The Talent Scout

As far as he can tell, James “Bernie” Machen (PhD ’74) is the only university president in the country who is also a dentist. Machen acknowledges his route to the top position at the University of Utah has indeed been unusual—a boon for which he thanks The University of Iowa.

Machen, who earned a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from The University of Iowa Alumni Association in 2000, earned a D.D.S. degree from Vanderbilt in 1968. After completing his M.S. in pediatric dentistry from St. Louis University, Machen learned about a special University of Iowa program designed to train health professionals in education and psychology. The idea of the federally funded program was for physicians, nurses, and dentists to incorporate their newly acquired skills in their professions and the teaching of medicine.
“Once I came to Iowa,” Machen says, “I became fascinated by measurement. Historically, the College of Education’s Educational Measurement and Statistics program is the top program in the country, and I learned from some of the best teachers I ever had.”

Machen says Professors E.F. Lindquist (PhD ’27) and Al Hieronymus (MA ’46/PhD ’48) particularly influenced him. “And Professor Leonard Feldt (PhD ’54) was unbelievable,” he adds. “Taking a class from him really taught you how teaching should be done.”

While at Iowa, Machen met fellow pedodontics student, David Johnsen (MS ’73), who is currently the dean of Iowa’s College of Dentistry. Over the years, the two friends have kept in touch. “Bernie has always had a special presence about him,” says Johnsen. “When you talk with him, it’s like the two of you are locked in a tunnel and his entire focus is on the subject at hand. He engenders trust, and in return, he maintains ferocious loyalties to both friends and institutions.”

After serving in a number of leadership roles at the University of Michigan, including dean of the School of Dentistry, university provost, and executive vice president for academic affairs, Machen accepted the position of president of the University of Utah in 1998.

“I love it,” he says of his top administrative post. “I have no training in administration, but I like every job I’ve ever had. It is a role defined by interacting with other people. I think of myself as a talent scout. I try to identify people’s strengths and then put them in positions where they can do their best for themselves and the university.”

In this capacity, Machen’s background in educational psychology has served him well. It also has helped him tackle issues facing many large educational and research institutions, including tightening budgets, accommodating burgeoning students populations, and incorporating technology as a tool, a skill, and a discipline.

Machen has even gone toe-to-toe with the Western handgun lobby. Although Utah law allows individuals with proper credentials to carry concealed weapons, Machen decided to ban them on campus. His efforts and the ensuing controversy landed his name in a sizable story in a recent issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education.

“Whenever Bernie faces a tough issue,” Johnsen said, “he takes time to think it through carefully. Once he’s well informed and made up his mind,, he is fully committed to a solution.”

Machen attributes much of his leadership skills to his time at Iowa. “It was wonderful to be able to study under great teachers like Professor Bob Forsyth (PhD ’67),” he said. “That kind of relationship with mentors was a new experience for me, and one that greatly influenced my career interests.” –by Jean Florman