Old Dominion University President John R. Broderick: “Here Are 5 Things That Should Be Done To Improve The US Educational System”

An Interview With Penny Bauder

Be inclusive. Raise awareness about STEM fields and careers for underrepresented students and prepare them for the workforce of the future — even before they get to college. This includes providing opportunities for students to learn about STEM fields they can pursue in college; to hear from alumni who have successful careers in STEM; and to visit companies and labs where they can explore hands-on research and the latest in innovation.

As a part of my interview series about the things that should be done to improve the US educational system I had the pleasure to interview John R. Broderick

John R. Broderick is the eighth president of Old Dominion University. Under his leadership, Old Dominion has emerged as an innovative research leader in fields from flooding resiliency to bioelectrics, and the University recorded the highest graduation rate in its history. ODU also remains among Virginia’s most affordable four-year schools — and among the most diverse and inclusive.

This year, he received the President’s Award from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. He chairs the Council of Presidents of the Southeastern Universities Research Association and also led the Council of Presidents in Virginia and for Conference-USA. He is the only president on the Virginia Space Flight Authority.

At the request of students, the Kate and John R. Broderick Dining Commons was named after the President and First Lady for spearheading inclusion initiatives and their commitment to student success. Old Dominion also named its Diversity Champion Award in his honor.

During his Presidency, the University has received nearly $900 million in new resources, including the largest gift in its history, a $37 million donation to establish the Barry Art Museum.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the “backstory “behind what brought you to this particular career path?

I never really saw myself heading toward a career in higher education. As an undergraduate, I was a journalism-English major at Northeastern University in Boston with a keen desire to cover the Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics for the rest of my life. I stayed in that field for a while, but eventually went back to graduate school and found another path. I would not, however, trade my experiences as a communicator. I believe for university presidents that the ability to write and be comfortable talking with a variety of people on a whole host of subjects is essential. I can say without hesitation my success in those areas is a direct result of my degree and the time I spent as an intern and employee writing for print media.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I have been blessed as a university president to sign and award diplomas for three sons, two nephews and a niece. I can’t think of anything greater than that.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

Currently I’m working on projects to support our key initiatives in the areas of social mobility, growing the tech-talent pipeline, and leading university efforts at the national Jefferson Lab.

Social Mobility.

ODU has been recognized for its leadership and innovation in social mobility, which is the opportunity for individuals to move from one socioeconomic class to another. In 2018, we launched the National Social Mobility Symposium and established the National Center for Social Mobility to share best practices with other universities, so they too, can implement strategies to bolster students’ social mobility on their campuses across the U.S. We continue to push the envelope and firmly sit at the forefront of social mobility conversations, and as part of that we advocated for U.S. News & World Report to reward schools, not for the number of students they turn away every year, but for enrolling and graduating students from low socio-economic means. U.S. News & World subsequently added a new “social mobility” measure and in turn, universities are paying closer attention to this area.

Tech-Talent Pipeline Initiative.

Virginia has made a performance-based, statewide investment in public higher education to produce 25,000 to 35,000 additional degrees in computer science and other related fields over the next two decades — a move that will not only benefit employers across the state, including Amazon’s new HQ2, but my hope is that it will also attract new businesses to our region. This investment will more than double Virginia’s tech-talent pipeline to boost economic development, and ODU has independently committed to produce 4,000 new graduates in computer science and engineering.

Leading the Charge on Jefferson Lab.

As chair of the Council of Presidents of the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA), which promotes further collaboration and innovative research among the more than 60 institutions in SURA, I am one of the Virginians leading the state effort to attract a $2 billon investment from the U.S. Department of Energy to construct an electron ion collider at the nearby Jefferson Lab. Old Dominion University is the largest research partner of the Jefferson Lab and SURA is the majority partner of Jefferson Science Associates LLC, which operates and manages the lab. This investment would keep the U.S. at the frontier of nuclear physics research and its ability to contribute to world-leading science research.

Can you briefly share with our readers why you are authority in the education field?

I am president of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia — the fourth largest public doctoral research university in Virginia, which also happens to be the one of the most diverse in the country. In addition to my role as president, I teach a graduate course in higher education leadership in the Darden College of Education at ODU. I am also chairman of the Council of Presidents of the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA); past chairman of the Virginia Council of Presidents of Colleges and Universities; past chairman of Conference USA’s Board of Directors; member of the NCAA Division I Presidents Forum and past chair of the Colonial Athletic Association board.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our interview. From your point of view, how would you rate the results of the US education system?

According to the QS World University Rankings 2020, the U.S. Higher Education system is ranked as the best in the world. But like all systems, there is always room for innovation and improvement. We have come a long way on changing teaching techniques to address learning styles, but still have a long way to go.

Can you identify 5 areas of the US education system that are going really great?

A variety of programs of study.

Because the U.S. higher education system is decentralized, one of its strengths is the variety of programs of study it offers prospective students.

Learn from anywhere.

More and more universities now offer students greater access to higher education and the flexibility to learn from wherever they are. Students have the ability to enroll in classes with high quality faculty, both in-person and online, at any time of day or night.

Diversity of thought and opinion.

The U.S. provides the constitutionally-protected rights to academic freedom and free speech, allowing faculty and students to pursue study of any subject area. At the same time, the U.S. attracts top scholars from around the world, providing students and fellow faculty with exposure to diversity of thought, which promotes creativity and innovation, and fosters inclusion.

A beacon of innovation and discovery.

American public research institutions like Old Dominion University spur research and discovery by partnering with industry to make their high-tech lab research available to the public. As an example, Old Dominion’s bioelectrics research, focusing on pulsed power, was launched in the 1990s. Lightning-quick nano-second bursts, lasting just billionths of a second, have been shown to kill cancer cells and might stimulate an immune response that prevents cancer from recurring. Old Dominion’s Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics is recognized as the global leader in this area of research.

Can you identify the 5 key areas of the US education system that should be prioritized for improvement? Can you explain why those are so critical?

• Access and affordability for underrepresented students, to ensure people from all socioeconomic backgrounds, have access to a quality education
• Where needed, implement “intrusive advising” tactics, which proactively delivers support to students rather than waiting for them to identify their needs. This leads to greater persistence, especially among first-generation and low-income students. It also can be used to help expose students to careers they can pursue after college
• Social mobility, in order to provide more opportunities to students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds
• Increased funding for higher education institutions that serve those with the most unmet financial need, in turn allowing them to charge more affordable tuition
• STEAM for high-tech pipeline
• Research and innovation
• Increasing entrepreneurship opportunities is another way to graduate students who are spurring economic development and innovation.
• Increase students’ digital literacy across all disciplines. In Virginia, psychology is one of our most awarded degrees, but we must be certain these students are all technology-prepared too. This feeds into a larger area of improvement — developing curriculum that shapes well-rounded students who possess a combination of hard and soft skills. A curriculum that encourages them to think critically while also creatively; to tap into the emotional intelligence it takes to be a good leader while also being able to analyze data to solve problems.

How is the US doing with regard to engaging young people in STEM? Can you suggest three ways we can increase this engagement?

Schools and universities understand that in order for the U.S. to remain competitive globally, we must prepare the workforce of the future. Three ways we can look to better engage young people in STEM include:

• Develop a rigorous, well-designed, hands-on learning science curriculum that provides immersive learning opportunities for children and teens, right on campus. We’ve developed several programs at ODU to support such opportunities, including the BLAST Summer Program, Physics Open House, Advances Robotics summer camp at VMASC, Girls in Science, the Brooks Crossing Innovation and Opportunity Center (BCIOC), and the STEM Digital Innovation and Fabrication Lab. The latter is a partnership between the city of Newport News, Virginia; Newport News Shipbuilding; ODU; and the Newport News Economic Development Authority and is the first of its kind in Virginia. Through hands-on and project-based learning, the BCIOC will serve as a resource for students, parents and citizens interested in learning about digital technologies used in design and fabrication.
• Be inclusive. Raise awareness about STEM fields and careers for underrepresented students and prepare them for the workforce of the future — even before they get to college. This includes providing opportunities for students to learn about STEM fields they can pursue in college; to hear from alumni who have successful careers in STEM; and to visit companies and labs where they can explore hands-on research and the latest in innovation.
• Train students in areas that help develop their critical thinking skills and connect to STEM. This includes, but is not limited to:
• Project-based learning — to promote interdisciplinary approaches and diverse viewpoints — with real-world application
• Increase digital literacy
• Promote inquiry to encourage students to discover and innovate
• Design thinking

Can you articulate to our readers why it’s so important to engage girls and women in STEM subjects?

Women and girls are still underrepresented in STEM fields. According to the Committee on STEM Education of the National Science & Technology Council, less than 30 percent of women make up the STEM workforce. In order to innovate and compete in the global economy, the U.S. needs more diverse perspectives and viewpoints. We must develop the next generation of women leaders in STEM and many right now are looking for a teacher or role model who will help further increase their aptitudes.

How is the US doing with regard to engaging girls and women in STEM subjects? Can you suggest three ways we can increase this engagement?

According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), while more women are pursuing studies in science and mathematics than ever before, they comprise 12 percent of all engineers and only 26 percent of computer scientists (this last number has fallen from 35 percent in 1990). These numbers are drastically low among women from underrepresented groups.

As a higher education leader, some of the ways I influence change in this area are:

• By trying to increase the number of women faculty, academic leaders, and alumni mentors in these critical areas and shattering gender stereotypes and bias.
• By providing undergraduate research and career learning opportunities for students early in their educational career. At Old Dominion University, we partner with large federal research labs such as Jefferson Lab and NASA Langley and NASA Wallops and with industry (Huntington Ingalls) to provide real-world research experience and internships that oftentimes lead to successful career placements.
• By designing a rigorous curriculum coupled with providing opportunities through industry-specific certifications and graduate programs that prepare students academically to be highly competitive, and ultimately giving them an edge over other candidates — in order to fill the tech talent pipeline.

As an education professional, where do you stand in the debate whether there should be a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) or on STEAM (STEM plus the arts like humanities, language arts, dance, drama, music, visual arts, design and new media)? Can you explain why you feel the way you do?

To innovate and make discoveries, you need a creative mind. Art helps flex the brain and encourages new ways of thinking and new approaches to problem-solving.

If you had the power to influence or change the entire US educational infrastructure what five things would you implement to improve and reform our education system? Can you please share a story or example for each?

1. Increase access and affordability of higher education
2. Increase the digital literacy of elementary and middle school students
3. Foster social mobility by being inclusive and preparing students for the workforce of tomorrow. This would include having every high school graduate proficient in another language besides English.
4. Create flexible pathways that enable students to complete their college degree.
5. Cultivate and grow an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I remember President Kennedy citing William Bradford from 1630, saying that “all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage.”

We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Readers can follow my blogs online at: https://www.odu.edu/about/president/blog and follow Old Dominion University on:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Old.Dominion.University/
• Twitter: @ODU
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olddominionu/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBNgsDl2hppmwMyGR2NmL9A
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/old-dominion-university/

Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!