Robert H. Bruininks
Member

Robert H. Bruininks was appointed the 15th President of the University of Minnesota on November 8, 2002. His appointment as president is the culmination of nearly 35 years of service to the University as professor, dean, and most recently, executive vice president and provost.

President Bruininks is strongly committed to the University of Minnesota's responsibilities, as a public land-grant research university, to the State and its citizens. As President, he has introduced initiatives to strengthen the University's service culture and productivity, and to better connect the University's research strengths to the community's needs. His strong interest in public policy and regional economic development is evidenced through his active leadership in the Great Northern Alliance and the Itasca Project, organizations addressing critical issues affecting regional development. He is also a member of the Citizens League, as well as other partnerships and organizations that work for the public good.

Initially joining the University's faculty as an assistant professor of educational psychology, Bruininks's career has centered around human development, accountability, policy research and development, and strategic improvement in the fields of pre K-12 and higher education. As a researcher, he has authored or co-authored nearly 90 journal articles and more than 70 book chapters, as well as training materials and several nationally standardized tests. Bruininks has made substantial contributions to University research and teaching programs. He has served as principal investigator on over $22 million in grants and contracts secured from different federal, state and private agencies to support research, teaching and outreach programs.

His commitment to research and public scholarship at the University is reflected in his personal efforts to found and co-found centers, consortia, and programs devoted to interdisciplinary education, research, and outreach, including the National Center on Educational Outcomes, the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Community Living, and the Institute on Community Integration.

For his many contributions to education, Bruininks has been honored with numerous awards. From 1981 to 1984, he held a Kellogg Foundation National Leadership Fellowship. He has served as president of the American Association on Mental Retardation, and has been elected to Fellow status with that organization, as well as with the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Society. Most recently, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Bruininks to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board for a term beginning in 2003 and continuing through September 2006. Beginning in 2004, Bruininks will also serve as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Washington-based Committee for Economic Development.

Bruininks and his wife, Dr. Susan Hagstrum, have three grown sons and one grandson.

 Back to the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Members