Associate Dean Honored by Council of Graduate Schools

At the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, one might overhear Dr. Bruce Mandt, associate dean of the Graduate School, excitedly advising a doctoral student about a possible career path or giving an emphatic monologue about the trainee experience. Hired in 2016 to head the Postdoctoral Office, his role at the university has steadily expanded to include the career development of both postdocs and graduate students.  

At the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) 64th Annual Meeting held in St. Louis, MO, in early December, Mandt was presented with the Assistant and Associate Dean’s Leadership Award. According to the CGS, this award was created to recognize individuals who have shown exemplary commitments to graduate education.  

“The work we do in graduate education administration, while immensely rewarding, is often behind the scenes and seldom glamorous. Yet, it plays a critical role in shaping the success of our students, institutions, and the broader academic community,” Mandt said in his acceptance speech. “This recognition is not just about individual effort—it is a testament to the power of collaboration.” 

Collaboration has been at the center of Mandt’s career. His work forging partnerships within CU Anschutz, across Colorado, and even nationally, was integral in the award committee’s decision making. Dr. Jennifer Richer, dean of the Graduate School, emphasized this work in her nomination letter to the CGS.   

“Over the years, I saw firsthand how the trainees benefited from his commitment and the impact that he has on the quality of the training environment on our campus,” Richer said. “His creativity in program development has led to later stage PhD students’ ability to establish professional networks and have more confidence in career transitions.” 

Recognizing the importance of cultivating a culture of exceptional mentorship has been another core facet of Mandt’s time at CU Anschutz and influenced this most recent recognition. This focus can be dated back to his own graduate and postdoc training experience. 

His PhD advisor at CU Anschutz, the late Dr. Nancy Zahniser, gave him confidence and encouragement. He always felt like she was sure he was capable of doing something exceptional. After receiving his PhD, Mandt moved on to a postdoc position at the University of Colorado Denver with advisor Dr. Rich Allen. Allen also provided a supportive environment, further encouraging and going out of his way to ensure Mandt had opportunities to pursue things aligned with his interests.  

While both mentors were fundamental to his training, Mandt admits their career advice might not have been helpful for the type of career he was looking for. Despite being  amazing academic mentors, neither had great guidance for careers outside of the academic path.  

“What they did give me was support and encouragement and helped build my confidence that I was capable of achieving the things I wanted,” Mandt said. Through his own experiences in trying out different paths outside of academia, he realized there was a gap in how early career scientists are helped and advised in figuring out what comes next.   

At CU Anschutz, he has focused on  filling that gap with more structured career exploration opportunities for both graduate students and postdocs. 

Mandt still credits his mentors for allowing him space to succeed and he is actively working to bolster our mentorship training opportunities.  the University of Wisconsin Madison’s Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) was invited to campus to train more than 30 faculty.  

“We really are focused on our PhD students and our postdocs who have this unique relationship with mentoring. They contribute to the output of the lab, but they’re also invested in their own education and training. So how do we balance those two roles and ensure we’re supporting them throughout that process in a way that makes it more intentional,” Mandt said.   

Mandt is someone who admits that he doesn’t work to live, he really does live to work. This might be exemplified with his consistent outlook toward what comes next, what next big idea he can make come to life. Sometimes, though, it might be important to look back at the impact that’s already been made.  

“On a personal level, Bruce has been the most impactful mentor of my career,” Dr. Erin Golden, assistant director of the Postdoctoral Office (PDO) and former CU Anschutz postdoc, said. “As a postdoc, I not only benefited from his mentorship but also experienced firsthand the positive effects of the programs he developed. His encouragement gave me the confidence to explore new directions in my career, ultimately inspiring me to leave the lab and dedicate my work to improving training environments for others.” 

Over the last few years, Mandt has been able to expand his team of one. Golden has spent nearly a year now in the PDO and was soon joined by Dr. Hannah Hathaway, a fellow former CU Anschutz postdoc and current program manager of the Career Development Office (CDO.)  

“At multiple points over the past few years, Bruce has offered pivotal advice on my next career step. He has pushed me to reflect on the career I want most and to not be afraid to take advantage of opportunities to get there,” Hathaway said. “When I was a postdoc, he encouraged me to take on more leadership and training opportunities to build my resume, which helped me land a job in education.”  

When she was looking for her next step, Mandt connected her with the CDO opportunity. Led by Mandt, the expanded CDO and PDO have been able to increase services and programming for postdocs and graduate students across campus.  

While heading two offices, Mandt is still visibly uneasy about receiving an award for leadership from the CGS. 

“Leadership is weird when you rely on partnerships. If I didn’t have people who would partner with me, none of this would be possible,” Mandt said.  

He gives accolades to the student groups, postdoc groups, faculty, administrators, and folks from other institutions that have been willing to take a risk and trust him.  

“I feel very honored to accept the award. I’m accepting it on behalf of everyone who I’ve been able to work with for that. It’s a testament to a collaborative effort,” he said.  

Collaborative effort. Partnership. Trusting in others and trusting in yourself.  

“Bruce doesn’t just develop programs—he builds communities that help people feel supported and seen,” Golden said.  

Looking forward, Mandt has many programs and initiatives coming down the pike. More stories are to be written, many with different focal points. This one, though, gets to celebrate the Graduate School’s own award-winning associate dean.