Bruce was born in rural Woodstock, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Illinois and earned a Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University. In 2013 he retired after 35 years as a Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch. At UTMB he collaborated with Rodger Marion in grant-supported projects using video in teaching health professions students. The collaboration continues, most recently in the full-length movie Nudged (2015). Bruce has also worked many years with technoartist Professor Conrad as Director of Special Projects and Audioengineering at FlimFlam Laboratory.