Getting to Know USU's Vice Provost for Statewide Campuses: Pamela Dupin-Bryant

TOOELE, Utah — Pamela Dupin-Bryant assumed the role of vice provost for Utah State University Statewide Campuses on July 1. Dupin-Bryant has been a USU faculty member since 1993 and serves as a professor of Data Analytics and Information Systems in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, based at the USU Tooele campus.

Dupin-Bryant has received numerous faculty honors during her tenure, including the prestigious Eldon J. Gardner Teacher of the Year award in 2016. She became the first statewide faculty member to receive this honor. She will use her experience as a Statewide Campuses faculty member to help guide her decisions in this role.

“My experience of what it takes to be a successful statewide faculty will help me provide support and faculty development opportunities to help faculty thrive in this demanding yet rewarding environment,” she said. “Over the years, I have learned that successful statewide faculty are resilient, proactive, determined and innovative. They engage in impactful, relevant and rigorous research agendas; and selflessly serve their students, profession and communities.”

Dupin-Bryant answered several questions to let students and other get to know her better and learn more about her role.

What are the main responsibilities of this position? What is your favorite part of the job?

My main responsibility is academic administrative leadership and support for Statewide Campuses, including academic coordination between department heads and the Statewide Campuses system and faculty professional development, plus many other duties that help SC run smoothly. As for my favorite: getting to work with so many people from a variety of different departments and backgrounds.

How did you get your start in academia?

While working on a master’s degree in business information systems at USU, I was a graduate teaching assistant. Each semester, I taught a beginning computer/business course and a keyboarding course (yes, we still taught “typing” in the early ’90s). In fact, I flew to Moab as part of the storied USU Fly-Down Program. However, I was only a “flying professor” for two weeks, then the class was cancelled due to low enrollments. After receiving my master’s degree in 1994, I applied for an instructor role at USU Tooele. I got the job and I have been teaching at USU Tooele for the past 29 years.

What drove you to want to become vice provost?

I love the USU Statewide Campuses system and the direct impact we have on the lives of individuals throughout the state of Utah. I felt like I have a deep understanding of the Statewide Campuses system and could help facilitate greater access to education for Utahns. Plus, I am energized by my peers and I wanted to have the opportunity to work directly with the 170 faculty in the Statewide Campuses system, academic departments, campus administrators and community leaders.

What are some things you hope to accomplish in your first year in the position?

I plan on visiting each statewide campus and center; I already have a good start. I want to spend time with faculty, students, administrators and community leaders listening and learning — similar to President (Elizabeth) Cantwell’s approach. I seek to assess faculty needs and provide the support and opportunities they need to be successful.

Since being in the position, what is something that has maybe surprised you or inspired you?

The collegiality of everyone I have worked with so far has inspired me. Beginning a new administrative role has a learning curve, and everyone has been more than gracious in helping me get up to speed. I am inspired by faculty, staff, administrators and community leaders who are determined to provide a wide range of educational opportunities to students at our 30 statewide campuses/centers.

How does your position help support students and their success?

My role is to support faculty who in turn support students. Providing faculty with the support and practical development opportunities they need to flourish in their teaching, research and service roles. As part of the statewide administrative team, I work closely with all campus administrators on a wide variety of issues and initiatives to ensure student success.

What is your favorite part about the Statewide Campuses system?

The camaraderie between faculty. I have lifelong friends who live and work hundreds of miles from me and are experts in fields I know nothing about. Over the years, I have learned so much from my peers and have become a better educator thanks to their guidance. Good teaching transcends discipline/content area, and I believe this is one of the reasons the SC system is so strong. We collaborate, share and learn from each other in order to ensure rigorous, practical and relevant experiences that prepare students for success.

What inspires you about the students you interact with and serve?

Their sheer determination to obtain an education and improve their lives. Often our students have full-time jobs, care/provide for their families, volunteer in their communities, and attend classes at night to earn their degree. It is astonishing.

What is something or some things you want people to know about you?

I enjoy mountain biking and hiking. I love spending time with my husband, Shane, and our children, Samie and Zane. I am part of three generations of Aggies. Both of my parents were USU graduates, and I am a proud mom of two Aggies. … Sam graduated from Logan this past year with a bachelor’s in social work and Zane is a sophomore in Logan majoring in forest ecology and management.

What is your favorite Aggie tradition?

In Statewide Campuses, traditions vary from region to region. However, one thing is consistent throughout the USU Statewide Campus system — the happiness that accompanies commencement celebrations. My favorite Aggie tradition is commencement; watching the sheer joy on the faces of parents, grandparents, spouses, children and friends of our graduates.

This past year at the Tooele graduation, I watched a little girl in the front row, spinning in her lilac dress over and over and over until it was her mom’s turn to walk. She stopped, stood up straight, and cheered with abandon. It was so heart-warming to see how proud this little girl was of her mom’s achievement. And then she went back to spinning.

Utah State University’s Statewide Campuses create impact by bettering the lives of the people and places they serve. From career and technical certificates to doctorate degrees, USU offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. With multiple locations across 85,000 square miles, USU can be the hometown university to anyone, no matter where they live. Learn more at statewide.usu.edu.