WRITER: Abby Butler, jbutlera@nmsu.edu, 575-646-3221
New Mexico State University President Valerio Ferme today announced the selection of Joseph Bull, Ph.D., as the university's next provost and vice president for academic affairs, pending approval from the NMSU Board of Regents. Bull currently serves as the H. Chik M. Erzurumlu Dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University, where he has led one of the most dynamic engineering colleges in the Pacific Northwest since 2022.
"Dr. Bull is exactly the kind of leader this moment calls for," Ferme said. "He brings a depth of experience, a collaborative spirit and a set of values that I believe will make him a transformative partner in the work ahead. I am confident that under his academic leadership, NMSU will continue to grow in research distinction, student outcomes and national prominence."
Bull joins NMSU from Portland State University, where he has served since 2022 as the H. Chik M. Erzurumlu Dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science. He is an enrolled citizen of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, and the first and only Native American dean of engineering in the country. Before joining Portland State, he was the John and Elsie Martinez Biomedical Engineering Chair and associate dean for research, faculty affairs and graduate studies in the School of Science and Engineering at Tulane University, and the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Biomedical Engineering and associate chair at the University of Michigan. Bull’s research program is focused on ultrasound and biofluid mechanics, and his research group is nationally and internationally recognized for groundbreaking work in gas embolotherapy and acoustic droplet vaporization.
Bull is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and a Sequoyah fellow of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. He is a first-generation college graduate and has a substantial history of working to advance the achievements of the disparate groups that represent our educational and cultural spectrum. His work in this area was recognized by the Raymond J. and Monica E. Schultz Outreach and Diversity Award from the University of Michigan. In 2024, he received the Executive Excellence Award from the American Indian Science and Engineering Society and the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science.
"Dr. Bull's personal experience and institutional commitment to advance educational and research attainment for all our constituents aligns powerfully with NMSU's identity as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a land-grant university with a proud tradition of serving students and communities from all corners of the state," Ferme said.
Bull was selected following a national search led by a university-wide search committee co-chaired by Patricia Sullivan, interim vice president for research, creativity and economic development, and Christopher Brown, professor of geography and environmental studies and vice chair of the Faculty Senate.
"The search committee brought extraordinary care, thoughtfulness, and dedication to this process," Ferme said. "Their commitment to finding the right leader for NMSU reflects the very best of our community, and I am deeply grateful for their service."
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PHOTO CUTLINE: Joseph Bull, Ph.D., has been selected as New Mexico State University’s next provost and vice president for academic affairs, pending approval from the NMSU Board of Regents. (Courtesy photo)
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A man in a suit standing outside of a building.
