Panther Central celebrated 25 years as Pitt’s one-stop student hub

For 25 years, Pitt students with a question about a lost ID, a meal plan or a room assignment have had one place to go, at any hour.

Panther Central opened in the Litchfield Towers lobby in August 2001 with a straightforward idea: Rather than sending students across campus to sort out housing, dining and ID cards, put those services at a single counter. It has run nearly 24/7 ever since.

Few people know that counter better than Julie Bannister (BUS ’05, EDUC ’10G), who started at the Panther Central front desk in 2005, fresh out of her undergraduate studies at Pitt and unsure what came next. She now oversees the operation as assistant vice chancellor for auxiliary services.

“To now oversee the place where I once stood behind the front desk is incredibly meaningful,” Bannister said. “I’ve experienced Panther Central from the perspective of a student, an employee and now a leader, and I think each of those experiences has shaped how I view the importance of what we do.”

Her path is not unusual. More than 150 people have worked at Panther Central since it opened, according to the University’s Office of Finance and Operations. Today, 20 remain on the team and 24 have moved into other roles across the University, in areas including housing, business systems, human resources and advising.

Emily Bell started as a customer service representative in June 2011 and is now senior HR director for Finance and Operations. The job was Bell’s first real career experience, and she said it pointed her toward higher education and human resources.

“It’s a great place to explore what you’re interested in and make connections throughout the university,” Bell said.

The tools have changed — paper forms and in-person-only service have given way to online scheduling and digital IDs — but Bannister said the core has not.

“Twenty-five years from now, I hope we are still finding new and innovative ways to serve our University community, while holding onto the most important thing that has been at the core of Panther Central from the beginning: taking care of our people,” she said.

Photography by Tom Altany