Dr. David M. Brady Breaks the
Glass Ceiling in Academia
Interview with David M. Brady, D.C., N.D., C.C.N., D.A.C.B.N.
by TAC Staff
Dr. David Brady, a 1991 Texas Chiropractic Col- lege (TCC) graduate, is the first DC worldwide to break the "glass ceiling" within academia by being conferred vice provost of the health science
division at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. He
is the first and only chiropractor to attain that elevated status
worldwide in a major university and, because of his extensive
training in chiropractic, nutrition and naturopathic medicine,
is now in a position to influence the educational direction of
scores of minds, young and old, for years to come.
Chiropractors have broken into the politics, forensics, law
enforcement, finance and academia, to name a few, and every
time an individual chiropractor rises in the ranks of a specific
field, it clears the path for others to follow. It also offers our
profession a multitude of new opportunities to educate the
public about chiropractic and, in the case with Dr. Brady, to
create collaborative programs with various healthcare professionals offering greater avenues for access to chiropractic care.
The American Chiropractor salutes the great accomplishment
of Dr. David Brady.
Interview with Dr. David M. Brady, Vice Provost for Health
Sciences at the University of Bridgeport
TAC: Dr. Brady, can you tell us what your title is at the University
of Bridgeport (UB)?
BRADY: Well, it is quite a mouthful, but I am currently the
Vice Provost for the Health Sciences Division, the Director of
the Human Nutrition Institute, and an Associate Professor of
Clinical Science.
TAC: What exactly is a Vice Provost?
BRADY: Thanks for asking, as people outside of academia
are often confused by what the word Provost actually means.
Many are familiar with a university President, but not a Provost. While a university President leads the entire institution,
including overseeing the fiscal operations, community relations,
and overall governance, it is the Provost that really oversees
and leads the academic operations of most universities. For
example, Deans of colleges within a university generally report
to a Provost. At UB, as in many other universities, we are broken
up into divisions related to fields of study, including our Health
Sciences Division. As the Vice Provost for Health Sciences, I
oversee the colleges and schools related to the health sciences
and I guess you can say that I am positioned between the Deans
of those programs, including Dean Frank Zolli of our College
of Chiropractic, and the university Provost.
TAC: So what exactly do you do as Vice Provost of the Health
Sciences at UB?
BRADY: The position of Vice Provost for the Health Sciences
is essentially the coordinating administrator for the College of
Chiropractic, College of Naturopathic Medicine, Fones School
of Dental Hygiene, Nutrition Institute, Acupuncture Institute,
Physician Assistant Institute and any academic programs
added subsequently to the Division of Health Sciences. I also
oversee the operations of the UB Clinics, our public clinic
system located within our Health Sciences Center. A big part
of my job is to facilitate communication among the programs
and to enhance efficiency in addressing and advocating for our
needs in the Division of Health Sciences to the University as a
whole, and to the President and Provost. This involves a lot of
different issues, including developing new academic programs,
