Bruce Benson

Bruce D. Benson became president of the University of Colorado in March 2008. Since taking the helm of his alma mater, Benson has enhanced CU’s standing as one of the nation’s leading teaching and research universities, advancing the economy, health, and culture of Colorado and beyond.

During Benson’s tenure, CU’s research funding has reached record levels in each of the past three years (including a best-ever $884 million in 2010-11), supporting the university’s research strengths in biotechnology, health care, renewable and sustainable energy, and aerospace engineering, among others. He has led efforts to promote cross-campus collaboration that have resulted in cooperative academic programs and research initiatives, most notably CU’s Biofrontiers Institute, led by Nobel Laureate Tom Cech.

CU has seen its four best fundraising years (including a record $213 million in 2010-11) under his leadership. Benson and his wife, Marcy, chair CU’s $1.5 billion Creating Futures fundraising campaign, which was publicly announced in April 2011. The campaign has raised $1.05 billion to date to support scholarships, academic enhancements (endowed faculty positions, programs), research projects, and capital improvements across CU’s campuses.

Benson has guided efforts to successfully institute operational efficiencies, cut bureaucracy, and improve business practices at the university. CU has secured legislation in the past three sessions of the Colorado General Assembly that has allowed it to save millions annually in areas such as procurement, insurance, and construction. He has also established a number of public-private partnerships to make the university more entrepreneurial and to meet the needs of businesses in Colorado and across the country.

He oversees a system with four campuses (Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora) where some 66,000 students pursue courses for credit. During his tenure, CU’s four campuses have seen record enrollment. The university’s annual budget is $2.82 billion.

Before becoming CU’s president, Benson had already made his mark in business, politics, philanthropy, education, and civic endeavors. He founded Benson Mineral Group in 1965, a year after earning his bachelor’s degree in Geology from CU. He was active in a variety of educational, civic, and political endeavors. He was the Republican nominee for Colorado governor in 1994. Benson has received many honors recognizing his leadership in a variety of endeavors, but two are particularly notable: CU in 2004 granted him an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, and in February 2009, he was named to the Colorado Business Hall of Fame.

Benson has three children and 10 grandchildren. He was born July 4, 1938, in Chicago.

Bio and Photo Source: https://www.cu.edu/content/about-president-benson