Shannon Wanless will direct the University Center for Social and Urban Research

After a national search, Shannon Wanless has been appointed director of the University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR), effective July 1.

Wanless joined the University of Pittsburgh as a faculty member in 2011 and currently serves as executive director of the Office of Child Development in the School of Education. Since her directorship began in July 2018, Wanless has secured more than $20 million in competitive grants and $4.5 million in contracts for the office while building a strong sense of culture among her staff.

Wanless is a longstanding executive member of the American Educational Research Association’s Social Emotional Learning Special Interest Group and an Aspen Ascend Fellow as well as an invited advisor on the Office of Head Start’s National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement. She is part of the Community Engagement Centers’ internal advisory board and led the CECs’ first evaluation process.

Wanless earned her PhD in human development and family sciences from Oregon State University, her master’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Michigan and her bachelor’s degree in sociology, anthropology and psychology from Denison University.

In her role leading UCSUR, Wanless will report to Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Joseph McCarthy, with a dotted line relationship to Vice Chancellor for External Relations Lina Dostilio. She will continue her appointment as an associate professor in the School of Education.