A 1997 graduate of 花椒直播 has been appointed as the new executive director of the nationally renowned museum and gardens at The Frick Pittsburgh.
The Frick鈥檚 Board of Trustees in April 2025 tabbed Amanda Dunyak Gillen to take the reins of the treasured museum located in Pittsburgh鈥檚 East End. Gillen had served as the organization’s interim executive director since November 2024. Before that, she had been the Frick鈥檚 director of learning and visitor experience since 2013. Gillen has worked at the Frick for more than 20 years in the curatorial, education and learning departments.
鈥淭here is so much happening at the Frick. It鈥檚 an exciting time to be in this new leadership role,鈥� Gillen says.
She credits her background as a history major and elementary education minor at Allegheny provided her with a strong base for her leadership position at the Frick.
My entire education at Allegheny, and particularly as a history major, taught me how to read and think critically, how to write and express my ideas, and how to think about the bigger picture,鈥� Gillen says. 鈥淢y professors in the History Department 鈥攑articularly Paula Treckel, Stephen Lyons, and Bruce Clayton鈥攚ere incredible and brilliant, and their classes challenged me to think holistically about history in ways I still do today.
Gillen says she is extremely proud of the experiences the museum has provided during her years at the Frick. 鈥淭here is nothing better than meeting visitors around campus who are having a wonderful time exploring, learning new things, and being together. Many of the initiatives I鈥檝e been able to work on contribute to this success,鈥� she says.
For example, Gillen was part of the design team that created the Frick鈥檚 beautiful Grable Visitor Center, expanded the Car & Carriage Museum, created a new on-site collections storage space, and designed a new Education Center in the heart of campus.
鈥淐reating them was a museum educator鈥檚 dream,鈥� she says. 鈥淢ore recently, I was part of the team that undertook a reinterpretation project around our tour of Clayton, the home of Pittsburgh industrialist Henry Clay Frick and his family, which is on our site. Now, the tour looks at Frick through the lens of power and his impact on the city while considering the stories of steelworkers and domestic laborers. The tour has won several awards from state and national history organizations, and I鈥檓 very proud of that.鈥�
Gillen, who grew up in Charleroi, Pa., says she has remained active in community service through the years, an important commitment she embraced at Allegheny. 鈥淚 recently finished my six-year term on the board of the Historical Society of Mount Lebanon, and still volunteer there as I can, as it is a terrific organization supporting the history of the community. For the past several years, I have been on the board of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, the region鈥檚 professional museum organization, which is incredibly rewarding.鈥�
Gillen, who earned a master鈥檚 degree in public history from Duquesne University, says she has maintained many friendships she developed as a Gator.
鈥淪ome of my very, very best friends are my Allegheny friends,鈥� says Gillen. 鈥淚鈥檓 fortunate that many of us live in the Pittsburgh area, and I鈥檓 still so close with Allegheny friends who don鈥檛. Our friendships have seen everything happen in the last almost 30 years鈥攇etting married, building our careers, having and raising kids, traveling together, and generally just being there for each other every step of the way. Even some people I don鈥檛 see any more hold a very special place in my heart. The days I spent at Allegheny absolutely made me who I am today, and for that I am so grateful.鈥�
Gillen lives in Mt. Lebanon, Pa., with her husband, Eric, and their daughter Josie.