Dr. S. David Wu
Leading Baruch College with passion and determination

By Angela Feng
Photography courtesy of Baruch College

On February 3, 2020, Dr. S. David Wu made history when he was appointed the eighth president of Baruch College. Selected by unanimous vote, he is the first Asian-American to ever head a school in the City University of New York system. 

Such an esteemed position comes with great responsibilities and would feel daunting even under normal circumstances. With the instability and uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the job is all the more difficult. However, Wu has a knack for adapting to change, and has never been one to shy away from a challenge. 

From being the dean of Lehigh University’s College of Engineering, to the provost and executive vice president of George Mason University, Wu has always led with an open mind and a philosophy inspired by traditional Chinese values.

 

Humble Beginnings

Wu was born in Taiwan and received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial and systems engineering from Tunghai University. Upon graduating, he served in the Navy for two years, as at that time, all men in Taiwan were subject to compulsory military service. 

At the time, Pennsylvania State University had one of the best systems- engineering programs in the world. Wu wanted to further his studies in America, and received an offer to pursue his master’s and doctoral degrees. So, in 1983, Wu and his wife made the daunting move halfway across the globe.

Though it’s been nearly four decades, Wu still vividly remembers the excitement he felt when he first landed at John F. Kennedy Airport and stepped into New York City. Walking along the bustling streets, he was filled with a sense of exhilaration and belonging. Little did he know then that he would return years later and call the city home.

Wu and his wife got married in New York before relocating to Centre County, Pennsylvania, so he could begin his studies at Penn State. As an international student, Wu had no idea what to expect. However, he found that he was greeted with generosity and open arms by faculty members and other students. Penn State had a very large international student population, and Wu developed friendships with people from all parts of the world. In fact, he described the graduate student housing facility he lived in as being “like the United Nations.”

Wu recalled that he initially was surprised by the difference in learning styles between the United States and Taiwan. “I remember feeling this sense of liberation, if you will,” said Wu in an interview with Elite Lifestyle Magazine. 

While the education he got in Taiwan was excellent and very rigorous, he found that it focused a lot more on exam preparation. His professors in the United States, on the other hand, encouraged more independent thinking. “I’m naturally a very curious person, so I really enjoyed having the freedom to pursue what I was interested in,” Wu said.

In social situations as well, Wu found himself having to cross cultural gaps. The university often held cocktail parties for graduate students, giving them the opportunity to network and get to know one another. Initially, Wu found himself struggling in these situations. 

“You have to be good at reading social cues, which was at first hard to do. I often didn’t know what the right thing to say was, or when it was the right time to say something,” Wu said. “However, I made a point of attending all the events and challenging myself to get better at it.” His persistence paid off. Nowadays, Wu frequently has to attend social events as a part of his job, and he finds himself thriving that way. 

Wu also found sports to be an easy way to get past cultural barriers and bond with others. People may come from different backgrounds and speak different languages, but they can all come together for a game of pick-up soccer. It helps that Wu has always been an active person, enjoying pastimes such as soccer, tennis, golf, and motorcycle sports. “I’ve made many friends through these activities,” Wu said.

 

An Unexpected Change

Upon obtaining his doctoral degree in 1987, Wu worked briefly as a systems engineer before returning to academia to further his own research. He became a professor at Lehigh University, where he worked for more than 25 years. In 2004, he was appointed dean of the College of Engineering, a position that he held for a decade. 

Throughout Wu’s years in academia, his focus and direction gradually evolved. In the beginning of his career, he tended to focus on work that was more theoretical and mathematical. As he progressed, he began working more closely with companies in the tech industry, such as Intel and IBM. “My work has always had a sort of direct connection to the real world,” Wu explained. “I wanted my work to have an impact in the high-tech industry.”

Wu was also a visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. During his time at the University of Pennsylvania, he taught at the Wharton School of Business. This was a tough adjustment at first, going from engineering to a business school environment. However, Wu felt that his time at Wharton helped him better transition into his later career in higher education administration. 

When asked how he got into higher education administration, Wu let out a chuckle. “To be frank, I kind of just fell into it,” he said. “I certainly didn’t wake up one day and decide that I wanted to be an administrator.” 

Back when he was a professor at Lehigh, the department chair left to work for the National Science Foundation. In need of a new chairman, Wu’s colleagues nominated him. “I was reluctant at the time. I had been doing great as a faculty member, and didn’t really want to take on all these administrative responsibilities,” Wu said. However, he accepted, figuring the position would just be temporary.

To his surprise, Wu ended up liking many aspects of the position. Being the department chair allowed him to have a more direct impact and make substantive changes. As a result, when the college held a nationwide search for a new dean, he  was chosen for the position. “When you’re a dean, you end up interacting with people from all different departments,” Wu said. “I enjoyed getting to expand my horizons and learn more about different fields.”

In 2014, Wu was made the provost and executive vice president of George Mason University, Virginia’s largest public research university. He held this position for six years, before coming to Baruch. Under his leadership, Mason experienced historic growth in innovative academic programs and increased student diversity, and became the youngest university to earn Carnegie research-one (R1) designation.

 

Traditional Values

Much of Wu’s personal and academic philosophy is influenced by traditional Chinese principles. His father, a physics professor and scientist, instilled in him the importance of the “four arts”—lyre-playing, chess, calligraphy and painting. These were the four main academic and artistic accomplishments required of ancient Chinese scholars. In a more modern sense, the tradition translates to having a well-rounded set of talents and achievements that go beyond the merely academic. 

“Besides being an accomplished physicist, my father was also a poet, musician, and painter,” Wu said. “He had a very holistic idea of what an educated person should be.” Wu applies this same philosophy to both his children and his students. He encourages them to expand their horizons, to go beyond the books and enrich their minds in a myriad of ways. 

Wu’s vision is to make Baruch the new model for higher education—institutions with high-quality academics that are accessible to everyone, regardless of economic status. When it comes to location, Baruch is second to none, as it sits right between Wall Street and the United Nations. Wu plans to fully leverage this advantage and provide students with a full range of opportunities. 

By taking on the position of president of Baruch College, Wu has already made history, and he fully intends on leaving an even greater legacy.