By Amanda Reed

Fred Bonner believes his responsibilities as an educator go far beyond the classroom.  

An associate professor of higher education administration in the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development, Bonner is more than just a teacher to both his current and prospective students — he is also a leader, mentor and friend.

“I want my students to do much more than complete the requirements for a degree,” he says. “I want them to become critical thinkers and contributors to the discourse communities within their fields. Beyond mentoring them in research and scholarship engagements, I also try to mentor them through modeling ethical and moral behavior practices.”  

Outside of teaching, Bonner is actively engaged in graduate student recruitment from historically underrepresented groups. His inaugural recruiting trip was in 2005, and since then, eight students have come to Texas A&M University, including five doctoral students who all received Diversity Fellowships.

“This recruiting approach is definitely a more effective means of attracting the diverse population of students we are seeking,” he says. “Strategies for recruitment have to be tailored to meet the needs of the populations you wish to attract to the university.”

In honor of his innovation and hard work, Bonner received two Outstanding Black Alum Honors from his alma maters – Baylor University and the University of Arkansas.

 The Outstanding Black Alum Honors were established to recognize alumni of certain universities who have made a contribution to each university’s scholarship endeavors, community service, academics and philanthropy.

“These two awards are near and dear to my heart. I was thrilled to receive a national and college award for my dissertation research back in 1997 from the University of Arkansas,” he says. “However, it means much more to me to receive awards from both of my graduate institutions that recognize the work I have done across my professional career.”

In 2007, Fred was one of three Texas A&M University educators who received a $1 million National Science Foundation grant for a three-year education research project.

The purpose of the project is to identify and evaluate the factors that contribute to the success of gifted African-American students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

He is an innovative recruiter, an important contributor to research and a respected faculty member and educator, but Bonner says he simply wants to be known as someone who cares.

“Hopefully I am adding to the future population of higher education and student affairs administrators and faculty who have the acumen to lead and the capacity to care,” he adds.

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