Dr. Bruce Bergland came to IU Northwest on July 1, 1999 from Trinity College of Vermont where he served as vice president for academic and student affairs. He also served as professor of basic and applied sciences, and academic dean. His first months at IUN included an aggressive outreach to community and business leaders in IU Northwest's seven-county service area. Dr. Bergland says, "it is a priority for us to find ways to reach out to communities because we want to know what people think this university should be about -- and we want to them to know more about us as an institution."
As part of his mission, Dr. Bergland organized a steering committee of faculty, staff, students and community members to create a "shared vision" for IU Northwest which is a process of defining who we are. Involvement from the community in IUN's "shared vision" is critical to help the university shape what it is to become in the 21st century.
Prior to his employment at Trinity College, Dr. Bergland served as executive vice chancellor and professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii--West Oahu. From 1972 to 1995, Dr. Bergland served at the University of Colorado at Denver. Positions there included executive vice chancellor, interim dean, vice chancellor for planning and associate professor of education. He also was an assistant professor of education and psychology at Northwestern University.
Locally, Dr. Bergland serves on the boards of the Coordinating Council for Northwest Indiana Empowerment Zone, the Urban League of NW Indiana, the Boys and Girls Clubs of NW Indiana, Tradewinds, Edgewater Systems for Balanced Living, the Gary Educational Development Foundation, and the NW Indiana Quality of Life Council. Dr. Bergland is also a member of the Lake Area United Way Development Council and the NW Indiana Forum. Nationally, he is a member of the American Association for Higher Education, American Association of State Colleges and Universities, Association for Institutional Research, Association for the Study of Higher Education and Society for College and University Planning.
Personal interests and hobbies of Dr. Bergland include participation recreationally in basketball, football, golf, handball, ice hockey, running and tennis. He also takes lessons in the international style of ballroom dancing, enjoys traveling, and enjoys reading about international affairs
. Bruce Bergland has a Ph.D. from Stanford University and a B.S. degree from Iowa State University. He and his wife Cynthia reside in Valparaiso, Indiana.