News From the Board of Governors: June 2023
William E. Best Elected Chair of the Rutgers Board of Governors, Mark A. Angelson to serve as vice chair
William E. Best, a senior vice president at PNC Bank, has been elected to a second one-year term as chair of the Rutgers University Board of Governors. Mark A. Angelson, an international leader in higher education, business and law, and a distinguished public servant, will serve as vice chair.
Best and Angelson will begin their terms on July 1, 2023.
Best previously served one term as chair and two terms as vice chair of the Board of Governors and two terms as chair of the Board of Trustees. He has been involved in numerous governing board committees at Rutgers, such as the Board of Governors/Board of Trustees’ financial due diligence subcommittee, the Board of Governors’ committees on audit, investment, and finance and facilities, the Board of Trustees’ executive and emeriti committees, and was elected trustee emeritus.
Peter March Appointed University Professor
The Rutgers University Board of Governors has appointed Distinguished Professor of Mathematics Peter March as University Professor effective July 1. March served as executive dean of the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) at Rutgers University-New Brunswick from 2014 to 2022.
The longest-serving executive dean in SAS’s history, March made significant and lasting contributions to the school while serving as a strong advocate for the liberal arts tradition at Rutgers.
March developed and nurtured robust research programs across the humanities, natural, and social sciences; improved the school’s array of administrative services, including budgeting and strategic planning; and forged a historic partnership between SAS and the Rutgers Alumni Association that brought young and veteran alumni together in a single engaged community.
Michael Verzi Appointed to the Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Endowed Chair in Cancer Genomics
The Rutgers University Board of Governors has appointed Michael Verzi to the Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Endowed Chair in Cancer Genomics for a five-year renewable term, commencing July 1, 2023.
An internationally recognized researcher in the field of colon and intestinal cancer, Verzi’s work is published in leading cancer research journals and holds strong support from major funding agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and American Cancer Society. The 2021-2022 Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Research and the SAS 2019-2020 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Undergraduate Education celebrated his accomplishments in research and teaching.
A professor in the Department of Genetics in the School of Arts and Sciences, Verzi’s Lab of Gastrointestinal Research pursues studies on the development and function of the normal intestine, intestinal stem cells, the role of cellular metabolism in intestinal health and inflammatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancers.
Michael Carrier Named Board of Governors Professor of Law
The Rutgers University Board of Governors has appointed Michael Carrier of Rutgers Law School in Camden as a Board of Governors Professor of Law. Board of Governors professorships are awarded to individuals whose aggregate academic accomplishments are recognized nationally and globally. By virtue of their exceptionality, these professorships exemplify the most celebrated and decorated academic scholars at Rutgers.
Carrier is widely recognized as an expert in his field, with a scholarly record of over 120 law review articles in preeminent journals. He coauthored the leading IP and antitrust treatise in the nation and is internationally acclaimed for his book Innovation for the 21st Century: Harnessing the Power of Intellectual Property and Antitrust Law. He has authored numerous amicus briefs, testified before Congress, and his work has been cited in opinions by the United States Supreme Court. He assisted the Biden presidential campaign in developing its policy platforms on matters of antitrust and intellectual property matters in 2020.
Carrier regularly uses his research expertise to inform the broader public, authoring editorials in popular news outlets and offering expert commentary for various news outlets, such as TIME, Forbes, Fortune, The Economist, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. He has appeared on ABC News, CBS News, CNBC, CNN, ESPN, Fox News, NBC News and PBS.
Alan M. Leslie Appointed Board of Governors Professor of Psychology
The Rutgers University Board of Governors has named Alan M. Leslie as Board of Governors Professor of Psychology effective July 1.
Leslie, a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science in the School of Arts and Sciences, is renowned for his research into the mechanisms of the mind that give rise to thought and knowledge.
A Rutgers University–New Brunswick faculty member for three decades, Leslie is the director of the Cognitive Development Lab where researchers study the origins of knowledge through the framework of experimental cognitive neuroscience.
Lily Young Appointed Board of Governors Professor of Environmental Sciences
Lily Young, an environmental microbiologist at Rutgers for more than 30 years who is recognized for her research to help prevent pollution and restore the environment, has been appointed as a Board of Governors Professor of Environmental Sciences.
The Distinguished Professor in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences focuses her research on anaerobic microbes – organisms that can survive and grow in an environment where there is no oxygen and degrade harmful compounds in gasoline and petroleum. These microorganisms have evolved and flourished, and scientists are determining their unique processes and environmental benefits, including curbing climate change.
Earlier this year, Young was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, among the highest professional distinctions bestowed on an engineer. She was among 106 new members within the United States and 18 internationally who were recognized for making outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice and education and for significant contributions to the field of technology, traditional engineering and innovative approaches to engineering education.
Olga F. Jarrín Montaner Appointed Hunterdon Endowed Professorship in Nursing Research
The Rutgers University Board of Governors has appointed Olga F. Jarrín Montaner, an associate professor in the School of Nursing, to the Hunterdon Endowed Professorship in Nursing Research for a five-year renewable term, commencing July 1, 2023.
An internationally recognized scholar, educator and researcher, Jarrín’s research focuses on the intersection of gerontological nursing and health services. She leads multiple interdisciplinary research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health on Aging focused on improving health care delivery, equity and outcomes for the U.S. Medicare beneficiary population living with chronic and advanced illness including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Jarrín’s interests in community and health systems strategies to improve health care access and safety stem from her clinical background in home health care nursing and experience as an emergency medical technician in high school and college in New Jersey.
Legacy Professorship the University’s First
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) Senior Vice Chancellor Bishr Omary, an international leader in gastrointestinal biology and medicine, is the first faculty member to endow a legacy professorship.
The Rutgers University Board of Governors has unanimously approved The Bishr and Souha Omary Family Endowed Legacy Professorship, the university’s inaugural legacy professorship.
Omary, who serves as Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and research and the Henry Rutgers Professor of Biomedical Sciences, and his wife, Souha, are endowing the legacy professorship supporting gastroenterology. “It’s a small way to give back for the opportunities Rutgers has given me, and by extension my family, and to support faculty contributions to discovery and research training in an area I had the privilege to work in for many years,” Omary says.
Legacy professorships, approved by the Board of Governors in 2020, enable current, emeritus, and retired faculty and their families to create an endowed professorship in their name.
New Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree Program at Rutgers
The Rutgers University Board of Governors unanimously approved a new Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant degree program within the School of Health Professions (SHP) at Rutgers University.
The degree program will provide advanced skills, expand career opportunities for graduates and offer a career ladder for students who wish to pursue a doctorate in occupational therapy.
There is increasing demand and accreditation requirements for highly trained occupational therapy assistants, who contribute to the health and well-being of all populations. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of occupational therapy assistants is expected to increase 28 percent between 2016 and 2026.
Department of Education and Teacher Preparation Established in the Graduate School-Camden
The Rutgers University Board of Governors has approved the establishment of the Department of Education and Teacher Preparation in the Graduate School–Camden, which will serve as the academic home to the Rutgers–Camden Master of Arts in Teaching degree program. All current and future degree and certificate programs in education and teacher preparation will also operate under the umbrella of the new department.
The degree provides students with professional and practical foundations in pedagogy, classroom practices and theory. The program aligns with N.J. Department of Education code requirements and places students in local schools for a full academic year of hands-on learning experiences. The Department of Education and Teacher Preparation will increase available resources for students and serve as a difference maker in the severe teacher shortage within New Jersey and throughout the United States.
