September 23, 2003

Pitt-Bradford's Third President To Be Installed During Inauguration

Dr. Livingston Alexander will be installed as the third president of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford during an inauguration ceremony next month, the first of its kind to be held at Pitt-Bradford in 30 years.

The event, which will be open to the public, will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, in the arena in the Sport and Fitness Center.

Alexander, who began his presidency on Aug. 1, will be formally installed by University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg and Provost James V. Maher. The event will be held in the arena in the Sport and Fitness Center.

“The inauguration and installation of a new president is an exciting ceremony in the life and history of any institution,” according to Dr. K. James Evans, vice president and dean of student affairs, “and Dr. Alexander assumes the leadership of Pitt-Bradford at the most momentous time in its history.

“With new buildings, record-setting enrollments, and a resolve to find new and better ways to serve its region, Pitt-Bradford begins its fifth decade not only with a new president but with a spirit of strength and optimism for the future. All of this will be recognized and celebrated at the Oct. 2 inauguration, and we hope that friends from the community will attend.”

The ceremony will begin with a formal procession into the arena by Pitt-Bradford faculty and staff along with representatives from other colleges and universities.

One of the speakers at the event will be Dr. Antoine M. Garibaldi, president of Gannon University, who was one of Alexander’s classmates in the seminary.

Following the ceremony, which is expected to take about an hour, a public reception will be held in the Sport and Fitness Center where Alexander and his wife, Evelyn, will greet guests.

Alexander, who was named president of Pitt-Bradford on April 24, is Pitt-Bradford’s third president in its 40-year history. The university’s first president, Dr. Donald Swarts, served from 1963 to 1973. Replacing Swarts was Dr. Richard E. McDowell, who served as Pitt-Bradford’s president from 1973 to 2002.

Prior to coming to Pitt-Bradford, Alexander was provost and vice president for academic affairs at Kean University in Union, N.J. He has held several other administrative positions, including serving as vice president for academic affairs at Troy State University in Montgomery, Ala., and associate vice president for academic affairs at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky.

Alexander began his career in higher education as a teacher. He worked as an assistant professor of psychology at Western Kentucky University from 1977 until 1982, when he was promoted to associate professor. He was promoted to professor in 1986.

He has written numerous publications and has given many presentations in such areas as learning, cognition, planning and assessment. During the last 12 years, he has been a frequent presenter at seminars and training workshops on leadership and diversity at colleges, universities, national conferences and professional associations throughout the country.

Alexander earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1970 from St. Joseph Seminary College in Washington, D.C., an affiliate of the Catholic University of America. He earned both a master’s degree in curriculum in 1973 and a doctorate in educational psychology in 1977, both from the University of Houston, Texas.

A native of Breaux Bridge, La., he and his wife have three children.