Announcing New Senior Vice President of Development

Dear CUIMC Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that after a nationwide search, we have appointed Kristin Davitt as senior vice president of development for Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Kris joins us from the University of Pittsburgh, where she serves as the senior vice chancellor for philanthropic and alumni engagement, and chief development officer of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). She will begin her new role with CUIMC on May 5.

Kris will lead CUIMC Development efforts to implement comprehensive fundraising strategies, including stewarding principal and transformational gifts for areas including clinical and research programs, endowed professorships, student financial aid, research fellowships, and capital projects.

Kris’ career in fundraising, alumni relations, and board engagement spans more than 30 years at academic and non-profit organizations. During Kris’ tenure leading fundraising for Pitt and UPMC, her Division of Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement secured transformational gifts that led to the naming of their David C. Frederick Honors College and the Orland Bethel Musculoskeletal Research Center and facilitated a $100 million gift from the Richard King Mellon Foundation in support of the Pitt BioForge biomanufacturing facility. Giving for scholarships, faculty support, research, and patient care grew significantly under her leadership.

Prior to joining the University of Pittsburgh in 2017, she served as associate vice president for development for undergraduate programs at the University of Pennsylvania and vice president for development at Brown University. At both institutions, she held leadership roles for multibillion-dollar fundraising campaigns. Before working in higher education, Kris held positions at several human service nonprofits in Philadelphia. She holds a master’s degree in nonprofit and human services management from Rider University and a bachelor’s degree from Brown University.

We extend our deepest thanks to Kristen Mahood, who has served as interim vice president of development since April 2024, providing exemplary guidance during a challenging moment for higher education.

We thank the search committee, led by Jack Cioffi, MD, chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Amelia Alverson, executive vice president for university development and alumni relations for their time and dedication.

Please join us in giving Kris a warm welcome to the Columbia community.

Sincerely,

Katrina Armstrong, MD
Interim President, Columbia University in the City of New York
CEO, Columbia University Medical Center

James McKiernan, MD
Interim Dean, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
CEO, ColumbiaDoctors