Governors elect new officers, approve new degree programs and expansion projects
During today's Board of Governors meeting, President Robert L. Barchi asked for a moment of silence to honor Rutgers alumnus and actor James Gandolfini, who died June 19. Gandolfini, best known for his starring role on the HBO series The Sopranos, graduated from Rutgers in 1983. He was an outspoken booster of the university.
The board took the following actions:
Nancy Cantor, who has been chancellor and president of Syracuse University since 2004, will assume her new position on the Newark Campus on Jan. 1. Under her leadership, Syracuse University launched Scholarship in Action, which challenges higher education institutions to engage all corners of their communities in key areas, including environmental sustainability, neighborhood and cultural entrepreneurship and urban school reform. During her tenure, Cantor also completed a $1 billion fundraising campaign. Prior to Syracuse, she served as chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Michigan, dean of Michigan’s Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies and vice provost for academic affairs, professor of psychology and senior research scientist at the Institute for Social Research at Michigan and chair of the Department of Psychology at Princeton University. Read full release.
Gerald C. Harvey Elected Chair
Harvey, a former chair of Rutgers’ Board of Trustees, is the retired executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of Breeze-Eastern Corp. A 1972 Rutgers College graduate, he became a member of Rutgers’ Board of Trustees in 1998. He is a past president of the Rutgers University Alumni Federation and a member of the Rutgers Alumni Association’s Loyal Sons and Daughters. He and his wife, Keiko, have funded the Keiko and Gerald Harvey Scholarship for Women in Engineering at the Rutgers School of Engineering. Harvey was elected to a one-year term and will assume the post July 1. Read full release.
Greg Brown Elected Vice Chair
Brown, chairman and chief executive officer of Motorola Solutions and a Rutgers alumnus, also serves on the Rutgers Board of Trustees and the Rutgers University Foundation’s Board of Overseers. He was the keynote speaker at Rutgers’ 246th anniversary commencement in May 2012, where he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Additionally, he was inducted into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2010. Brown succeeds Gerald C. Harvey, who was elected chair of the Board of Governors today, and will assume the post July 1. Read full release.
Joachim Messing and J. Frederick Grassle Recognized
Messing, a professor of molecular biology, holder of the Selman Waksman Chair of Molecular Genetics and director of the Waksman Institute of Microbiology, is one of the world’s most cited scientists and an unrivaled leader in microbiology, epigenetics, comparative genomics and nutritional enhancement. Grassle, a professor emeritus of marine and coastal sciences and founding director of the Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences, is recognized internationally for his discoveries in deep sea ecology, technical innovations that have transformed the course of ocean exploration and interdisciplinary leadership.
New Degree Programs in Nursing Practice, Kinesiology and Applied Psychology
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program at the School of Nursing–Camden will address the increasing demand for nursing professionals with doctoral degrees. The interdisciplinary Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs in Kinesiology and Applied Physiology will be offered by the Graduate School–New Brunswick.
Projects Update
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Pharmacy Buildings – The board approved increases to the university’s debt to complete financing for chemistry and pharmacy building projects on the Busch Campus by $4.25 million and $2.75 million, respectively. The approximately 145,000-square-foot chemistry and chemical biology building will offer large flexible laboratories, utilize green building materials and its design will optimize collaboration. The 57,000-square-foot addition to the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy’s Levine Hall will feature two large lecture halls and several classrooms and laboratories, including a mock hospital room and an intravenous admixture room. The university will receive nearly $100 million in state grants to fund these projects.
- New Brunswick Theological Seminary Redevelopment – The university intends to proceed with the $295 million redevelopment project of the seminary on the College Avenue Campus, which would include a new academic building,housing and a parking deck. The project is contingent on receiving a total of $82.55 million in state grants and tax credits.