Provost Roger Dennis Will Become Drexel Law Dean

January 29, 2007

Members of the Rutgers Community:

Roger Dennis, our superb Provost of Rutgers–Camden since 1997 and a member of the Camden Campus community for a quarter century, including six years as dean of the law school, has informed me that he will leave Rutgers at the end of the spring semester to become the founding dean of the Drexel Law School.

During Roger's tenure as provost, Rutgers–Camden has built a reputation for excellence and has brought new energy and vitality to the city and the region. As a dynamic academic leader, Provost Dennis has helped attract exceptional scholars to the university, and his efforts have greatly enhanced the student experience. His leadership has sparked successful initiatives such as the Rutgers–Camden Technology Campus, Inc., the Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs, and the new Ph.D. in childhood studies, a significant milestone as the first doctoral program to be offered on the Camden Campus. Much-needed capital projects are also under way, such as the expansion of the Rutgers School of Law–Camden and the upcoming improvements to the campus center and recreation center.

On a universitywide level, Roger has been an invaluable adviser and an always insightful and creative member of my cabinet, and his natural warmth and wit have brightened many a discussion of Rutgers' challenges and opportunities.

In the near future, I will announce both an interim provost and a national search for Roger's replacement. The Camden Campus is critical to Rutgers' mission as the State University of New Jersey, and Provost Dennis has done so much to advance the campus and its vital presence in Camden and the region. We must do all we can to maintain the momentum he has created as we make the transition to a new provost.

While I deeply regret that we will lose Roger's leadership, energy, and vision, this is a golden opportunity that is richly deserved, and I know the university community joins me in wishing him great success.

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