Pittsburgh Technical College Appoints Alicia B. Harvey-Smith, Ph.D. President
Learning-Centered Educator Has National Profile as Academic Leader
Pittsburgh Technical College (PTC), formerly Pittsburgh Technical Institute, has appointed Alicia B. Harvey-Smith, Ph.D., president, effective July 1, 2019. With nearly three decades of experience in academic leadership, Dr. Harvey-Smith was the unanimous choice of the College’s Presidential Search Committee and Board of Trustees.
“Pittsburgh Technical College could not be more pleased to welcome Dr. Alicia B. Harvey-Smith. Throughout her career, Dr. Harvey-Smith has embraced the values that are the foundation PTC is built on – providing an immersive, career-focused education,” said Eli Shorak, chair of PTC’s Presidential Search Committee. “She is a deeply engaged leader who has a demonstrated history of emphasizing skills-based, experiential education, the very tenets of PTC.”
In acknowledging the appointment, Dr. Harvey-Smith said, “I am deeply honored and excited to serve as the next president of Pittsburgh Technical College, and I thank the board for their confidence and support as we embark upon this exciting journey together.”
Dr. Harvey-Smith is a learning-centered educator with 30 years of experience in leadership, strategic planning, enrollment management, government and corporate partnerships, and student achievement. She is currently the Executive Vice Chancellor of Lone Star College in Houston, one of the largest college systems in the country.
There she led system-wide efforts for strategic planning and assessment with internal and external constituencies.
In her current role, Dr. Harvey-Smith also serves as accreditation liaison for Lone Star College. Her multiple years of postsecondary leadership have made her knowledgeable of regional accreditation standards and principles, a valuable asset to PTC and the college’s Middle States Commission on Higher Education (msche.org) accreditation.
“I look forward to working with the College’s board, faculty, staff, students, alumni and community stakeholders to write the next chapter of the Pittsburgh Technical College story, to build upon its legacy of achievement and to position it as a college of first choice among associate- and bachelor-degree-granting institutions.”
Dr. Harvey-Smith’s previous experience includes serving as President and CEO of River Valley Community College in New Hampshire and as Vice President of Student Affairs at Baltimore City Community College.
Dr. Harvey-Smith earned a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland; Master of Science degree from The Johns Hopkins University; Bachelor of Science degree from Morgan State University, and a Certificate of Completion from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education Seminars for Presidential Leadership. Her presidential peers elected her to the Board of Directors of the American Association of Community Colleges, and she served on the Association’s Executive Board.
“We are deeply indebted to Eileen Riley Steffan, Ed.D. (A.B.D.), for serving as Interim President over the past year,” said Harold Maley, Chair, PTC Board of Trustees. “Her steadfast leadership ensured that PTC continued to advance in our mission to provide employers career-ready graduates.”
Dr. Harvey-Smith will join the PTC campus in August of this year and will work with the Board of Trustees and campus community to execute PTC’s leadership agenda.
CONTACT:
Jayme Holloway
Executive Assistant
(412) 809-5304
jayme.holloway@ptcollege.edu