Appointment of Chancellor of Rutgers–Camden

April 2, 2009

Members of the Rutgers Community:

I am delighted to announce that the Board of Governors has approved the appointment of Dr. Wendell Pritchett to serve as Chancellor of Rutgers–Camden. Dr. Pritchett, professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania, will begin his service at Rutgers on June 30.

Through his scholarship and civic engagement, Dr. Pritchett brings a keen perspective on how higher education institutions can become critical partners in the advancement of a city and a region. He has taught at Penn Law since 2001, and his work as associate dean for academic affairs from 2006 to 2008 focused on faculty development and the quality of the student experience. Dr. Pritchett is also president of the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation, vice-chair of the Redevelopment Authority of Philadelphia, and a member of the Pennsylvania State Planning Board. Last year Dr. Pritchett served as deputy chief of staff and director of policy for Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. During 2007, he chaired the Urban Policy Task Force for Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

Wendell Pritchett holds a B.A. from Brown University, a J.D. from Yale Law School, and a Ph.D. in history from Penn. His writings include two books and many articles on urban history and policy.

The members of the search committee, led by Newark Chancellor Steven Diner, have my thanks for their thoughtful work, which produced an exceptional pool of candidates. Dr. Pritchett is an outstanding choice who will help the Camden Campus continue to grow as a national leader in teaching, research, and service. I look forward to working with him on the university's leadership team, and I invite you to join me in offering him our warmest welcome to Rutgers.

Faculty of Arts and Sciences dean Margaret Marsh, who has served as interim chancellor since 2007 during an extended search process, will continue in that position until Dr. Pritchett's arrival. She has merited our immense gratitude for her sage leadership in advancing Rutgers–Camden on many fronts over these past two years.

You may read the news release announcing Chancellor Pritchett's appointment at http://news.rutgers.edu/news-releases/2009/04/wendell-pritchett-na-20090331.

Richard L. McCormick
President
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey