Catherine Pope Named Pitt’s Title IX Coordinator

PITTSBURGH—Catherine “Katie” Pope has been named the University of Pittsburgh’s Title IX coordinator. In this position, she will focus on furthering the University’s commitment to preventing and addressing sexual misconduct. Among other responsibilities, she will serve as a central resource for the University community on all issues related to Title IX. Pope will play a key role in the University’s ongoing efforts to build and sustain a safe, gender-equitable campus climate for all members of the University community.

“As Title IX coordinator, Katie Pope will design and implement strategic initiatives aimed at reinforcing the University’s commitment to fostering a safe, healthy, and respectful environment for all students, faculty, and staff,” said Pamela Connelly, associate vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion. “Katie Pope brings outstanding credentials and is extremely well qualified to serve in this important role for the University.”

Pope brings to Pitt broad experiences in sexual-violence and sexual-harassment compliance education and training, with a specialized background in Title IX and the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. She most recently served as the Title IX coordinator for Allegheny College, where she held primary responsibility for ensuring institutional compliance with Title IX regulations and developed education, outreach, and training initiatives. Pope also oversaw the implementation of the college’s discrimination and sexual-harassment policy.

Pope previously worked as the Title IX deputy coordinator at Purdue University. At Purdue, she collaborated with departments on prevention-education programs and chaired a campus-wide committee on sexual-violence risk reduction and prevention.

Prior to joining Purdue, Pope was the executive director of the Assault Care Center Extending Shelter and Support, a domestic-violence and sexual-assault shelter and outreach agency, in Ames, Iowa. For the organization, she managed fundraising, grant oversight, and community volunteering initiatives. Pope also has worked in fundraising and development for nonprofit organizations and higher-education institutions, including Iowa State University, Washington University in St. Louis, and the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center in Ames.

Pope earned a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Iowa State University in 2005, a master’s degree in philanthropic studies from Indiana University in 1999, and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Dayton in 1996.

The University of Pittsburgh’s Title IX Office is housed within the University’s newly established Office of Diversity and Inclusion. The office provides leadership, resources, coordination, and oversight for Pitt’s voluntary diversity initiatives as well as ensuring equal opportunity and compliance with related governmental requirements.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a federal law, prohibits gender-based discrimination in all programs and activities in American institutions of higher education. These include, but are not limited to, admissions, advising, athletics, employment, financial aid, grievance procedures, housing, meal services, and recreation.

Pope is the University’s first full-time Title IX coordinator and succeeds Carol W. Mohamed, Pitt’s former director of diversity and inclusion and Title IX coordinator, who retired in June 2015. Pope’s appointment is effective immediately.

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