth of the Eden Hall Campus and our Falk School for Sustainability and Environment; and
Completing Chatham’s largest-ever capital campaign by raising more than $101 million to support the University and our students.
Chatham University’s Board of Trustees will initiate a national search for Chatham’s next president with the goal of choosing a new leader by next summer.
For additional information or media inquiries, please contact Bill Campbell at bcampbell@chatham.edu or 412-365-1140.
About Chatham University
Chatham University has an enrollment of nearly 2,300 students across more than 60 undergraduate and graduate programs in our areas of excellence: sustainability & health, business & communications, and the arts & sciences. As the alma mater of environmental icon Rachel Carson '29, Chatham is perennially ranked as one of the "greenest" colleges in the United States. Located in Pittsburgh, PA—one of the country's most livable cities and great college towns—Chatham is composed of three distinct locations: the historic arboretum, Shadyside Campus; Chatham Eastside in the fast-growing East End; and Eden Hall Campus, one of the world's most sustainable campuses.