University of Pittsburgh Provost Receives UPB's Presidential Medal of Distinction

University of Pittsburgh Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Dr. James V. Maher, whose significant support and advocacy of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford resulted in unprecedented growth, received the Presidential Medal of Distinction at a tribute reception and dinner on Monday evening.

The presidential medal is Pitt-Bradford’s highest honor.

“Dr. Maher is loved and admired on our campus, not only because he’s an outstanding person, but also because he’s been such a staunch advocate for our campus,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, president of Pitt-Bradford.

“We could never have made the remarkable progress we made during his 16-year tenure as provost without his guidance and unabashed support. He is truly deserving of our Presidential Medal of Distinction.”

Maher said, “I deeply appreciate being given this award, and I’m really proud of all the progress our Bradford campus has made during my time as provost.”

Late last year, Maher announced that he would step down as the senior academic officer of the university, a post that he has held since 1994. He plans to return to the faculty at the start of the 2010-2011 academic year.

As part of his numerous duties as provost, Maher is responsible for overseeing Pitt’s four regional campuses and serves as the chairman of the university planning and budgeting committee and co-chairman of the facilities planning committee.

During his tenure, Pitt dramatically increased admissions applications and raised its standing as a research institution.

Before serving as provost, Maher was chairman of Pitt’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and director of the university’s Scaife Nuclear Physics Laboratory. He has published many papers and presented at conferences on nuclear physics and statistical condensed matter physics. He has been a visiting fellow at a number of other universities, including the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen and Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago.

Maher is an elected fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In addition, he manages to find time to volunteer as a board member for many prominent Western Pennsylvania nonprofits, including WQED Multimedia, St. Vincent Seminary, BioOne, Carnegie Science Center and the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative Inc.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and both his master’s and doctoral degrees in physics from Yale University.

Maher, who grew up in the Bronx, has been married to the former Angela Braunstein for 43 years; they have two children and six grandchildren.

He is the 22nd individual awarded the Presidential Medal of Distinction, which is presented to a person who has either volunteered his or her time to Pitt-Bradford for several years; supported the university either financially or with expertise or advice; served the university’s service region through community, government or business affiliation; or has made distinctive achievements in his or her field that have affected Pitt-Bradford.

Previous medal winners were Dr. William C. Conrad, Harry R. Halloran Jr. and Harvey L. Golubock, Madeline Miles, Judge John M. Cleland, Dr. Richard E. McDowell, Dennis Lowery, Edwin Clemens, Marilyn Horne, Howard Fesenmyer, Henry P. Pruch, Robert D. Galey, Lester Rice, William F. Higie, Samuel Gregg Jr., Dr. Robert C. Laing, Harriett B. Wick and Sarah B. Dorn, former U.S. Rep. John E. Peterson, Virginia L. Miles and Dr. Robert B. Bromeley.