Rebecca O. Bagley has announced that she will be stepping down from her role as vice chancellor for economic partnerships on March 15.
Bagley was recruited in 2015 for a first-of-its-kind role at Pitt, where she was responsible for increasing the scale and breadth of University partnerships, as well as coordinating and expanding the University’s broad efforts in economic development. In standing up the Office of Economic Partnerships (OEP), she increased Pitt’s ability to engage with economic partners including venture capital, corporations, economic development entities and government in order to deepen connections to the global economy and accelerate growth of Pittsburgh’s regional economy.
“The University is in a strong position to build on the foundational work that Rebecca has provided,” said Senior Vice Chancellor for Research Rob Rutenbar. “I am grateful for her contributions in positioning the University to drive and shape the economic ecosystem in our region.”
During her time at Pitt, Bagley worked with senior leadership to build platforms to expand engagement with economic partners, move to strategic partnerships and elevate the “Pitt as a Partner” brand. She implemented a wide range of initiatives through collaborative and inclusive efforts between Pitt and economic enterprises, including the development of the Brookings Institutions’ report and its implementation through InnovatePGH, spearheading the regional life science strategy and the creation of the University Talent Alliance.
“It has been a great honor and privilege to serve in this role for the last four years,” said Bagley. “During this time, we were able to expand the University’s capacity for strategic alliances and set Pitt on a more expansive path to making an impact regionally, nationally and internationally.”
Bagley said that her plans include relocating her family to Big Sky, Montana, and opening up a consultancy focused on innovation and sustainability, while her husband expands his wood working business.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Economic Partnerships Cynthia Sweet will oversee OEP during the transition.