The Open Door: Dr. Kathy Humphrey Guests on PittsburgHER Podcast

Talent can take a person far, but as Carlow University President Kathy Humphrey, PhD, shared during a recent appearance on the PittsburgHER podcast, talent alone cannot always open a closed door. 

“There’s so much power in an open door,” she said. “You can be as good as good can be. But if a door never opens, you’re good outside that door.” 

Dr. Humphrey joined hosts DJ Femi, Kristy Graver, and Rachael Rennebeck for the type of candid, unscripted conversation that has become the signature of PittsburgHER. Produced by Pittsburgh Magazine in collaboration with YaJagoff Media, the biweekly podcast brings local women together to discuss topics pulled from a “magnolia bowl.” 

When the conversation turned to the women who had shaped her life, Dr. Humphrey reflected on those who recognized her potential, challenged her, and encouraged her to pursue opportunities she may not have imagined for herself. Again and again, she said, women in her life told her she was capable of more.

Opening the Door for Someone Else

Those experiences continue to shape how President Humphrey understands leadership. Walking through an open door creates an opportunity, but it also carries a responsibility to hold that door open for someone else. 

“To whom much is given, much is required,” she said. “You’re not just getting this for yourself… Carlow was created to provide opportunities to those who didn’t have opportunity… It was created to meet the next great need.” 

Founded by the Sisters of Mercy, Carlow has long prepared students to use their education in service to others. While a degree from any institution might help open professional or financial doors, Carlow graduates are asked to consider what they will do with the opportunities they have received and whose path they might help clear next.

Our Connectedness

For Dr. Humphrey, that responsibility begins with being present for the students already walking through Carlow’s doors. On PittsburgHER, she spoke about visiting the dining hall, sitting with students, and making a point to learn their names. Those conversations give her an opportunity to hear directly about their experiences, ambitions, and concerns. 

She doesn’t view that personal connection as separate from the work of leading a university. It is part of the work.  “If you go to a school like Carlow, the president should spend time with you,” she said. “They should know you.” 

Knowing students personally allows a university to recognize their talents and help them identify possibilities they have not yet seen for themselves. In that way, the women who opened doors for Humphrey remain present in the way she now leads. “We cannot forget the power of our humanity and our connectedness as humans,” she said. 

For a university president, that means knowing the students she serves. For an educator, mentor, or leader, it means noticing potential and helping create an opportunity for it to grow. Sometimes, it begins simply by opening a door. 

Listen to Dr. Kathy Humphrey’s full conversation with the women of PittsburgHER below.