LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE CHAIR AT PITT TO HONOR BUHL FOUNDATION PRESIDENT DOREEN BOYCE

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 2 -- The University of Pittsburgh has received a $1.5 million gift from the Buhl Foundation to establish an endowed chair in Library and Information Science in Pitt's School of Information Sciences (SIS.)

Named in honor of Doreen Boyce, the Buhl Foundation's president, the Doreen E. Boyce Chair in Library and Information Science is one of the very few chairs established specifically for library and information science in the nation, as well as the first ever endowed chair in the country funded by a foundation in honor of a professional staff member. It is also the first endowed chair established at the University of Pittsburgh by the Buhl Foundation, and the first chair in Pitt's School of Information Sciences.

University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg expressed his appreciation to the Buhl Foundation for the endowment. "This generous support will enable us to build on the internationally recognized work of the School of Information Sciences and enable Pitt to bolster its position as a world leader in preparing librarians and information professionals to meet the challenges of the global virtual community."

"We are especially pleased that the Buhl Foundation has chosen to use this chair as a way to recognize Doreen Boyce for her tireless work in bringing the benefits of advances in information technology to the libraries of western Pennsylvania, both public and private. We are proud to have her name linked with the University in such a fitting and significant way," Nordenberg added.

The Board of Trustees of the Buhl Foundation indicated that the University's forward looking leadership was a factor in the foundation's decision, noting that Chancellor Mark Nordenberg "has demonstrated his leadership and commitment in maintaining and enhancing the quality and strength of the University's academic programs." The Board also praised School of Information Sciences Dean Toni Carbo for her "leadership and commitment to excellence."

The Foundation Board chose to have the chair named in honor of Doreen Boyce to recognize "the leadership she has shown in having the Buhl Foundation play a critical role in helping to support technological advances that contribute to the quality of life."

"The School of Information Sciences has worked consistently to shape both the role of the library and that of all information professionals in an information driven global society," said SIS Dean Toni Carbo. "The Buhl Chair will be a catalyst for positive change in the discipline and the profession by bringing in a leading scholar to work with our faculty and students in developing a research program and integrating an academic curriculum that will best address the role of the library in our networked society.

"This new chair will also contribute significantly to the school's goal of being the best in the world in integrating people, technology and knowledge within a system context for problem solving, decision making and learning. Having this chair named for Dr. Boyce is an excellent way to recognize her visionary leadership."

Boyce has served as president of the Buhl Foundation since 1982. Upon her arrival in Pittsburgh in 1962, Boyce joined the faculty of Chatham College, eventually being named to the Mary Helen Marks Chair as professor of economics. She became provost and dean of the faculty in 1974. After two years at Hood College, Maryland, Boyce assumed her position with the Buhl Foundation.

Boyce earned a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, where she received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in Higher Education in 1984, the Bicentennial Medallion of Distinction in 1987, and the School of Education Distinguished alumni Award in 1996. She has served on the board of directors of the Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania and was elected its first president in 1984. Among her many volunteer positions, Boyce is chairman of the board of Franklin and Marshall College, and a member of the board of directors of both the Council of Independent Colleges and the Carnegie Science Center. She was named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania by Governor Tom Ridge in 1996.

The Buhl Foundation was founded in 1927, the first multipurpose foundation in Pittsburgh and then one of the ten largest in the country. From its inception, the Buhl Foundation has been especially concerned with the "well-being of the citizens of the City of Pittsburgh and the County of Allegheny." Current emphases include applications of information technology in the nonprofit sector, movement of disabled and disadvantaged persons toward self-sufficiency and economic independence, and civic projects which contribute to economic development.

The School's Department of Library and Information Science is one of the premier programs of its kind in the world. More than 5,000 librarians have obtained their master's or doctoral degrees in library and information science from the School.

According to Carbo, a search will likely begin in the spring to find a scholar to hold the chair.

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