Colby Appoints Denise Bruesewitz as its Next Provost
A distinguished scholar and campus leader, Bruesewitz is known for her interdisciplinary collaboration and inspired teaching
Denise Bruesewitz, an acclaimed scientist-scholar who is highly regarded for her campus leadership, scientific research, and innovative teaching, will become Colby’s next provost, effective July 1. She will succeed Margaret McFadden, the NEH/Class of 1940 Distinguished Professor of the Humanities, who is retiring in June.
Since joining Colby’s Department of Environmental Studies in 2012, Bruesewitz has taken on senior-level responsibilities within the department and across the College. She currently serves as chair of Interdisciplinary Studies, one of four major divisions of the College, and as one of two faculty representatives to the Colby College Board of Trustees. President David A. Greene cited Bruesewitz’s accomplishments in leadership, scholarship, and teaching in announcing her appointment.
“Denise possesses the qualities and experiences that will make her a phenomenal leader of the faculty and a champion for the academic program,” Greene said. “She is a natural collaborator and interdisciplinary thinker, both in her scientific research and her teaching and program development with colleagues from humanistic disciplines. As a leader, she never seeks the spotlight for herself, preferring instead to shine the light on the good work of others. Her generosity of spirit and deep concern for others are evident to everyone who works with her.”
As provost, Bruesewitz will serve as the College’s chief academic officer, leading and advocating for Colby’s faculty and staff as they execute Colby’s teaching and research mission. She will oversee all academic operations, including matters related to the curriculum, faculty governance, and the College’s suite of initiatives that support student research and experiences, scholarship by Colby faculty and visiting fellows, and community engagement.
“I am excited about the opportunity and grateful for the confidence that President Greene has shown in me,” said Bruesewitz. “I am eager to continue and expand the good work that Margaret and her staff have accomplished, and that means making sure the faculty feel supported to build academic programs they are passionate about, strengthen collaborations across campus, and support our centers, labs, and institutes in all the innovative work they are doing.”
Record of leadership
Bruesewitz, whose research specializes in the human impacts on aquatic ecosystems, is a key member of the Future of Sciences at Colby committee, which is planning the College’s investment in its STEM curriculum and facilities with a goal of positioning Colby as the leading liberal arts college for the sciences. She serves on the committee’s faculty leadership team and three of the committee’s working groups.
Since 2022, she has represented the faculty to the Board of Trustees, where she has participated in discussions and strategy sessions that shape the future of the College for decades and beyond.
Prior to serving as division chair of Interdisciplinary Studies, she was chair of the Environmental Studies Department. During her time as department chair, Bruesewitz restructured the academic program to enhance interdisciplinary engagement while maintaining courses to provide disciplinary foundations; led efforts to expand collaboration with other departments, including English, economics, geology, chemistry, and biology; and co-led efforts to give Colby observer status at the United Nations Climate Change Conference and send delegations of faculty and students to those meetings.
She enhanced partnerships with the Center for the Arts and Humanities and worked with the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence to expand the environmental computation curriculum. In addition, she is a member of the Promotion and Tenure Committee, was a faculty representative to the Colby College Museum of Art’s Board of Governors for two terms, faculty liaison to the Office of Civic Engagement and Community Partnerships, and head faculty-in-residence while living at the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons in downtown Waterville.
‘She is a natural collaborator and interdisciplinary thinker, both in her scientific research and her teaching and program development with colleagues from humanistic disciplines.’
President David A. Greene
Kerill O’Neill, the Julian D. Taylor Professor and chair of Classics and the Humanities Division, said Bruesewitz has earned the trust and respect of faculty across the College with her dedication to interdisciplinary studies and commitment to crucial leadership roles.
“Denise is always incredibly generous in helping colleagues, mentoring students, and working to make Colby a better place. She offers a wonderful combination of innovative thinking, selfless collaboration, and effective implementation,” said O’Neill, who served on the Faculty Steering Committee that advised the search. “Environmental studies is inherently interdisciplinary, combining natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, and Denise very much values the vital contributions that each of the divisions makes in crafting citizens and leaders of the future. Trained as a scientist, Denise truly lives Colby’s commitment to the liberal arts.”
Prior to joining Colby, she earned her Ph.D. at the University of Notre Dame and held postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute and New Zealand’s University of Waikato.
More than $9 million in grants
As a teacher-scholar, Bruesewitz has received and participated in numerous external research grants worth more than $9 million over her Colby career, and she has published or contributed to nearly 40 research papers and publications. For many of her research projects, Bruesewitz incorporates opportunities for Colby students to engage with the research team. Broadly, her work centers on the human impacts—and solutions—on a range of aquatic ecosystems.
She is currently co-leading a project to re-introduce native freshwater mussels to urban streams in suburban Washington, D.C., to see if the mollusks can help enhance nutrient processing, ultimately benefiting water quality in Chesapeake Bay. Closer to home, she has contributed to ongoing research with a focus on predicting harmful algal blooms. A recent grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture will allow Bruesewitz and a team of collaborators from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences to develop novel technologies that help blue mussel aquaculturists collect mussel seed for their farms in the face of a changing climate.
Other areas of expertise include biogeochemistry, limnology, coastal ecosystems, and science communication.
Bruesewitz came to Colby because of the promise of joining a tight-knit community of scholars. She is eager to continue to foster that community in her role as provost.
“Whether you are a sculptor or a poet, an economist or a scientist like me, we are all a part of this community and we are all committed to the same purpose of creating great experiences for students. It feels unique to Colby that we can build these relationships and do novel work,” she said. “The support is here. We can make it happen.”
