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John Wallace named vice provost for faculty diversity and development

John Wallace addresses a crowd at a podium

Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Ann E. Cudd announced today that John Wallace, the David E. Epperson Endowed Chair of the School of Social Work, has been appointed vice provost for faculty diversity and development, effective July 1, 2020.

Wallace, who has secondary appointments that will continue in the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Sociology, focuses his work on entrepreneurship, science, technology, engineering, agriculture and math (ESTEAM) education for young people, youth unemployment and economic development in low-income African American communities, and the creation of social enterprises to address food access and insecurity.

“John brings extensive and exceptional service as professor, researcher, nonprofit leader and social entrepreneur to his new position, and this outstanding breadth of experience provides a unique footing from which to pursue the responsibilities of vice provost for faculty diversity and development,” Cudd said.

As vice provost for faculty diversity and development, Wallace will fill one of two part-time roles created after Laurie Kirsch announced her intent to step down as vice provost for faculty affairs, development and diversity; Lu-in Wang was named to the other position, vice provost for faculty affairs, last week.

In addition to research on adolescent problem behaviors, comprehensive community initiatives, social entrepreneurship and the role of faith-based organizations in community revitalization, Wallace has honed expertise in the areas of community organizing, community-based participatory research, health and health disparities, race and diversity, and urban neighborhoods.

On top of his academic work, John serves as senior fellow for research and community engagement for the Center on Race and Social Problems, as well as on the Plan for Pitt Strategic Planning Committee, the Pittsburgh Task Force on Public Algorithms, the Pitt Community Engagement Center in Homewood’s Community Advisory Committee, and School of Social Work’s Community Organization and Social Administration Committee and Tenure and Promotion Committee. He is also the senior pastor of Bible Center Church, located in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood.

Wallace has received myriad honors, including the BMe Leadership Award from African American Male Social Entrepreneurship, the Martin Luther King Distinguished Individual Leadership Award from CORO Pittsburgh, the Racial Justice Award from the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh and the Marilyn J. Gittell Activist Scholar Award from the Urban Affairs Association and Sage Publications.