Bruno J. Giordani, professor of psychiatry, neurology and psychology, and chief psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry, has been appointed faculty ombuds effective Sept. 1.
Giordani was selected to succeed Michael Welsh. He will carry a 50 percent appointment.
“The point of the ombuds process is to move toward conflict resolution in a way that all parties see as fair,” Giordani says. “In this way, hopefully, the process will not have to move to other more formal, structured, and often difficult and time consuming ways to come to resolution.”
He adds that the ombuds has to be a neutral, independent, informal, confidential, sensitive and impartial resource.
As the university faculty ombuds, Giordani will meet with faculty, assist in determining the nature of complaints or problems, advise on policy and explore avenues for redress. He will work with faculty and administrators to mediate and facilitate the resolution of issues when appropriate.
“The Office of the University Ombuds has benefitted from the leadership of Professor Michael Welsh for the past six years. The tradition of caring and capable leadership will continue with the appointment of Professor Bruno Giordani,” says Provost Martha E. Pollack.
Pollack says Giordani, a faculty member at U-M for 26 years, has considerable experience in faculty governance, broad knowledge of the university and a strong commitment to problem solving.
Giordani says one of the most important tasks Welsh took on was establishing a formal charter for the Faculty Ombuds Office.
“One of the goals I see as important during my time as ombuds is to work within this charter to continue to strengthen the relationship between this office and the local unit ombuds in each school and college of the university,” he says. “I want to assure faculty that I can be an effective voice when they need one to reach other faculty, U-M faculty governance, or university administration.”
Giordani earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1975 from Dartmouth College, and a doctorate from the University of Virginia in 1982. He served as assistant professor of psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine from 1984-86, assistant professor of psychiatry and psychology at U-M from 1987-94, and promoted to associate professor of psychiatry, neurology, and psychology in 1994, and to professor in 2012.
He served as chair and vice chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs from 2005-07, was the director of the neuropsychology section in the U-M Health System from 2001-13, and has been closely involved with the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center since coming to U-M.
He also has been a continuing mentor in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program since its start 25 years ago. This year, he received the U-M Distinguished Faculty Governance Award.
