Dr. Sandra Minor Bulmer, Ph.D., interim president of Southern Connecticut State University, has extensive experience in higher education, including 26 years at Southern. She previously served as the dean of the university’s College of Health and Human Services and as a professor in Southern’s Department of Public Health.
In response to the evolving needs of Connecticut’s health and human services workforce, Bulmer served as lead academic administrator for the programming, design, and opening of Southern’s new 94,000-sq.-ft. College of Health and Human Services building in September 2022, providing leadership at every step in the 5-year journey to complete this transformational building. Together with her team she introduced several new innovative degree programs, including a doctorate in social work, a B.S. in healthcare studies, an M.S. in occupational therapy, an M.S. in athletic training, an executive MPH, and a BSRT in respiratory therapy. Bulmer also spearheaded the movement to convert programs to be more accessible to students through online classes.
As dean of Southern’s College of Health and Human Services, Bulmer also oversaw the opening of new departments and centers at the university to improve the health of the Southern and New Haven communities, including the Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE), Institute for Adapted Sport and Inclusive Recreation, the Connecticut Health and Mental Performance Center (CHAMP), and the Department of Healthcare Systems and Innovation.
Under Bulmer’s leadership, her college has secured more than $20 million in external funding to expand workforce partnerships and advance health equity in Connecticut communities.
She secured funding for and supported the development of a part-time RN program, creating a career pathway for full-time, entry-level health care workers, such as CNAs, and diversifying the nursing workforce. She supported a new model for providing supervision to social work students, which expands services provided to vulnerable populations, and she grew the number of students completing internships and practicum experiences in the community, partnering with more than 300 agencies across the state.
Her involvement in the local community has included service on several boards and committees, including the Clifford Beers Community Health Partners Board of Directors, where she served as vice president; the American Heart Association – Connecticut, where she served as president; the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Healthcare Council; The Whitney Center Board of Directors; and the Yale Center for Research Engagement Steering Committee.
Bulmer received her Ph.D. in health education from Texas Woman’s University, an M.S. in physical education with a focus on exercise physiology from the University of Oregon, and a B.S. in physical education from California State University Hayward.