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Dear Members of the Rutgers Community,
The Presidential Search Committee has conducted nearly 20 listening sessions and in-person and virtual town halls in recent weeks and heard directly from more than 600 members of the Rutgers University community. Students, alumni, faculty, staff, and other key stakeholders from across the university offered thoughtful and diverse perspectives on the leadership needed to guide us into our next chapter. Hundreds of others sent emails, sharing meaningful insights into the qualities and qualifications the Rutgers community values in its next president.
The level of engagement and participation in the presidential search process has been encouraging and greatly appreciated. Your collective input, grounded in a deep understanding of Rutgers’ values and needs, has been instrumental in shaping the development of a presidential Leadership Profile that the Presidential Search Committee and our search firm partner, WittKieffer, are excited to share with you today. This profile lays out the qualities and qualifications we expect in Rutgers’ 22nd president and will guide WittKieffer’s nationwide search to commence in the new year. We hope you see your voices reflected in its pages.
As one of the country’s most respected and historic public universities, Rutgers is well-positioned to attract the very best candidates. We are seeking an innovative and dynamic leader who will boldly advance Rutgers’ commitment to academic excellence, social mobility, and societal impact while fostering an inclusive and innovative environment. This individual will not only embrace our unique multicampus identity, leveraging the distinct strengths from across the institution, but they will use these strengths to create a unified voice and vision that drives excellence throughout the university and state. Our next president will be a strong communicator with the strategic acumen to refine organizational structures, lead fundraising efforts, and champion Rutgers’ role as The State University of New Jersey.
To read the full profile, please go to https://presidentialsearch.rutgers.edu/profile.
The Committee will reconvene in February to work with WittKieffer in the coming months to review potential candidates, conduct interviews, and refine a list of finalists to be presented to the Board of Governors. We continue to welcome community feedback and invite you to complete the survey or email us at presidentialsearch@rutgers.edu.
As we enter winter break, we wish you and your families a joyous holiday season and happy new year and look forward to seeing everyone next semester.
Sincerely,
Amy L. Towers
Chair, Rutgers Board of Governors
Co-Chair, Rutgers Presidential Search CommitteeAlberto Cuitiño
Dean, Rutgers School of Engineering
Co-Chair, Rutgers Presidential Search Committee -
Dear Members of the Rutgers Community,
We are pleased to share a number of updates with you regarding the progress of our Presidential Search at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
First, thank you to the many individuals who shared feedback regarding the desired characteristics and qualifications you would like to see in our next president. We continue to welcome your feedback via email at presidentialsearch@rutgers.edu. Additionally, we invite all members of the community to share their input via this survey.
The Presidential Search Committee met for the first time on Tuesday, December 3, at Winants Hall. All 20 members attended our meeting, along with three senior executives from WittKieffer. This initial meeting allowed all members of the committee to share their unique connections to Rutgers and learn more about their important role in the search process, as well as responsibilities of serving. The specific expectations for the Presidential Search Committee are detailed in the formal charge, which is available for public review.
In addition, our meeting included a very engaging conversation discussing potential priorities for a new president, areas of focus, and qualities and qualifications this person should have to be successful as the president of Rutgers. We also discussed points of pride in our university and what makes Rutgers a brilliant opportunity for a candidate.
As we engage in town halls and listening sessions across the community, a number of major themes are beginning to take shape. These themes will contribute to the formation of a leadership profile that will be available on this website before the academic break.
Looking ahead, the committee will reconvene in February to receive an update from WittKieffer on the status of the search and to participate in an unconscious bias training and other workshops in preparation for candidate review and interviews.
We will continue to update you throughout the process. As always, we welcome and encourage everyone to continue to visit this website to submit feedback and nominate candidates.
All the best,
Amy Towers
Chair, Board of Governors
Co-chair, Rutgers Presidential Search CommitteeAlberto Cuitiño
Dean, School of Engineering
Co-chair, Rutgers Presidential Search Committee -
Dear Members of the Rutgers Community,
We are announcing the addition of three virtual town halls and invite you to share your feedback. Please see the meeting information below for each virtual town hall:
Friday, December 6, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Meeting LinkMonday, December 9, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Meeting LinkTuesday, December 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Meeting LinkPlease continue to keep informed throughout the search by visiting the Presidential Search website, where you can find more information on the search process, view the latest schedule of upcoming town hall and listening sessions to attend, receive updates, and complete a campus feedback survey. You can also give us your feedback by submitting questions and input directly to the Presidential Search Committee at presidentialsearch@rutgers.edu.
Sincerely,
Amy Towers
Chair, Board of Governors
Co-chair, Rutgers Presidential Search Committee
Alberto Cuitiño
Dean, School of Engineering
Co-chair, Rutgers Presidential Search Committee -
Dear Members of the Rutgers Community,
The Board of Governors officially announced the commencement of a nationwide search for the 22nd President of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. As co-chairs of the Presidential Search Committee, we are committed to an inclusive, collaborative, and efficient process that prioritizes engagement and input from our diverse and vibrant Rutgers community. We invite you to participate.
This is an important time for Rutgers to chart a bold path forward and build upon its successes as one of the country’s most respected and historic public institutions for research and higher education. Rutgers stands ready to welcome a transformative leader who embodies our values, embraces the richness of our multicampus identity, and brings the expertise needed to guide a large, dynamic institution toward greater heights of excellence, accountability, and innovation.
HOW IT WORKS
The Board of Governors has retained WittKieffer, a highly regarded search firm with extensive experience leading executive searches on behalf of large public universities, like Rutgers. They will engage in a comprehensive and thorough nationwide search, working closely with a 20-member Presidential Search Committee selected through a thoughtful and deliberate nomination process to ensure balanced representation across Rutgers’ diverse campuses and constituencies, including students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community partners. We are pleased to announce the esteemed members of the Presidential Search Committee who will evaluate candidates, help to cultivate a talented candidate pool, conduct interviews, and recommend finalists to the Board of Governors for its consideration and selection.
Amy L. Towers, Co-Chair Chair, Rutgers Board of Governors Manuel Jimenez
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolAlberto Cuitiño, Co-Chair Dean, Rutgers School of Engineering Kenneth Johnson
Vice Chair, Rutgers Board of TrusteesMatt Colagiovanni
Deputy Athletic Director, Facilities, Capital Projects, and Internal OperationsMark Manigan
Member, Rutgers Board of Governors;
President and CEO, RWJBarnabas HealthDan DiFilippo
Chair, Rutgers University Foundation Board of DirectorsRebecca Mezei
Graduate Student, Rutgers Law SchoolMonica Driscoll
Distinguished Professor of Molecular Biology and BiochemistryJose Ramirez-Garofalo
Graduate Student, Rutgers School of Graduate StudiesMarika Dunn
Executive Director for Research Relationships, Rutgers Office of ResearchSavayra Rao
Undergraduate Student, Rutgers University–Newark;
Vice President, Rutgers–Newark Student Governing AssociationLucille Foster
Chair, Rutgers University SenateAlejandro Ruiz
Executive Director, Rutgers Environmental Health and Safety;
University Safety OfficerParimal Garg
Partner, Lowenstein SandlerJaideep Vaidya
Distinguished Professor, Computer Information Systems, Rutgers University;
Director, Rutgers Institute for Data Science, Learning, and ApplicationsOscar Holmes
Associate Professor and Director, Rutgers University Student Executive (RUSE) ProgramGloria Vanderham
Chair, Rutgers University Alumni AssociationFrank Hundley
Former Member of the Governing Boards, Trustee EmeritusNyeema Watson
Senior Vice Chancellor, Strategy, Diversity and Community Engagement, Rutgers University–CamdenWE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
As part of our commitment to fostering an open process that welcomes, values, and considers input from across the Rutgers community, we are working with WittKieffer to host a series of in-person town halls and listening sessions. The first ones have been scheduled for the week of December 2, and we expect more to be announced in the coming weeks, including virtual, morning, and evening sessions to accommodate people’s various work and class schedules.
- New Brunswick
Tuesday, December 3, 3:30–5 p.m.
Richard Weeks Hall of Engineering, Room 102 - Newark
Wednesday, December 4, 2–3:30 p.m.
Essex Room, Paul Robeson Student Center - Camden
Thursday, December 5, 12:45–2:15 p.m.
Multipurpose Room, Camden Campus Center
We will continue to keep everyone informed throughout the search and invite you to visit the Presidential Search website where you can find more information on the search process, view the latest schedule of upcoming town hall and listening sessions to attend, receive updates, and complete a campus feedback survey. We have also created an email address to submit questions and input directly to the Presidential Search Committee at presidentialsearch@rutgers.edu.
TIMELINE
To ensure a seamless transition and have a successor in place by the conclusion of President Jonathan Holloway’s term on June 30, 2025, we have established an ambitious timeline—one we are confident the Rutgers community is well-equipped to achieve. We expect WittKieffer and the Presidential Search Committee to largely complete their work by March, so that the Board of Governors can make its selection by April. We are fortunate to have a Committee that truly reflects the best of Rutgers, individuals who bring with them diverse perspectives, ideas, experience, and knowledge, who will ensure we identify the right person to lead the university into the future.
We want to thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts and ideas and participating in the process of selecting the next president of Rutgers University. We pledge to lead this effort with integrity and purpose and to keep the Rutgers community informed and engaged throughout.
Sincerely,
Amy L. Towers
Chair, Board of Governors
Co-chair, Rutgers Presidential Search CommitteeAlberto Cuitiño
Dean, School of Engineering
Co-chair, Rutgers Presidential Search Committee - New Brunswick