Pitt Provost Ann Cudd leaving for Portland State University

University of Pittsburgh Provost Ann Cudd is leaving to become president of Portland State University.

Leaders of the Oregon institution with 22,000 students named her Friday as the school’s 11th president, succeeding Stephen Percy, who is retiring.

The appointment is effective in August after Cudd finishes up her duties in Pittsburgh and relocates to Portland, according to a letter to the Portland State campus from Greg Hinckley, chairman of its board of trustees, and Benjamin Berry, a trustee who chaired the presidential search committee.

“Dr. Cudd stood out to the board for her deep commitment to academic and research excellence, community engagement, the vital importance of racial equity and the powerful role that an urban-serving university can play in our region and in a renaissance for Portland,” the letter stated.

Since 2018, Cudd has been Pitt’s chief academic officer and senior vice chancellor, reporting directly to Chancellor Patrick Gallagher, who is stepping down this summer after nine years and plans to teach on campus.

In recent months, Pitt has been in the midst of sometimes contentious negotiations with faculty represented by the United Steelworkers seeking their first labor contract at Pitt. About 3,000 full- and part-time faculty are in the bargaining unit. Many participated in protests outside the provost’s office in December and outside last month’s Pitt trustees meeting.

Cudd also has been involved in talks over the future of the English Language Institute at Pitt.

Pitt is on spring break this week, and campus offices were closed Friday. Cudd could not immediately be reached for comment. Her departure sets up a likely national search for a new provost.

Pitt officials have said the search for Gallagher’s successor is progressing toward an announcement during the spring semester. Pitt has nearly 34,000 students in Oakland and branches in Greensburg, Johnstown, Titusville and Bradford.

A philosophy professor, Cudd was one of two finalists for the Oregon position. Last year, she was one of five finalists to lead the University of Wisconsin system’s flagship campus in Madison.