“It’s a lot of fun to be the communications guy in the middle of all of these engineers and computer scientists. I love it,” said Bau, School of Computing & Engineering assistant dean for student experience and career development. “I seek to equip my ‘things-oriented’ students, computer scientists and engineers, with people-focused skills.”

That mission — and his unwavering dedication to community — are just two reasons he’ll be honored this October with one of the university’s top honors, the 2025 Staff Excellence Award.

“I am the only career development professional in Connecticut who sits in a school of engineering and reports directly to the dean,” said Bau, who was promoted in 2024 to assistant dean for student experience and career development. “Every undergraduate in our school comes through my classroom, so at least once they’re introduced to the professional development concepts I think are important.”

Bau has built a career around helping people navigate major life transitions. After earning degrees in public relations and rhetoric, he gravitated toward admissions and recruiting, beginning at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

He then moved into corporate recruiting, placing engineers into manufacturers such as Thomasville Furniture and Thomas Built Buses and building a college recruiting program for a New Haven biotech firm. 

He advised STEM undergraduates at Yale for nearly a decade before becoming UConn’s first engineering career adviser. After a role at Yale School of Management, he joined Quinnipiac in 2019 as director of career development, combining his twin passions for career growth and engineering.

“That experience is what I bring to the table on the career side,” Bau said. “What I was hired to do is prepare our students for internships and job searches, teach them how to communicate professionally, and help them project their brilliance. But along the way, I’ve become a cheerleader for our students. I get to know them personally, attend games, help manage student clubs and Projects Day, and even oversee our Instagram page to highlight their work. It’s wonderful to be part of this community of amazing young people.”

Lynn Byers, former interim dean and mechanical engineering program director, said the results speak for themselves.

“Since 2019, 99% of our school’s graduates have been employed or are attending graduate school within six months,” said Byers in her nomination. “Without a doubt, John Bau’s outstanding performance exceeds the regular expectations of his position.”

Bau’s commitment extends beyond campus. In 2021, he and Byers launched the state’s only manufacturing engineering technology career fair with support from Connecticut’s Manufacturing Innovation Fund. The fair has grown each year, drawing nearly 600 attendees at the most recent event, and remains focused on connecting Connecticut companies with local talent.

“I love hearing back from our students when they hit milestones that matter to them. When I catch them right after an interview and they say, ‘Hey John, I got the job!’ I love that,” said Bau. “I’m always so proud of their accomplishments."

Bau is also a leader in the field. He is the immediate past president of the Connecticut Career Consortium, a member of the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce board, and a regular presenter at the American Society for Engineering Education’s industry collaboration conference. He also serves as a Connecticut Manufacturing Ambassador and was recently appointed commissioner for the Town of Wallingford Economic Development Commission.

In 2023, he guided Quinnipiac student Hephzibah Rajan, a senior computer science major from Muscat, Oman, to be named the National Engineering internship Student of the Year by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

Rajan was recognized for her summer internship with CVS/Aetna, where she contributed to machine-learning projects. Bau praised her as “a model student” whose achievement reflects both her hard work and the school’s commitment to preparing students for successful engineering careers.

On campus, Bau continues to innovate. What began as a way to help computing and engineering students translate their coursework into career-ready skills is now evolving into a tool with the potential to have a campus-wide impact. He is working with senior software engineering students to create a web-based skills-mapping system that allows students to input or scan their transcripts, automatically connects courses to relevant skills and  uses AI to generate polished resume bullet points.

“If we can make this work for us,” said Bau, “why can’t we roll this out across the campus?"

His dedication to supporting each student individually is also what helps set him apart. In her nomination, Grace Davis ’24 recalled walking into a meeting with Bau as a sophomore to find “dozens of contacts and companies” he had already prepared for her internship search.

“His wide range of connections allowed for a less stressful job search,” said Davis. “Professor Bau was always available and more than willing to meet to discuss resumes and job offers, help with research, and provide resources of contacts and companies.”

For Bau, the award honors the community he and his colleagues have built together, where student success is truly a shared mission.

“To win this award says that people know we’re doing good work here. Along the way, working with my colleagues and amazing faculty across campus, we’ve been able to do some innovative things as well,” said Bau. “But the true measure of success for me will always be what happens to our students after they leave Quinnipiac."