Dr. Joylette Portlock
March 4, 2026
Pitt’s University Center for Social & Urban Research (UCSUR) has been serving the region with locally relevant research for over 50 years. Now, as the University’s commitment to Community Engaged Research grows, UCSUR is charged with expanding its scope to become a hub for Community Engaged Research happening across the entire institution. UCSUR currently has two main divisions: the Western PA Regional Data Center (WPRDC) led by Bob Gradeck and the Survey & Qualitative Research (SQR) team led by Dr. Anita Zuberi. WPRDC aims to increase data access and literacy across the region, and SQR uses community-engaged methods to collect and analyze data.
Today, UCSUR is announcing the launch of a third division, the Community Impact Network, led by the Inaugural Director, Dr. Joylette Portlock. The Community Impact Network will be a home for teams of university and community members that aim to use research and action to make a positive impact on a pressing regional issue. The teams will be part of a two-year cohort and will receive start-up funding and support from UCSUR, made possible by a generous donation to the university. Dr. Portlock’s experience and expertise in building impactful teams, bridging diverse perspectives, and connecting research and action for social benefit make her the ideal leader for this Network.
Dr. Joylette Portlock has long worked in advocacy at the local, state, and federal level. In her past service as executive director of the regional nonprofit Sustainable Pittsburgh, Dr. Portlock regularly worked with cohorts from the organization’s 800+ partners in the region and across the state, including hundreds of businesses, as well as leaders in local government, and nonprofit and community organizations. Dr. Portlock holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Anthropology from MIT, and a Ph.D. in Genetics from Stanford University. She currently serves as chair of the Allegheny County Board of Health and was an appointed member of the Environmental Justice Advisory Board (EJAB) of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for two years, among many other roles in the community. Dr. Portlock has been listed in the Pittsburgh Business Times’ “Power 100” list and in City and State’s “Pittsburgh Power 100” lists multiple times. She has lived and worked in the Pittsburgh region since 2007.
Dr. Portlock shared her goals for the Community Impact Network, and for helping the university and community come together to create positive change.
How did you get interested in making a positive impact in your community?
Dr. Portlock:
I don’t know that I was ever not interested in having a positive impact. I'm a person who likes to put down roots. I was raised in a small town in Delaware, and the experience of knowing your neighbors and having a personal connection to a place was excellent training for ending up in this region. My favorite description of Pittsburgh is that unlike a lot of cities, it’s impossible to live here happily as a tourist. I believe you really have to invest yourself in your community, care about building the positive and adding value, to understand all that this region has to offer.
What do you think is most needed to ensure that university researchers are poised to be of service to their communities?
Dr. Portlock:
I know that a number of university researchers are already doing an admirable job of connecting and being of service to communities. For others, community-engaged work may be a newer concept. Listening always comes first, and I’m really looking forward to getting to know Pitt’s researchers, understand their needs as they see them, and to build connections from there. I would expect that it would help researchers accelerate impact if they had a resource that provides tools and a closer connection to each other and to best practices. UCSUR is well-positioned to be that resource.
What do you hope to accomplish at the University Center for Social & Urban Research, the University of Pittsburgh, and in our region?
Dr. Portlock:
Southwestern Pennsylvania is a place where social, environmental, and economic challenges make progress both necessary and complex. I’m excited to lend my skills to the valuable work of turning academic insight into action and creating aligned partnerships that can help researchers and communities work together --- co-creating solutions, at a critical time. I hope to build trust, foster strategic alignment, and facilitate data, insights, and impact at scale.
What can our partners at the University of Pittsburgh and in the region expect from you in this role?
Dr. Portlock:
I’m a good listener, experienced at translation across disciplines and facilitating productive conversation. I’m methodical and ambitious about results. At the same time, I like to think I have a pretty good sense of humor and try to treat everyone with respect.
There are many people who are working to unite organizations to make positive change in our region. Based on your past experiences, what advice would you give to them?
Dr. Portlock:
People often refer to the region’s fragmented nature as a core challenge of doing big things; I’ve made such comments myself. But I also like to point out that the flipside of that challenge is one of our biggest assets - there is never a shortage of people who are invested in making the region a better place. There’s always an opportunity, with more alignment and synergy, to make real gains on what seem like intractable problems.
That said, this is also a region with a long memory. So, I would encourage open-mindedness, and remaining open to partnerships and possibilities. We are all growing and learning, and there is every possibility that the future can be different, and better, than the past.