John Dennis O'Connor (born 1942) is an American biologist and was the sixteenth

chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

(1991–1995) of the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

Career

In addition to the University of Pittsburgh, O'Connor has held executive positions at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

, the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

, the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

, and the

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD i ...

. A

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

, O'Connor was on the faculty at UCLA, serving as dean of the life sciences for six years and chair of the Department of Biology for two years. At the University of North Carolina, he was vice chancellor of research and graduate studies and dean of the graduate school before being appointed vice chancellor of academic affairs, and provost in 1988. He became chancellor at Pitt in 1991, following the retirement of Wesley Posvar. However, he resigned in 1995, after a series of disputes with the board of trustees. O'Connor joined the Smithsonian Institution in December 1995 as the Institution's first provost. He was responsible for planning, integration and oversight of research, exhibitions, and education for the 16 museums and galleries and 6 research centers. In 2002 the

named him vice president for research and dean of the graduate school. He resigned this post effective July 1, 2004, and assumed the position of professor in the Department of Biology. According to the ''Diamondback'', the University of Maryland newspaper, O'Connor was deemed responsible for overallocating graduate student fellowships, an error creating a domino effect that has left the graduate school in a multimillion-dollar deficit.

Education

The Chicago native holds a bachelor's degree from

Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic Church, ...

, a master's from

DePaul University DePaul University is a private university, private Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission, Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from ...

, and a Ph.D. from

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

Family

He is married to Anne O'Connor, a specialist in oncology nursing. They have three children.

References

Living people 21st-century American biologists Chancellors of the University of Pittsburgh Loyola University Chicago alumni DePaul University alumni Northwestern University alumni Scientists from Chicago University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faculty University of California, Los Angeles faculty University of Maryland, College Park faculty 1942 births {{US-academic-administrator-1940s-stub