Leo Wegemer (A&S ’73) knows a thing or two about service to the community and the country. The 20-year Air Force veteran volunteers his time, talent, and treasure to groups such as Habitat for Humanity, the Rheumatology Research Foundation, Cristo Rey High School, and Pitt’s Hesselbein Global Academy for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement. He’s also a very active alumnus, serving on the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors and most recently, as the co-chair of The Big DIG (Dietrich Inspirational Gifts: Promoting Research and Scholarship) initiative.
“It’s a real privilege for me to be part of this effort,” said Wegemer. “It allows me to meet other alumni, learn what they are doing, and give them a chance to give back to what is the heart of the University.”
Wegemer is right to describe the Dietrich School as the heart of the University. More than 11,000 undergraduate and 1,300 graduate students are pursuing degrees within the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences at any given time and each year, thousands of additional Pitt students take courses from our professors as part of other University degree programs.
And he has firsthand experience when it comes to the lure of an Arts and Sciences education.
Leo started at Pitt in the School of Engineering but he soon realized that his true interest lay in the broader field of science and switched majors to chemistry with the goal of graduating with the wide perspective that comes from a liberal arts degree.
In all, he says his time at Pitt was an eye-opening experience.
“I came from a very small town and was immersed in a very diverse environment at Pitt. It gave me a much broader perspective of the world. That is one of the best things the Dietrich School has to offer; it helps you form your thinking.” - Leo Wegemer (A&S ’73)
Wegemer’s career in the Air Force took him around the globe and allowed him to earn an MBA, a JD, and an LLM. More importantly, it led to him meeting his wife, Teresa, who was also an officer in the Air Force. After leaving the military, the couple joined Lockheed Martin where they completed a second 20-year career crisscrossing the country before their final assignment in Texas.
“While I was away from Pittsburgh, the University—especially the Dietrich School—grew into the leader that it is today,” said Wegemer. “What’s exciting about the school right now is to see the vision in place that enables our students and faculty to do groundbreaking work that will change the community and the world for the better.”
In 2014, the couple advanced their commitment to top-level STEM instruction by creating the Leo B. and Teresa Y. Wegemer Endowed Chair in Chemistry. The fund supports the recruitment, salary, teaching, research, and professional development of the faculty member who holds the Chair. As part of their generous support of The Big DIG, the Wegemers recently committed to funding the Leo B. and Teresa Y. Wegemer Endowed STEM Fellowship.
“Endowed chairs and faculty support have a lasting impact on the faculty that receive them, their area of study, the students they mentor and teach, and the University they serve,” - Leo Wegemer
In addition to the Endowed Chair in Chemistry, the couple supports other Pitt programs, including the General Scholarship Fund and the Cathedral Preservation Fund.
“We have been fortunate in our careers and we owe more than a small portion to the education that we received,” said Wegemer. “Now it’s our turn—yours and mine—to give back and to establish a firm foundation for the students and our school by supporting the four pillars of The Big DIG: Needs-Based Scholarships, Undergraduate Research, Fellowships and Graduate Support, and Faculty Chairs and Professorships.”