Photo by Jeff Watts
Dr. Scott A. Bass joined American University (AU) as provost on July 1, 2008. As chief academic officer, Bass provides strategic leadership toward fulfilling AU's dual mission of a student-centered college experience delivered by a distinguished research and professionally active faculty. He is responsible for AU's six schools and colleges, the university library, academic affairs, graduate studies and research, undergraduate studies, Washington Semester, enrollment, institutional research and assessment, and the registrar’s office. Bass also holds an appointment as professor of public administration and policy in AU's School of Public Affairs.
Before coming to AU, Bass was the vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School at University of Maryland–Baltimore County (UMBC), where he also held an academic appointment as Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Public Policy. In that role, he helped lead UMBC's dramatic expansion in research.
Bass began his academic career at the University of Massachusetts–Boston, where he served for 17 years in numerous positions that included founding director and administrator of the Gerontology Institute, director of the PhD program in gerontology, and professor in the College of Public and Community Service.
Active in the academy and a nationally known gerontologist, Bass has written or edited 8 books and 45 articles, earned a Fulbright Research Scholarship to Japan, and was a visiting professor at Stanford University (2004). His first coauthored book was selected as the Choice academic book of the year and, in recognition of his innovation in classroom teaching, he was given a national distinguished teaching award. He is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and serves currently on the editorial boards of the Journal of Aging and Social Policy and Research on Aging. Bass is an executive committee member of the Educational Testing Service, Graduate Record Examination Board, and is chair of its Minority Graduate Education Committee. He previously served as the executive committee chair of the Council on Research Policy and Graduate Education and on the board of the Council of Graduate Schools
Bass earned a combined doctorate in psychology and education from the University of Michigan, where he also earned an MA in clinical psychology and a BA in psychology.
