Michael J. Bzdak, Ph.D., is global director of employee engagement in the office of Global Health Equity at Johnson & Johnson. In this role, he manages the corporation’s efforts to engage employees in social impact and advancing health equity. Dr. Bzdak is involved in K-12 education efforts, especially as they relate to career development. He also oversees a global STEM education initiative.

He joined Johnson & Johnson in 1986 as curator of its corporate art program, managing a 2,000-piece art collection. He transitioned to director of corporate contributions, where his work developing programs of global social impact evolved.

Throughout his career, Dr. Bzdak has sought opportunities to mentor women, often long term, closing the loop by bringing them back to the company to inspire others. He has served on the advisory board of the Institute for Women’s Leadership at Rutgers University and has served on several other boards, including New Jersey’s Governor’s Advisory Council on Volunteerism and Community Service, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, and the New Jersey State Council for the Humanities, where he completed a term as board chair. He was named an Aspen Institute First Mover Fellow in 2018.

Dr. Bzdak has authored and co-authored a number of oft-cited articles related to the role of business in society published in World Health & Population, the Business and Professional Ethics Journal, and the Journal of Public Affairs.

Dr. Bzdak’s involvement as a grant manager with FIRST Robotics introduced him the obstacles girls faced in pursuing STEM careers. Through grant support, he encouraged the organization to diversify its teams and improve its ability to measure the program’s impact. He also led a partnership with Liberty Science Center and helped thousands of underserved students experience the magic of hands-on and minds-on science.

Dr. Bzdak contributed his expertise to a J&J initiative, Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing and Design, or WiSTEM2D. He was instrumental in developing its Youth Pillar, which sparks interest in STEM2D in girls aged 5-18 through creative problem-solving and play. To advance student outreach, he developed partnerships with leading nonprofit organizations and created a public website that includes STEM2D resources. Through subsequent partnerships with key collaborators, such as the Smithsonian Science Education Center, FHI 360, Junior Achievement, and Girl Scouts of the USA, STEM2D has reached millions of girls since its launch in 2015.

Dr. Bzdak earned a B.F.A. in art history at Virginia Commonwealth University and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in art history at Rutgers University. He serves as a visiting part-time lecturer in the Rutgers School of Communication and Information and was formerly an adjunct faculty member at New York University.

Dr. Bzdak has played competitive tennis for 25 years.