COOPER UNION BOARD ELECTS INNOVATIVE EDUCATOR JAMSHED BHARUCHA TO SERVE AS ITS 12th PRESIDENT
General
Author : Ilyse Fink
|
|
The Board of Trustees of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art has elected Dr. Jamshed Bharucha, Provost and Senior Vice President of Tufts University, to serve as its twelfth President, effective July 1, 2011.
"Dr. Bharucha exemplifies Peter Cooper''s mandate that ''the object of life is to do good.'' A truly innovative educator, Dr. Bharucha''s interdisciplinary work combines the science of learning with a profound commitment to the advancement of the critical and creative thinking skills necessary to solve our world''s problems with dedication, ingenuity, and cultural awareness. Dr. Bharucha is the ideal person to lead The Cooper Union to new heights," states Mark L. Epstein, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Cooper Union.
Dr. Bharucha has been a pioneer in studying how the brain responds to music. He is also an accomplished violinist. As an academic leader, he has been an advocate for educational innovation, including active forms of learning. At Tufts, he elevated the university''s academic stature, sparked multi-disciplinary collaboration, strengthened diversity, and led the institution''s international engagement.
Dr. Bharucha, 54, will succeed the highly successful 11-year tenure of Dr. George Campbell Jr., whose leadership guided the college toward greater fiscal stability, increased selectivity, and dramatically improved academic facilities through the award-winning development of the college''s iconic new academic building at 41 Cooper Square.
Founded by Peter Cooper, a self-taught engineer, inventor, industrialist, and philanthropist, who believed that education should be as "free as air and water," The Cooper Union has provided full-tuition scholarships to every accepted student throughout its 151 years. Offering rigorous degree programs in engineering, architecture, and the fine arts, The Cooper Union is perennially ranked among the top three engineering schools by U.S. News and World Report. Ranked first among Newsweek/Kaplan''s rankings of the nation's most desirable small colleges, The Cooper Union is one of the most selective institutions of higher education in the world.
"In a city that is a global epicenter for arts, culture, academia and innovation, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art stands out as a jewel - rare, brilliant and multifaceted. Not only has The Cooper Union produced innovative artists, architects, and engineers, it continues to function as a catalyst for social change. From The Cooper Union''s Great Hall, voices ranging from Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, to Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, to Susan Sontag and Salman Rushdie, to Newt Gingrich and Barack Obama, have not only stirred debate, but launched enduring paradigms in social and political thought. While steeped in history, the college continues to grow as a place of discovery, where talents emerge, intellects expand and characters are formed," said Dr. Bharucha.
As someone who has made a career of bridging art and science with community and global engagement, Dr. Bharucha sees this as a unique opportunity to advance Peter Cooper''s vision of a "union" between learning and discovery, discourse and action, and the liberal arts and society. "I am honored to have been selected and I look forward to joining this dynamic community founded upon the ideal of providing exceptional students with unparalleled access to academic excellence, innovation and social engagement on the basis of merit alone, regardless of their socioeconomic status," stated Dr. Bharucha.
"The Cooper Union has had many distinguished presidents over the course of its history," said Dr. Vartan Gregorian, President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. "The choice of Jamshed Bharucha as the twelfth President of this historic institution is a bold and imaginative move. He is an inspired educator, exemplary administrator, and dedicated scholar as well as a great humanist. At a time when our nation needs more interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research and teaching, The Cooper Union has reached out to a pioneer in bridging fields of study and engaging international communities. I congratulate Dr. Bharucha and The Cooper Union on moving forward into a bright future together."
Before joining Tufts, Dr. Bharucha spent his academic career at Dartmouth College, where he was the John Wentworth Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Dean of Faculty among other leadership positions. At Dartmouth, Dr. Bharucha was instrumental in launching the first MRI-based program in cognitive neuroscience. As an outstanding teacher he received the Huntington Teaching Award in 1989 and the Undergraduate Teaching Initiative Special Award in 1992. He served as editor of the interdisciplinary journal, Music Perception, was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences in 1993-94, and from 1991 to 1999 Dr. Bharucha served as a Trustee of Vassar College.
Dr. Bharucha graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar College in 1978, majoring in biopsychology. He received an M.A. in philosophy from Yale University in 1979 and received his Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Harvard University in 1983.
Upon arrival at The Cooper Union in July 2011, he will reside at the historic Stuyvesant Fish House, built in 1803 by Petrus Stuyvesant, great-grandson of Peter Stuyvesant, which was gifted to The Cooper Union in 1997, and serves as the President''s Residence.
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is a distinguished private college of architecture, engineering and art founded in 1859 by Peter Cooper, an inventor, industrialist and philanthropist. Since its establishment, all admitted undergraduate students have received full-tuition scholarships.
Follow Cooper Union on Twitter at http://twitter.com/cooperunion.
Website: http://www.cooper.edu/
Disclaimer: Please use this channel at your own discretion. These articles are contributed by our users. We are not responsible or liable for any problems related to the utilization of information of these articles.
View All Contributions
|
