Lisa Lambert has been officially named the twenty-first president of Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has led the university on an interim basis since June.
Chatham University enrolls over 1,500 undergraduate students, 70 percent of whom are women. The university also has a graduate population of about 800 students.
Before her interim appointment, Dr. Lambert was Chatham’s provost and vice president of academic affairs. She first joined the university in 1985 as a biology faculty member. Over the past four decades, she has held a variety of key leadership roles including department chair, founding program director of the master’s degree in biology, associate dean for academic affairs, and assistant vice president of undergraduate learning.
As a scholar, Dr. Lambert focuses her research on the evolution of genes in iron transport and regulation. Throughout her career, she has done sabbaticals at the University of Pittsburgh, Duke University, and Harvard University.
“Chatham has been a central part of my life for many years, and I am truly grateful and honored to be named Chatham University’s president,” said Dr. Lambert.” As President, I look forward to collaborating closely with our students, faculty, staff, and alumni as we focus on the university’s mission and Chatham’s continued engagement in Pittsburgh and the western Pennsylvania region.”
A native of Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, Dr. Lambert holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and a Ph.D. in genetics from Indiana University.


