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Jewish Community News
News: April 2006
New Jewish business dean at SJSU makes waves
By Cecily Ruttenberg
Just months after beginning his post as dean of San José State University’s College of Business, Bruce Magid stood with SJSU president, and alumni Don and Sally Lucas, to announce the single largest gift in the history of the university--$10 million to the College of Business.
This tremendous accomplishment came just seven months into Magid’s
term as dean. In appropriate modesty, Magid reflects all credit to the
Lucases.
“Don and Sally Lucas are really wonderful people,”
Magid said. “Don was from working class roots, he was an entrepreneur.
Everything about their story reflects what the College of Business is
trying to achieve.”
Meet Dean Bruce Magid. He and his wife Alexis and daughter
Shelby relocated to San Jose in July 2005. (Magid also has two children
from a previous marriage Michael, 26, and Laura, 23.)
From their Willow Glen home, daughter Shelby commutes daily
to Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School. Bruce Magid travels a shorter distance
to the College of Business where he is eagerly conquering his latest challenge—bringing
the College of Business up to speed.
Magid’s office is non-descript—institutional
carpet, and walls of blue/grey tones. Magid himself is a striking contrast
to this mediocrity. His walk is brisk, his attention set alertly on his
guest. His resume includes a doctorate, two masters’ degrees and
a list of impressive titles at big companies around the globe. In addition
to experience, Magid exudes enthusiasm.
“Just because we’re six blocks away from Adobe
doesn’t mean we have those connections. It’s based on relationships,
and building those relationships,” he said. “One of the intriguing
aspects of this position was to come to this college that had so much
potential that had not been exploited.”
SJSU staff and observers say Magid has already made tremendous
progress.
“In a very short time, we’re talking about a
matter of months, Bruce Magid has made such a significant contribution
to the university,” said Professor Burton Dean, who has taught at
the College of Business for 20 years and sits on the board of Hillel of
Silicon Valley. “He has successfully received a grant of $10 million
from the Lucas family. He has spearheaded our accreditation process, and
he’s moved the college in a different direction, more into international
and entrepreneurial activities and programming.”
Dean Magid has also been a willing supporter of Hillel,
and says he is eager to be more Jewishly involved. “My wife was
really excited when I told her about this interview,” Magid told
the JCN, adding that he and his wife Alexis talked about doing more projects
with Hillel.
In late February, Magid spoke at an event promoting entrepreneurial
and business connections between Silicon Valley and Israel. He said the
forum not only helped foster a more positive image of Israel, but truly
gave business students insight into another business epicenter.
“So many of our students, when they think about entrepreneurialism
and globalization in business they think about India, China and Southeast
Asia,” said Magid. “I think many of the students were surprised
to learn that so many Israeli companies have offices here in the Silicon
Valley.”
“I think there was an appreciation of the important
role of Israeli companies in the work of technology,” he added.
For Hillel Executive Director Sue Maltiel, the Israeli-Silicon
Valley Business Forum accomplished another very important goal. “It
allowed us to present a totally different image of Israel than most students
have,” she said. “We are always trying to present different
aspects of Israel, to turn the conversation away from conflict and bring
it back to what Israel contributes to the world.”
Bruce Magid grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. He recalls
that when visiting his grandparents in Dorchester, the family would walk
to shul and leave the chicken soup on a very low heat so that they wouldn’t
have to use any electricity when they returned from services.
When not with the grandparents, his mother and father practiced Reform
Judaism. “We drove to services, when we went to services,”
he recounts.
But Magid became a Bar Mitzvah at age 13 and has always
been affiliated with a synagogue and involved Jewishly. Because of the
intensity of his career, and heavy travel requirements, Magid says that
his wife has taken on most of the responsibility of volunteer work in
the Jewish community. She has sat on a number of boards including Hillel
in Michigan, the East Bay Federation and ORT.
Magid describes Judaism as his ethical and moral compass.
“My father used to always tell me something—I cringed when
I was a kid—he said, ‘Be a mensch.’”
Professionally, Magid is trying not only to be a mensch,
but a powerhouse. He has ready at hand—without notes—his five
goals as dean: great faculty, external relationships, a strong graduate
program, a global focus and the establishment of a thought leadership.
Personally Magid sees himself as the college’s visionary.
“Deans used to be internal administrators,” Magid said. “Today
an effective dean should provide leadership, vision and direction.”
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