Her staff describes Humphrey as dynamic, passionate, energizing, inspiring, dedicated and committed.

As she takes on the day-to-day challenges of being in charge of the 17,000-Pitt undergraduate student body; Humphrey’s energy and passion have been put to very good use over the past two and a half years since her arrival.

During this time, “she has coordinated the creation of RISE, a program that helps under-represented disadvantaged students graduate, she has spearheaded the development of the Cross Cultural Leadership Development Center to help students develop optimal leadership skills that come as a result of exposure to others unlike themselves, and has overall managed to transform every department she oversees, thereby enhancing all the systems in place that affect the quality of life of each of her students” said Deborah Walker, Humphrey’s assistant and program director for the RISE program.

DR. KATHY HUMPHREY

Dr. Shawn Brooks, director of resident life, said, “She brings a whole new dimension of energy to the department—staff and students as well.”

“In every encounter with her, she makes every individual feel as though they are the most important thing to her. We are driven by the fact that her passion is accompanied by action-it isn’t just lip service.”

Linda Williams-Moore, director of the CCLDC, was recruited by Humphrey in August 2007. She recalls when she heard her give the keynote at a conference on higher education for upper midwest schools.

“We were stunned, her speech consumed the whole room,” said Williams-Moore. “At the end we (I and my colleagues) changed our entire way of thinking. As African-American professionals we went back to our campuses with a new spirit. Kathy brings that same power of inspiration to us here.”  

The 45-year old Kansas City, Mo.-native was not looking for work when she received a call from her predecessor, Jack L. Daniel, who was about to retire after 30 years, who asked her to apply for the job as his replacement.

“I was enjoying my work as vice president of student affairs at the University of St Louis, a position I had held for 11 years,” said Humphrey. “I basically came out to the interview more curious than anything else, but it was not long before I realized my work was up in St. Louis and that I was being directed to my new mission.”

Humphrey wasted no time in bringing employees of color together. She maintains an open door policy and keeps an open mind about the diverse makeup of the entire staff and student body.

Said Brooks, “She has been successful in connecting staff and students and making sure everyone gains comfort because she looks beyond labels, dealing with each person from the perspective of their humanism not their race, ethnicity or sexual orientation—thus being true to one of the goals of the Office of Student Affairs, which is to educate the ‘whole’ student.”

Pitt is not the only place Humphrey has made a mark. Her family are active members of Macedonia Baptist Church in the Hill District. She and her husband Lyle have 16-year-old twin boys and live in Wexford.

“I am blessed with a supportive spouse who takes on much of the home responsibilities,” said Humphrey. “This enables me to respond to the demands of work, which include many late nights.”

That hard work and dedication has not gone unnoticed by the larger community. Humphrey is to received the Education Award as a Tribute to Women Honoree during the annual luncheon ceremony presented by the YWCA of Pittsburgh May 15.

She added, “Many might say my life is out of balance, but what they don’t know is that I get to do what I am called to do every single day—and honestly when I am not engaged in that, I am not happy.

“I take this task seriously, the mission of my department is to give each of these students the best collegiate experience in the country; to provide them with an education where they will develop in all areas of their life, culturally, intellectually; but also so that they become more responsible to other people,” Humphrey said. “As such for if it’s going to happen, I must ask myself every morning when I wake up, “What will I and my staff get done today?”