Bruno says college needs to tell its story

St. Mary's trustees to discuss selection Saturday

Friday, Oct. 2, 2009

By JESSE YEATMAN

Staff writer

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Bruno

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Joseph W. Bruno said he would bring a scientific mind with a liberal arts perspective if selected as the next president of St. Mary's College of Maryland.

Bruno, 54, currently serves as the vice president for academic affairs and provost at Wesleyan University. His research earlier in life specialized in organometallic chemistry and he taught for years as a chemistry professor before joining the administrative ranks of the private college in Connecticut.

Asked why he was willing to leave Wesleyan, Bruno said that while it is never a good time to leave a position such as provost or president where there are always new initiatives under way, "All of us have to feel free to pursue our aspirations.

"I see all types of possibilities for me to use my skills and background," he said.

Bruno, the fourth and final finalist to become the next president of St. Mary's College to visit the campus, was a first-generation college student from his family. "Fortunately, my parents knew college was a good thing," he said.

While attending and graduating from Augustana College in Illinois worked out for Bruno, he said that is not always the case for students who have to make a college choice without much help.

"I would like to be in a position to help students make that decision more thoughtfully," Bruno said.

Bruno completed his graduate work at Northwestern University, where he earned a doctorate in chemistry in 1983. He began teaching chemistry at Wesleyan a year later and worked his way up the academic ladder.

The private college has more than 3,000 students on a 360-acre campus.

As dean and now provost at the college, Bruno said he worked to develop interdisciplinary courses so faculty and students can recognize the value of science in other aspects of learning.

While at a private college Bruno did not have to campaign for state funds, he said he and his colleagues did reach out to local officials. "We work hard to cultivate that relationship and make it a strong one," he said. He would invite politicians to campus and talk about how they can help each other, he said. "We're not just here to ask for help, we're also here to offer help," he said, adding that the college needs to provide the rationale for accepting large amounts of money from the state.

The college president should tout the contribution to the local and state economies by faculty and students who spend money locally at county businesses and alumni who contribute to the tax base by staying in Maryland with high-paying jobs, he said.

Bruno said that the St. Mary's College story needs to be told in a better and more efficient way. He would like to find ways to get more high school students to visit the campus, especially during the summer, to help them find out about the campus' charm. "I think [St. Mary's College of Maryland's] biggest problem is getting the message out more effectively," Bruno said in response to a faculty question.

When asked how he would help faculty achieve high-level instruction, Bruno said, "The best support one can give is hire the type of faculty that is committed to that."

He said it should be the faculty's goal to set high standards for itself, and the job of the president to make sure those standards are met.

Bruno said he is a strong believer in the study abroad program and would like to tap the "intellectual firepower" of the student body to help glean information to solve issues that may arise.

While he would welcome comments and opinions from the community about campus projects and issues, he said, "At some point, some decision has to be made," and that hopefully what is in the best interest of the college meshes with the outside community.

Bruno is on the board of directors for the American Conference of Academic Deans.

The other finalists are Katherine Conway-Turner, James Bacchus and MaryAnn Baenninger. A decision could be made during a college trustee meeting on Saturday, Oct. 3, although it is unlikely it would be announced until a contract is finalized.

jyeatman@somdnews.com

To weigh in

Community members and others can give feedback on the presidential finalists for St. Mary's College of Maryland to the board of trustees via the board's secretary, Tom Botzman, by e-mail at tjbotzman@smcm.edu.

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