Ever wonder what makes PSU's academic leaders tick? What books line their shelves, what inspired them to pursue their field and what visions they have for PSU’s future? Inside Portland State’s new “Deans Decoded” series takes you behind the scenes into the offices of Portland State's distinguished deans. Join us as we decode the personalities behind the titles, one dean at a time.
When you step into Dean Joe Bull's office at the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, you might notice the blend of engineering textbooks and Native American art adorning his walls — a visual representation of the groundbreaking path he's blazing in academia.
As the first Indigenous dean of an engineering school in the United States, Bull brings a unique perspective to his role, combining cutting-edge biomedical engineering expertise and a collaboration-based leadership style with a deep commitment to making STEM fields accessible and inclusive. Born in a small town in Illinois, his journey as a first-generation college student to pioneering academic leader offers an inspiring glimpse into how diversity in leadership can transform higher education.
Inside Portland State’s Ruben Gill Herrera sat down with Dean Bull to explore the experiences that shaped his vision for engineering and computer science education and his plans for Maseeh College's future. Watch the video or read the full interview below.
RGH: All right, Dean, how do you usually start your day?
JB: Most days I start by getting my daughter up and ready to go to daycare. We have breakfast and get a lot of time to hang out together in the morning before I come into the office.
RGH: What was the last book you read?
JB: The last book I read was a book called The Rough Side of the Mountain, and it's about underrepresented folks in leadership positions in higher education. And the chapter I liked to invest in was by Cassandra Manto, who was the first native president of a university that wasn't a tribal college or university. So a traditional mainstream university.
RGH: What's your favorite part about being a dean?
JB: My favorite part about being a dean is getting to collaboratively work on shared priorities. And one thing that really stands out for me is the work around student success and diversity and inclusion.
RGH: I see you have some funky shoes on. Are these custom made?
JB: These are not custom made but they are relatively small production. They're made by a company called Teton Trade Cloth. The company is owned by my tribe, the Delaware Tribe of Indians. We bought it a few years ago. And they have a bunch of shoes that are made by different native artists. So this one's Kira Maria, who's Shoshone and she’s a tattoo artist who does really intricate tattoos, and it's some of her artwork on the shoes.
RGH: Awesome. So are you a shoe collector?
JB: I just really like shoes. I really like things designed by and made by Native folks. And then since my tribe owns the company these were a logical choice. So I have several of these. I have several Nike N7s, which are local native shoes.
RGH: If you weren't a dean, what do you think you'd be doing?
JB: Oh, there are so many things I could be doing. I think one of my colleagues at a prior institution had this theory that there were at least five things that people could do and be really successful at, and that they ended up choosing one. So several things come to mind. Being faculty and continuing to run a large research program and teach classes is exciting and enjoyable. But then there's the other extreme. I tell people I didn't want to be a dean growing up. I didn't even know that was a job. Another job I didn't really know existed was being a fishing guide. So I like to fly fish and I could imagine doing that as a career if I did something completely different.
RGH: What is some random or arcane knowledge that you just have in the back of your pocket?
JB: Well, one thing that comes to mind, I wouldn't necessarily say it's random, but it's something most folks don't know and that is that Native Americans weren't U.S. citizens until a hundred years ago when there was an act of Congress that made natives citizens. And that, in theory, allowed people to vote. But it wasn't until the 1950s that Native Americans could vote everywhere in the U.S. because of local laws that restricted that.
RGH: Is there a book that changed your life?
JB: It's hard to pick one. Just about every book I've ever read, in some way, I got something out of. But one that really stands out to me is a book by Vine Deloria that's called Custer Died for Your Sins. And it was written a long time ago, but it's still really relevant. It is one of the first books or one of the most popular books to really say, well, Native culture is important. A lot of the history that's taught in school is wrong, and here's what you should know. And it was written not just for native people, but for everybody. It's a really impactful book.
RGH: What are some highlights of your time here at Portland State?
JB: There's so many things it'd be hard to pick. I think one would be winning the Sloan Centers for Systemic Change grant that's focused on systemic change in Ph.D. programs in STEM. So it's a partnership between us and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School. That's a highlight. I'd say there are so many things that are highlights that are collaborative with folks across campus. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has been a great partner, but also within the college, working together with people where we found shared vision and common interests has really been a highlight for me.
RGH: Any last thing you would want to tell students or other faculty?
JB: I want to tell students that our goal at Portland State in the Maseeh College is for you to be able to bring your whole self to engineering and not have to change or assimilate to be successful. We're here to support you, more so than anywhere else that I've been or that I'm aware of. And this is really a tribute to our faculty and staff. It feels like everybody's invested in student success and that makes Maseeh a great place to be. So I'm just really excited about the opportunities for our students.here are things we can do better, but there are a lot of things we do really well that we can build on and I'm excited about that.