A native of Canada and graduate of the University of Toronto, Gajic-Bruyea served for 10 years as Associate Director of Advancement Services at the University of Toronto where she played an integral role in an unprecedented billion-dollar fund-raising campaign before joining UC Merced. She was instrumental in building the Advancement Services Department in UC Merced's Division of University Relations as the two-year-old university works to establish a fund-raising program.
"Susana has demonstrated that she can provide the dynamic leadership needed to help California State University, Stanislaus meet its university relations and fund-raising objectives," President Hamid Shirvani said. "She has valuable experience in higher education and lots of enthusiasm about promoting the great things happening at CSU Stanislaus. We are very pleased that she is joining our team."
At the University of Toronto, Gajic-Bruyea provided leadership for donations management and development, established and managed the Advancement Records Program, and directed the Development Information Systems, which included operational responsibility for policy and procedural development in support of the advancement mission and fund-raising priorities of the university. The University of Toronto, which recently marked its 175th anniversary, is one of the top-ranked international and research universities in the world with more than 70,000 students at three campuses and 10 teaching hospitals, and more than 450,000 living alumni worldwide.
Prior to her service at the University of Toronto, Gajic-Bruyea was with the Toronto-based publishing and printing firm MPL Communications, Inc. She developed the company's first customer service department and oversaw all aspects of customer service and product fulfillment, including staff hiring and training, and development of operational policies.