Portland State Selects Bernstine as President

Daniel O. Bernstine, dean of the Law School, has been named president of Portland State University.

Bernstine’s appointment was announced Thursday by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education in Portland, Ore. He will become PSU’s seventh president and replaces Judith A. Ramaley, who will take over as president of the University of Vermont July 1.

Bernstine announced his resignation last December “after seven demanding years as leader of the Law School and achieving a long-sought goal of a major building addition,” according to UW–Madison Chancellor David Ward. “We wish Dan every success in facing the larger challenges of managing a leading urban university,” Ward said.

One of Bernstine’s major accomplishments at UW–Madison was spearheading the Law School addition and renovation, a $16.5 million project that updated and enlarged the Law School building. Bernstine led the effort to raise $6.5 million in private donations for the building, which was dedicated in April. Bernstine’s fundraising prowess also led to the endowment of four new professorships.

Bernstine said he is proud of the addition and renovation project, the hiring of several new faculty and staff and the fact that minority enrollment at the Law School grew from 11 percent to 24 percent during his tenure. He is one of only three African-Americans to serve as deans of law schools at major research universities.

“The people in the Law School are kind of like my family, and it’s always difficult to leave your family and leave your home,” Bernstine said. “At the same time, Portland State offers me a unique opportunity. It’s a fairly young institution with a lot of potential, and I’m hoping to contribute there.”

Portland State began as an extension center in 1946, became a college in 1955 and was granted university status in 1969. Its current enrollment is approximately 15,000 students, including 4,200 graduate students.

Bernstine was appointed dean of the Law School in 1990 and announced that he would step down in December 1996 to return to the law faculty. As dean, he oversaw approximately 50 faculty, 900 students and a budget of more than $10 million.

Bernstine received his master of laws degree from UW–Madison in 1975 and joined the UW–Madison faculty in 1978. He also has served as law professor, general counsel and interim Law School dean at Howard University. Bernstine earned his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law in 1972 and his bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1969.

A 16-member Search and Screen Committee is conducting a nationwide search to replace Bernstine. Bernstine remained at the helm of the Law School during this interim period.