SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO AM) The University of Sioux Falls has hired from within for its 23rd President.
Brett Bradfield, current vice president of academic affairs, will replace the retiring Mark Benedetto at the Christian, Liberal Arts school, effective February 6. Bradfield has worked at USF since 2000. He remembers going over the terms of his employment with Benedetto on a napkin at a Bagel Boy on 26th Street. He's come a long way since that napkin.
"Humility is the word, I guess, that comes to mind, to be selected for this opportunity. I'm very honored to be here and I'm really looking forward to working with our community here," Bradfield tells KELO Radio News.
In his various capacities at USF, Dr. Bradfield directly administered, advocated for and helped create 17 new academic initiatives for the university.
Bradfield was selected from among 66 applicants nationwide, representing 30 states and five countries. He jokes that perhaps if he had known that going in he wouldn't have applied.
Bradfield says USF's challenges moving foward include continuing to make higher education accessible and affordable.
"And I think we have to look very deliberately at our delivery models, which fits in a little bit with the demographic challenges because as we look at online learning and the power of that, that busts down all geographical bounderies." says Bradfield as he looks into the future.
