Who we are
The Bernard M. and Ruth R. Bass Center for Leadership Studies is a Binghamton University organized research center, founded in 1987 and reporting to the vice president for research.
Vision
The vision of the Bass Center for Leadership Studies is to advance understanding and application of leadership using interdisciplinary approaches to theory and research and innovative methodologies.
Mission
The mission of the Bass Center for Leadership Studies is to generate, conduct and disseminate basic and applied research for the advancement of leadership effectiveness of individuals, groups and teams, and various collectives such as organizations, communities and networks.
To realize our mission and vision, the center's primary goals and objectives are:
- Research and Science – to discover and verify new knowledge about leadership
- Application and Practice – to develop and apply leadership "best practices" through assessment, education, and training and development
- Knowledge and Learning – to conserve and disseminate leadership knowledge and practice for scholars and professionals.
We strive to be a preeminent center for leadership studies, with particular emphasis on multi-level theory and methods, new models and methods of leadership, and promotion and evaluation of leadership development.
Bernard and Ruth Bass
The late Bernard Bass is widely recognized in his field as a preeminent scholar in leadership studies who achieved worldwide renown for Binghamton University and the Center for Leadership Studies, which he helped establish in 1987.
On Oct. 11, 2007, during the final stages of the production of the fourth edition of the The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, & Managerial Applications, Bernard Bass passed away at his vacation home in Binghamton. Known as Bernie to his colleagues and friends, he had been living in St. Petersburg, Florida, and was 82 years old.
He was a distinguished professor emeritus in the School of Management at Binghamton University and a member of the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College in Florida. He was also the founding director of the Center for Leadership Studies and founding editor of the Leadership Quarterly journal.
Ruth Bass worked closely with her husband on numerous projects throughout his career, and her generosity supports the annual Bass Speaker Series, hosted by the center and held at Binghamton each fall.
In September 2018, the center was renamed the Bernard M. and Ruth R. Bass Center for Leadership Studies, honoring the profound effect he had on the center, the campus, his colleagues and students, and the couple's generosity to support the center.
