Although new Provost David Glassman has been working since this summer, students may not have seen him since they returned to campus.
He wants that to change.
“I plan to be very active and visible on campus,” he said. “Students will see me at any numbers of activities such as Late Night BU, sporting events, student music and theatre performances and many other student events.”
Glassman began his career in higher education as a professor at colleges including Virginia Tech, Texas State University at San Marcos and the University of Southern Indiana before becoming the dean of the College of Liberal Arts there. Glassman said he believes his experience at the schools has helped prepare him for his job here at Bradley.
“I’ve served as a faculty senator, chair of an academic department and dean of a liberal arts college before coming to Bradley,” Glassman said. “At each institution I gained progressively more experience as an academic as well as an administrator.”
Along with his work at a variety of universities, Glassman has been involved with hundreds of police investigations in his profession as a forensic anthropologist, being called upon to examine unidentified human remains to determine identity and the manner of death.
“People often ask me about my work and what I consider was my most interesting case,” Glassman said. “I can tell you that in the over 300 cases I have been involved in, each one was unique and all of them were interesting.”
The most famous case that Glassman was involved with was the 1995 kidnap and murder of American Atheists founder Madalyn O’Hair and members of her family.
“I led the crime scene excavations and the subsequent laboratory identification examination for the FBI in this case,” Glassman said. “My work on this case and others has been featured in a number of television programs.”
Glassman said he thinks his experience will help him assist students and faculty to help reach Bradley’s mission statement.
“I bring to Bradley a great deal of experience and leadership in promoting excellence in student learning and faculty development,” Glassman said. “I love the academy and believe wholeheartedly that an excellent university education is the pathway for developing successful leaders, innovators and productive citizens.”
One of Glassman’s other priorities for the year is hoping to correct some of the problems with the library. He plans on forming a task force made up of students and faculty to determine a way that the library can be more useful to students.
“I want it to be a destination for students,” Glassman said.
Glassman looks forward to increasing Bradley’s recognition across the country.
“We have a wonderful combination of talented students and outstanding faculty,” Glassman said. “This is a winning combination for success. I also look forward to becoming involved in developing Bradley into a university of national distinction. Increasing the national prestige of Bradley will benefit all current students, alumni and faculty because it will increase the value of a Bradley diploma.”
