Dean Bresciani new president of North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University
May 24, 2010
The new president at North Dakota State University says he's not going to wait three weeks to start rebuilding the reputation of a school reeling from a spending controversy that cost three top officials their jobs.
Former Texas A&M vice president Dean Bresciani put on an NDSU baseball cap Monday and said he's ready to go, even though he's not slated to take over until June 15.
"I don't think NDSU can afford to wait for its next president to get started officially," he said.
Bresciani, 50, was vice president for student affairs at Texas A&M from 2004-08, where he's an adjunct professor in educational administration and human resources development. He previously served as interim vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of North Carolina from 2002-04.
He replaces Joseph Chapman, who resigned late last year after several projects at NDSU, including a new president's house, went millions of dollars over budget. Most of the money was paid for by private donations, but the school failed to get some work authorized by the state Board of Higher Education.
The board voted unanimously Monday to hire Bresciani, after spending the day interviewing three finalists. The other candidates were John Gardner, a vice president at Washington State, and Gary Miller, provost and vice president at Wichita State.
Bresciani, one of 29 people to apply for the job, will earn an annual salary of $350,000 for three years.