HONORARY DOCTORAL DEGREE JONATHAN W. BULLEN

In 1993, Bullen started investing in private career colleges, becoming CEO, president, and chairman of Provo College and Eagle Gate College. The schools boasted the largest Bachelor of Nursing program in the state of Utah with an enrollment of more than 800 students. Under his leadership, more than 15,000 students graduated with certificates or degrees in a variety of career fields.

In the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bullen and his wife, Julie, were instrumental in establishing the Leonard J. Arrington Endowed Chair of Mormon History and Culture. In the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, the couple helped create Aggies Elevated, an innovative program that empowers students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to succeed personally and academically.

Cache Valley-native Jonathan W. Bullen has been a skilled, successful real estate investor and developer and entrepreneur for more than 30 years, as well as a dedicated Aggie who has devoted time and support to his alma mater.

Bullen graduated from USU with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1978. He was active in campus life as a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, Sounds of Zion, and the Blue Key National Honor Fraternity, where he served as president.

In the years since graduation, Bullen’s ties to USU have strengthened. His business success has afforded him the opportunity to generously support nearly every area of the university, including the Caine College of the Arts, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, University Libraries, Athletics, and more.

Bullen is the co-founder and chairman of Colmena Group, a broad-based commercial real estate development company with businesses across the United States and a portfolio of assets valued at more than $1.6 billion.

His interest in real estate came after a successful career in broadcasting, where he began as general manager of KVNU radio in Logan and eventually became president of Cache Valley Broadcasting. He then formed the JWB Cable Company, which he later sold to Sonic Cable.

In the 1990s, Bullen was asked by then-USU President George H. Emert to chair the university’s first national advisory committee, which evolved into the USU Foundation Board and led to the institution’s first capital campaign. He is now a member of the USU Foundation Emeritus Board.

His contributions to the university have been recognized with multiple honors, including USU’s Distinguished Service and Spirit of Old Main awards, Friend of College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Professional Achievement award from the Huntsman School of Business.

Bullen has financially supported many charitable organizations, such as the National Ability Center, the Center for Humanitarian Outreach and Intercultural Exchange, and the Utah Symphony Opera. Also, he has served on a variety of boards, including as a trustee and board member of the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation, and executive director of the Capitol Arts Alliance, where he helped facilitate the renovation of Logan’s historic Capitol Theatre into the Ellen Eccles Theatre and Bullen Center.

For his inspirational business and civic leadership, in addition to decades of philanthropy, service, and loyalty to the university, Cache County, and the state of Utah, Utah State University is proud to bestow upon Jonathan W. Bullen the honorary degree of Doctor of Business.