Nearly three decades ago, I went to graduate school at Indiana University with many brilliant people who have remained amazing friends. We motivated each other then and have consistently reciprocated inspiration along our professional paths. These dear friends are now in high-impact roles in our field.
For example, one is vice president for student life at the University of Oregon. Another is an education school dean. Two are provosts at historically black universities. And then there is my bestie, who is a tenured full professor with an endowed chair at the University of California Los Angeles; she also was the first Black woman elected president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education and is a National Academy of Education inductee. I always knew these IU alumni, like so many others who came before and after us, would be extraordinarily successful. I am proud of them.
Brian K. Bridges is one of those friends and colleagues. In my early 20s, I looked up to him, somewhat like a big, but only slightly older brother. I have continued to be in awe and inspired by his character, achievements and enormous contributions to higher education. After earning our doctorates in 2003, Brian went on to a fantastic trio of administrative roles at the American Council on Education, Ohio University (where he was vice provost) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) (where he served as Vice President). He also has taught at George Washington University.
Here, I engage with Brian about his most recent role as New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education.
Resident Scholar: When you were 18-years-old, what did you think you’d be when you grew up?
Brian K. Bridges
Brian K. Bridges: You’re taking me back 40 years, so I had to think about this a bit! I remember telling people I would become a lawyer without fully knowing what that entailed. I knew I had to go to law school, but beyond that I didn’t have a clue about the breadth and scope of what it meant to be a lawyer. I think I chose that because it was one of the popular, high-profile professions that was regularly on TV. However, I didn’t have a clear plan for what type of attorney I would be.
RS: When we left IU, looking 20–25 years ahead into your professional future, where did you think your career would take you?
BKB: After completing my doctorate at IU, I remained in Bloomington for a couple years working at the National Survey of Student Engagement [NSSE]. That’s an important distinction because when I finished my dissertation, I thought I would work on campuses the rest of my life, culminating as a college president somewhere. However, during those two additional years that I worked at NSSE, I got exposure to the scope of career possibilities in higher education, particularly in the association, advocacy and philanthropic worlds. After that exposure, I wasn’t wedded to being solely on a campus the rest of my career. So, I left Bloomington thinking all possibilities within higher ed and adjacent were on the table.
RS: What about your career surprises you?
BKB: If anything comes close to surprising me, it’s my most recent role as secretary of higher education for New Jersey. I had entertained the idea of working for the federal government, but never thought about being employed by a state to oversee its higher ed sector. So, that comes closest to being surprising. I’ve always been attracted to work that I find interesting. Working in a state is one context that is different from a campus or association.
RS: Reflecting on your five years as New Jersey’s top higher education leader, what is the one accomplishment of which you are most proud?
BKB: I’m really proud of a number of accomplishments that include re-enrolling almost 15,000 stopped-out learners, implementing a telehealth platform that is serving over 20,000 college students across the state, and distributing over $700 million in capital improvement bonds to colleges and universities across New Jersey, among other wins. However, I’m most proud of the internal work within the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. We more than doubled the number of staff lines, significantly improved salaries and created a culture of collegiality that enhanced the working experience and output of the staff. That’s what I think of first when I reflect on my time as New Jersey’s top higher ed leader.
RS: What advice would you offer a brand new state higher education executive officer [SHEEO]?
BKB: Learn the particular politics of your state and who the power brokers are, whether they’re in the governor’s office, in the legislature, in unions, or in local advocacy organizations. Every policy proposal will have supporters and opponents—understanding why certain individuals and groups will fall on one side or the other can be the difference between success and failure. Also, make certain that you surround yourself with an effective team of people who are as invested in your success as they are in that of the agency.
RS: Not many professionals of color have served as state higher education executive officers. How can greater racial diversity be achieved in these positions, especially in this anti-DEI political climate?
BKB: SHEEO roles are tricky because they tend to go to people who are state-based and who are known by or connected to political movers and shakers in those state contexts. So building a national pipeline is difficult and the current anti-DEI climate makes diversifying these positions even more challenging. I would encourage people who might be interested in serving as a future SHEEO to seek out roles in their current SHEEO office or within their governor’s office to gain exposure to the issues, understand how politics work at that level, and strategically position themselves for consideration as potential future candidates. Working high-level on a campaign is another way to gain visibility, but you want to hedge your bets to work with a successful campaign. Of course, the requisite experience and sector knowledge is necessary, but the credibility as a valued commodity who delivers results in a policy context cannot be underestimated.
RS: Who are your top five favorite rappers?
BKB: Not necessarily in order: Rakim, The Notorious B.I.G., A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and Mobb Deep (I know the last three are groups, but I’d rather listen to them than any other single artist.)
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Nothing about Secretary Bridges’ career surprises me. I could have easily predicted in 1998, the first year we met at IU, that he would ascend to huge, high-impact roles in higher education. It has been wonderful to see the secretary lead so magnificently in New Jersey. As the state’s newly elected governor took office last month, Brian transitioned out of the role. I am excited to see what my big brother does next.