Contact: Sammy McDavid
Photo by: Megan Bean
Lori Mann Bruce is the new associate vice president for academic affairs and graduate school dean at Mississippi State.
Bruce, associate dean of the university's Bagley College of Engineering since 2008, succeeds the retiring Louis D'Abramo. Like D'Abramo, she is a William L. Giles Distinguished Professor, MSU's highest faculty rank.
The appointment is pending formal approval by the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning. She will be the first woman to lead MSU's graduate school.
"We are delighted that Dr. Bruce has agreed to be our next associate vice president and dean of the Graduate School," said Jerry Gilbert, provost and executive vice president.
"As dean, she will build on the great progress made under Dr. D'Abramo," Gilbert added, noting that she has "an outstanding record of research and experience in graduate education, with 13 years of experience at MSU."
Enrolling nearly 4,000 students, the MSU Graduate School currently offers more than 130 doctoral, master's, specialist and bachelor's/master's degree programs.
Bruce is a University of Alabama in Huntsville doctoral graduate in electrical and computer engineering. She also holds a UAH bachelor's degree in electrical and computer engineering, as well as a master's in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Prior to coming to MSU, she was an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Over her academic career, she has received several teaching awards and National Science Foundation research fellowships.
In a candidate statement submitted as part of her interview, Bruce said her vision for the Graduate School was based on a belief "that graduate programs should encompass diverse areas of study, provide a foundation for the continuing evolution of new knowledge and foster leadership."
Gilbert praised Bruce's career accomplishments, adding, "She has a great vision for enhancing graduate education at MSU."