Keith Schaefer (A&S ’71) Sees Huge Potential in The Big DIG

After receiving the Distinguished Alumni Fellow Award in 2000 and the Bill Baierl Distinguished Alumni Service Award in 2019, it would have been easy for Keith E. Schaefer (A&S ’71) to bask in these accolades and quietly step back from his volunteer roles. However, Schaefer did just the opposite. Instead, he agreed to take on the daunting task of co-chairing The Big DIG (Dietrich Inspirational Gifts: Promoting Research and Scholarship) initiative.

“I’ve been active with the Pitt Alumni Association, am currently chair of the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors, and a member of the University’s Board of Trustees, but this opportunity really excited me in a whole new way,” Schaefer said. “As good as the Dietrich School was, it is getting even better under the leadership of Dean Kathy Blee and The Big DIG is such an integral part of her vision that I wanted to be part of it.”

Schaefer has never been one to sit still. Along with his roles at Pitt, he has worked with College Track, a nonprofit organization that provides practical work experience to disadvantaged high school students; the Aspen Institute, a forum for values-based leadership; and the Hesselbein Global Academy for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, which offers student leaders from around the world a transformative, globally-minded leadership experience on the Pitt campus.

As a Pitt student, he was active on the swim team, in student government, and with his fraternity.

“I learned as much out of the classroom as I did in the classroom. It’s taking the theoretical of the classroom and applying it to organizational leadership that gave me the tools and confidence that I have carried throughout my life.” - Keith Schaefer (A&S ’71)

Schaefer is a highly accomplished executive and entrepreneur who launched his career in sales and marketing at Procter & Gamble. He founded and led multiple start-ups, including his most recent role as Chairman of City Paper Box, a Los Angeles based international manufacturer of paper products serving the foodservice industry. But for all his success and experiences, it is Pitt that sparks his fondest memories.

“Pitt changed my world. I got a great education, which allowed me to be successful in business, and that allowed me to contribute back to things I care about like the University,” Schaefer said. “There are no other four years in my life that were as enriching as my time at Pitt.”

Given his fond memories of his undergraduate experience and his understanding of the importance of life-changing experiential learning, Schaefer focuses his giving on creating funds that directly impact undergraduate students and their development—not only as scholars, but also as community members.

He created the Schaefer Endowment for Student Leadership Initiatives, the Keith E. Schaefer Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship Fund, and most recently, the Schaefer-Lucchesi Endowed Undergraduate Research Fund, which he established as part of his generous commitment to The Big DIG.

“Giving a student a chance to do research while he or she is still an undergraduate enriches the undergraduate experience and better prepares them for whatever they are going to do. And for many students, the only thing stopping them is money. That’s why we created the fund.” - Keith Schaefer

Schaefer regularly meets with the students his scholarships and other funds support and despite living in California, returns to the Pittsburgh campus several times a year. He plans to make more trips as The Big DIG progresses.

“The Big DIG is an innovative initiative that Arts and Sciences alumni and friends must support,” Schaefer said. “We will measure its success through student achievement, outstanding research, and by individuals who leave the Dietrich School and change the world. Nothing short of that will be a success.”