News From the Board of Governors: April 2025
Board Approves Endowed Professorship in Arts in Health
The Rutgers University Board of Governors voted Thursday to establish an Endowed Professorship in Arts in Health within Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
The new position at the Mason Gross School of the Arts will support research, education, community development and interdisciplinary partnerships that use the arts to improve individual and community well-being and health outcomes.
A donor who wishes to remain anonymous has pledged $4 million to create the professorship, which will honor, retain or recruit tenured or tenure-track scholars whose work bridges the arts and health sciences.
“This professorship gives Rutgers the unique opportunity to chart a path forward that embraces both the visual and performing arts while keeping a practice-oriented approach at the center of our efforts,” said Jason Geary, dean of Mason Gross. “It positions the university to be a global leader at the intersection of arts and health, enabling us to explore innovative ways to integrate theory and practice – from prescribing the arts as a form of health intervention to directly engaging communities in efforts that promote wellness and healing.”
The professorship was recommended by Geary; Francine Conway, chancellor of Rutgers-New Brunswick; Prabhas V. Moghe, executive vice president for academic affairs; and Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway.
An endowed professorship is one of the highest honors a university can bestow and is reserved for an eminent scholar whose work and research significantly advances the discipline.
This appointment is part of a larger anonymous $8.8 million gift to support Rutgers’ ongoing Arts in Health initiatives at Mason Gross.
Board of Governors Approves School of Business-Camden Degree Program in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Undergraduate students in the Rutgers School of Business-Camden will soon be able to pursue new academic and professional pathways, following the Board of Governors approval of a bachelor of science degree program in entrepreneurship and innovation. The new undergraduate major will equip students with the necessary skills to identify, assess, and manage entrepreneurial opportunities, as well as to define and apply market concepts and principles in developing effective business strategies.
The program was previously approved by School of Business-Camden Dean Monica Adya, Rutgers University-Camden Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Prabhas V. Moghe, and University President Jonathan Holloway.
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Rutgers Board of Governors Approves University Commencement Speakers
Peter Seligmann, Rutgers alumnus, first-generation American and an influential voice in conservation, will be awarded an honorary doctor of letters degree when he addresses graduates at the 259th anniversary commencement of Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Rutgers Health on May 18.
Ramy Youssef, a writer, actor and director who is fast becoming one of the leading artists of his generation, will be the keynote speaker at Rutgers University-Newark’s commencement ceremony, where he will also receive an honorary doctor of fine arts degree.
Rutgers University-Camden will hold the Rutgers University–Camden and Graduate School commencement on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion. Contemporary African American visual artist Mickalene Thomas will deliver the keynote address at the ceremony, where she will also receive an honorary doctor of fine arts degree.
