Alexander Named to Board of Directors ofCenter for Rural Pennsylvania

Dr. Livingston Alexander, president of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, has been appointed to the board of directors for the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

Alexander will represent the University of Pittsburgh, a role that had previously been filled by Dr. Robert Pack, who is retiring from the university as vice provost for academic planning and resources management.

The center is the second oldest state-level rural research policy center in the nation. It is a bipartisan legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy within the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The center works with various government groups and organizations to maximize resources for Pennsylvania’s 3.4 million rural residents. In part, it sponsors research projects, collects data on trends in rural Pennsylvania and publishes information and research results about diverse people and communities in rural Pennsylvania.

The group is led by Pennsylvania Sen. John R. Gordner, R-Berwick. Other members are Pennsylvania Rep. Tina Pickett, R-Towanda; Sen. John Wozniak, D-Johnstown; Dr. Nancy Falvo, Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education; Rep. Tim Seip, D-Washington Township; Dr. Theodore R. Alter, Pennsylvania State University; Dr. Stephan J. Goetz, Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development; and William Sturgesand and Dan A. Surra, governor’s representatives.

Alexander joined Pitt-Bradford in 2003 and implemented a campus-wide strategic plan that resulted in a new vision for the university. Among the major accomplishments resulting from his planning efforts were the development of new academic majors, a successful completion of a $13 million capital campaign, the construction of one academic building and three residence halls, the development and implementation of an integrated marketing plan, and significant increases in enrollment.