The chancellor’s office is located on the first floor of the Cathedral of Learning. Directly responsible to the University’s board of trustees, the chancellor also serves as the representative of the students, staff, faculty, and administration to the board. Patrick G. Gallagher (pictured) took office as Pitt's 18th chancellor on Aug. 1, 2014.
The chief executive of the University of Pittsburgh has been called “chancellor” since 1871. Before that, the head of the University was known as the “principal,” but the trustees believed that title was more appropriate for a schoolmaster than the leader of an institute of higher learning.