Former Tufts Vice President of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Mel Bernstein began work as provost of Brandeis University last week, three months after he announced his decision to leave Tufts.
The move came shortly after the Board of Trustees selected Larry Bacow to replace outgoing president John DiBiaggio. Bernstein, however, called it coincidental that his announcement came shortly after Bacow's selection. He described his decision as "bittersweet," but said that he was not leaving because of the new president or for any personal reasons.
"The reasons were not because I was unhappy with the University," he said last week in an interview with the Daily.
Though Bernstein had indicated interest in the Tufts' presidency, the search committee made the decision to focus on candidates from outside the University community. "I was never a real candidate," Bernstein said. "The trustees made the decision that almost all attention would be outside Tufts."
Bacow has not yet outlined his plans for restructuring the arts, sciences, and engineering administration, nor has he decided whether the position held by Bernstein will be retained on a permanent basis. He has given himself an October deadline for making this decision.
Ioannis Miaoulis, dean of engineering, and Susan Ernst, dean of natural and social sciences, are assuming Bernstein's responsibilities on an interim basis.
Uncertainty surrounding his future at Tufts and a timely offer from Brandeis prompted Bernstein's decision. "I loved my time at Tufts, but the timing was just right," Bernstein said. "The larger frame of provost appeals to me."
While serving as vice president, Bernstein expressed interest in becoming Tufts' next provost, should the position become available. Provost Sol Gittleman, however, has not announced when he will retire.
Berstein said he is excited to work in the highest academic post at Brandeis after ten years in the same position at Tufts. "People understand individuals move on," he said.
Brandeis President Jehuda Reinharz highlighted Bernstein's potential to elevate Brandeis' stature in a press release announcing his selection. "Dr. Bernstein will have a critical role to play in helping to move Brandeis to a new level of excellence," Reinharz wrote.
Only one month before announcing his departure, Bernstein told the Daily that he was not planning to leave Tufts. During a late April interview, he said he would consider any offers made to him, but said he was comfortable at Tufts.
"If opportunities present themselves, you have to sort of consider them," he said. But, he added, "it's hard to imagine a more interesting job then what I'm doing."
Though his responsibilities as provost will be broader than those he had at Tufts, Bernstein said he felt his experience as an administrator and an academic left him prepared for the position.
Only the second vice president of arts, sciences, and engineering at Tufts, Bernstein oversaw the daily operation of the undergraduate schools. Though he reported to Gittleman, who oversees academics on a University-wide level, Bernstein said he saw himself as the CEO for arts, sciences, and engineering.
During his ten-year tenure, Bernstein spent time responding to student and faculty concerns and was instrumental in establishing a "diversity fund" to address complaints
that Tufts was not doing enough to attract minorities. Over the past ten years, minority representation in both the undergraduate population and the faculty has increased.
Bernstein also introduced programs to strengthen departments within arts and sciences, and between engineering and arts and sciences. He worked on student life issues, such as funding a pilot weekend shuttle from Tufts to Boston and heading a committee to evaluate Tufts' block schedule.
Bernstein received his BS, MS, and PhD from Columbia University. Before coming to Tufts, he spent 15 years at Carnegie Mellon University before joining the Illinois Institute of Technology as its chancellor. He serves on the Board of Overseers of the Boston Museum of Science and is a member of the National Materials Advisory board.
