Dean Burke recently announced that Velpandi Ayyavoo, PhD, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, has agreed to serve as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at Pitt Public Health, effective December 1, 2015. The associate dean for faculty affairs oversees all faculty activities including the appointments, promotions, and tenure process. Velpandi will take the reins from Todd Reinhart, ScD, who will be leaving the University of Pittsburgh to take a position as Dean of Sciences and Health Professions at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. Velpandi is working with Todd to review all of the responsibilities of the position and ensure that there is a smooth transition.
Velpandi joined the Pitt Public Health faculty in 2000 and became professor of IDM in 2013. Velpandi’s contributions and successes are numerous: she has authored or co-authored more than 70 publications, brought in more than $6 million in extramural support, served on more than 60 dissertation and thesis committees, mentored 15 post doctoral fellows in her laboratory and serves as reviewer in NIH study section and other national and international funding agencies. She is currently serving as the IDM graduate program director. Velpandi’s research group focuses on understanding how HIV-1 regulates the host at the cellular and molecular level and developing antiviral strategies.
In stepping into her role as associate dean for faculty affairs, Velpandi has outlined the following priorities: to increase support for career development of junior faculty members; to participate in efforts to diversify the faculty; and to seek advice from faculty their key issues and concerns regarding issues related to faculty recruitment, promotion, and tenure. She will continue as professor of IDM, which includes teaching in both the laboratory and classroom. Velpandi holds a MS in biology and PhD in physiology from Madurai Kamaraj University in Madurai, India and certificate in Academic Entrepreneurship and Executive Training in Academic Leadership from University of Pittsburgh.
Please join in welcoming Velpandi to her new role.
11/24/2015