The COVID-19 pandemic hit just as Dr. S. David Wu, president of Baruch College, was celebrating his first year at the helm of the New York City-based institution. He had to move quickly to implement measures to protect his administrators, faculty and students.
Wu has led Baruch in auspicious times as the institution develops new and responsive models for teaching, research, student services and campus safety.
In a Q&A with Diverse, Wu talks about the experience of leading a school in a major COVID-19 hotspot, being the first Asian American president to lead an institution in The City University of New York (CUNY) system and what leadership lessons he took with him to Baruch from George Mason University, where he served as provost from 2014-2020.
DI: What inspired you to work in higher education?
DW: I began my career as a systems engineer, modeling complex systems in manufacturing and transportation. Years ago, a mentor encouraged me to try academia, giving me a higher degree of intellectual freedom. I started as an assistant professor and discovered a love for making an impact through teaching and research. Academia is a great fit for me, which now spans over three decades of my career. I combine my training as a systems engineer on how to approach data, uncertainty and complexity — all which contribute to thoughtful decision-making — with my personal mission to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives.
