Longtime friend and Georgetown president reflects on Richard Bierschbach's path to Wayne State

Eduardo M. Peñalver, president of Georgetown University, will deliver remarks at Wayne State University's investiture celebration honoring his longtime friend and colleague, President Richard A. Bierschbach.

Eduardo Peñalver will deliver remarks at investiture ceremony on Oct. 14

When Georgetown University President Eduardo Peñalver takes the stage at Wayne State University's presidential investiture ceremony on Oct. 14, he won't simply be honoring a fellow university leader. He'll be celebrating a friend whose journey has closely paralleled his own for more than two decades.

The friendship between Peñalver and Wayne State President Richard A. Bierschbach began during their days as clerks at the U.S. Supreme Court. Since then, the two have followed remarkably similar paths, moving from legal practice to law school faculties, then into academic leadership as deans and, ultimately, university presidents. Throughout those career transitions, they have remained trusted friends.

"Rick is someone who you meet and you immediately like," Peñalver said. He described Bierschbach as having always been "the same very affable guy," and someone whose warmth and authenticity drew people to him from the start.

The two discovered many similarities as their friendship grew. Both came from outside the nation's traditional power centers and shared similar perspectives shaped by their upbringing. Peñalver, who grew up in Puyallup, Washington, said he found cultural similarities between the Pacific Northwest and Michigan and believes that shared outlook helped form the foundation of their friendship.

Their relationship deepened during their years as young law professors in New York City. They met regularly to discuss scholarship, review one another's work and navigate the challenges of earning tenure.

"There was a lot of going out for drinks and a lot of just hanging out and catching up," Peñalver recalled. One enduring memory is Bierschbach introducing him to the Manhattan cocktail in Manhattan.

"Rick was always a little cooler than me," he joked. "So, I had a Manhattan with Rick and I was like, 'This is a great drink.' That's now the cocktail that I have all the time. So, if you ask anyone what I drink, they'll tell you it's a Manhattan and I owe that to Rick."

Beyond friendship, Peñalver credits Bierschbach with possessing qualities that helped him excel both as a scholar and an administrator. He describes him as a gifted communicator who understands how to connect with people while remaining direct, thoughtful and authentic.

"Rick is just a naturally really nice guy, really good person, and just a people person to the bone," Peñalver said. He praised Bierschbach's ability to communicate honestly while remaining kind and empathetic. "He can tell you something you don't want to hear, and you like hearing it from him."

He said Bierschbach is especially well suited to lead Wayne State.

"I think what makes him such a great fit for Wayne State is he believes so deeply in access and opportunity and what higher education makes possible," Peñalver said. He said that commitment was evident from Bierschbach's earliest days as dean of the Law School.

Eduardo Peñalver became friends with Wayne State University's President Richard A. Bierschbach when the two were clerks at the U.S. Supreme Court.
(Photo courtesy of Ellman Studios)

The two leaders also share a similar philosophy toward their careers. Neither mapped out a long-term plan to become a university president. Instead, they pursued opportunities that aligned with their interests and values as they arose.

"If you'd asked either one of us when we were clerks whether we'd be law professors, I think we would not have guessed that was the most likely outcome," Peñalver said. "And then when we were law professors, whether we'd be deans or certainly university presidents, we would not have predicted that."

Instead, he said, both followed opportunities that arrived "at the right times in our lives."

Peñalver was particularly pleased to see his friend become Wayne State's permanent president after serving as interim president. He believes Bierschbach embodies a rare leadership trait: a focus on the institution and its people rather than on the title itself.

"He's got the right mindset and the right abilities, but then he also is doing it for the right reasons, because he cares about the institution and about its mission and about the people, and not about being president," Peñalver said.

Today, both men lead major universities and continue to rely on one another as trusted advisors. Peñalver described university presidencies as "lonely jobs" and said having a friend who understands the unique challenges of higher education leadership is invaluable.

"It's such a gift," he said. "I just feel really fortunate to have a friend like Rick, and we can share these experiences. It's a rare thing, and I'm just very grateful for it."

On Oct. 9, Bierschbach attended Peñalver's inauguration in Washington, D.C. as Georgetown University's 49th president.

And, on Oct. 14, that friendship will be on display when Peñalver joins Wayne State faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members to celebrate Bierschbach's investiture. The ceremony marks the formal installation of a university president and celebrates both Wayne State's traditions and its future under Bierschbach's leadership.

"I couldn't be happier for Rick or for Wayne State," Peñalver said.