Photo by Angie Chen
Nicola Pitchford, Ph.D., has been appointed associate vice president for academic affairs and associate chief academic officer, effective Aug. 1.
The appointment, as announced by Stephen Freedman, Ph.D., senior vice president/chief academic officer at Fordham, is part of a larger reorientation of academic priorities at the University.
“I am very pleased to announce Dr. Pitchford’s appointment,” Freedman said. “She is an outstanding educator and an accomplished scholar. Having chaired the Department of English, one of the largest of the Arts and Sciences departments, Dr. Pitchford proved herself a skilled, effective administrator.”
An associate professor of English, Pitchford joined the Fordham faculty in 1995. In her new role, she will collaborate with administrators, academic units and faculty on curricular and programmatic development, assessment, faculty development and other strategic initiatives that advance the educational mission of the University.
“This is a challenging but also an exciting moment for Fordham,” Pitchford said. “I’m deeply pleased to have this opportunity to assist and learn from Dr. Freedman, in his ongoing commitment to fostering curricular initiatives and other programs that play to Fordham’s strengths and to its potential.
“I particularly look forward to helping to support the best possible conditions for faculty to thrive within the University, through my role’s focus on faculty development and on coordinating the work of Academic Affairs with full, effective faculty governance.”
In addition to her tenure as chair, Pitchford chaired the English department’s tenure and reappointment subcommittee and served for two years on the Faculty Senate committee on revising procedures for candidates for renewal, tenure, and promotion. She was also co-director of the Literary Studies Program at Lincoln Center and served for many years on the literary studies executive committee. She has also been the graduate director of the Department of English.
Pitchford earned a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing from Pomona College, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
At Fordham, she has taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses including Contemporary British Fiction, Contemporary Literature (Honors), and the Poetry Writing Workshop. Pitchford is the author of Tactical Readings: Feminist Postmodernism in the Novels of Kathy Acker and Angela Carter (Bucknell, 2002). Her published articles and reviews have appeared in respected journals and edited collections, including Contemporary Literature, Modern Fiction Studies, and American Literary History.
Joel R. Reidenberg, Ph.D, who held the post of associate vice president for academic affairs and associate chief academic officer, will return full-time to the School of Law as professor of law and academic director of the Center on Law and Information Policy.
“In returning to the faculty after a very productive year of service in Academic Affairs, Dr. Reidenberg brings with him a wealth of valuable administrative leadership experience. I would like to warmly thank him for his many accomplishments in Academic Affairs and in the service of the University,” Freedman said. “Fordham is indeed rich in talent, among both its faculty and administration.”
