Kornelia Tancheva

Hillman University Librarian and Director of the University Library System at the University of Pittsburgh

Tancheva is originally from Bulgaria, where she graduated with an MA in English from Sofia University where she then worked as an assistant professor of English language and literature before moving to the United States. She earned her PhD in American drama and theatre from Cornell University in 1996 and has been teaching classes in drama and theatre, English language and literature, and English as a second language since 1986 at Sofia University, Ithaca College, and Cornell University. More recently, she developed and is teaching MA courses on Theatre and Drama in the Age of the Internet and Introduction to Drama and theatre in Africa at Sofia University.

In 1997, Tancheva switched careers to librarianship and worked for 20 years at the Cornell University Library in progressively more responsible positions—instruction coordinator; director of collections, reference, instruction, and outreach; director of Olin, Uris, and the Annex Libraries; and associate university librarian for Research and Learning Services.

In May 2017, she assumed the university librarian position at the University of Pittsburgh. She also holds an MLS degree from the Syracuse University School of Information Science. Tancheva has published extensively in drama and theatre, as well as librarianship, and has been the PI on a number of grants. Her current research interests include digital humanities, user-centered research, and library administration.

At Pitt, she has been working on setting strategic priorities for the ULS in support of the academic success of faculty, the academic and post-graduation success of students, community engagement, diversity and inclusion, and raising the profile of Pitt’s Library nationally and internationally, through focusing on acquiring unique special collections, creating spaces and programming that encourage experiential learning, and strengthening research support, especially in data management and digital scholarship.