Finance dean leaves for position at Museum of Science

After 23 years at the University, Executive Administrative Dean Wayne Bouchard will be leaving Tufts at the end of the semester to take over as the Chief Operating Officer at the Museum of Science in Boston.

During his time at Tufts, Bouchard worked for several different schools and offices.

He initially came to Tufts as a Grant Accountant, and, he said, "the opportunities kept coming, I kept getting approached."

Bouchard then worked for the School of Veterinary Medicine in Grafton. "The work they do, the faculty, and the quality of research is incredible," he said of his time there.

Finally, in 1990 he moved to the Medford/Somerville campus to fill the Director of Administration and Finance position.

Bouchard called his experiences at Tufts "an absolutely magical ride."

"What makes this place amazing is the kind of people who work here," he said. "In 23 years I have seen us make the jump from a regional liberal arts college to a university with a national reputation."

As the administrator responsible for the Arts, Sciences and Engineering budget, Bouchard has seen a number of improvements over the course of his 14 years in his current position.

"Every year there has been a balanced budget and a continual improvement in facilities," he said. Bouchard cited the construction of the Olin Center and the Gantcher Family Sports and Convocation Center, and the additions to Tisch Library as examples of recent improvements to the University.

Dean of Academic Affairs for Arts and Sciences Kevin Dunn said he approved of Bouchard's handling of the school's finances.

"He has a complete grasp of the financial picture of Arts, Sciences and Engineering, and has been able to steer the budget through lean years as well as prosperous ones, always with a humane sense of what we're trying to accomplish at Tufts," he said.

Dunn added that in terms of tuition, "we have dropped from one of the most expensive relative to our competitors."

One of the unfinished projects Bouchard has been working on is the drive to make admissions need-blind. "It's a shame not to allow the most qualified students to come to Tufts because of lack of financial aid," he said. "We have come a long way, and this is not an unrealizable goal," he said. "I am encouraged that the [University] president has made this such a priority."

Bouchard is also optimistic about the future for the University under the leadership of President Larry Bacow and Provost Jamshed Bharucha.

"They recognize the great things we have done, but they view this as a foundation for going to the next level," Bouchard said. "They are gearing up to raise the bar again."

Bouchard said he appreciated the experience of working for different schools within the University. "I particularly enjoyed getting involved in discussion because I could make connections between several schools and help solve problems," he said.

Bouchard said he is proud of helping to make administrators feel like part of the Tufts community. "Though the faculty and students are often talked about as the most important part of a university, I have enjoyed helping the staff to feel empowered," he said.

Dunn said he admires Bouchard's ability to lighten the mood on any subject. "He also has a wicked sense of humor, so that I always look forward to walking down the hall to discuss an issue with him," Dunn said.

Former Dean of Engineering Ioannis Miaoulis left at the end of last school year to become the president of the Boston Museum of Science.