Rob Strauss, Ed.D., is the Director of Administration & Operations for the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In his role, he oversees and leads all administrative, financial, and organizational operational activities for the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE). Rob also actively participates in efforts to organize, prioritize, and address critical issues across the organization and acts in collaboration with other OIE staff to coordinate and integrate departmental planning, objective setting, and initiatives, ensuring they are aligned to university goals and strategies.
Previously, Rob was the Director of Business Administration with Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration (Pitt Business). His role led finance, human resources, and marketing efforts at Pitt Business, and also the day-to-day operations of the Dean’s Office. In addition, Rob spearheaded various strategic initiatives such as Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts, shaping the workplace of the future, and the COVID-19 response for Pitt Business.
Rob has been with Pitt since 2017 and started as a Finance Manager in the School of Computing and Information. Before joining Pitt, Rob was in corporate finance with UPMC as a member of their Financial Management Rotation (FMR) Program. At UPMC, Rob worked in corporate accounting, hospital FP&A, and strategic initiatives and clinical affairs.
Rob graduated from Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA) with a degree in accounting and a minor in Communication. He received his master’s degree in Higher Education Management (M.Ed.) and doctorate in Higher Education Administration (Ed.D) from the University of Pittsburgh.
Outside of Pitt, Rob is a proud husband, father, and board member of the Juniata College Alumni Council.