Appointment of Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
July 11, 2003
Members of the Rutgers Community:
It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I share with you the
news that Dr. Philip Furmanski, one of the nation’s leading researchers
in cancer cell biology and an accomplished administrator, has been
appointed executive vice president for academic affairs, effective September
1.
I am delighted that Phil has chosen to join our university. He has
the perfect combination of ability, experience, scholarship, insight
and energy to help lead Rutgers to the top-tier of the nation’s research universities.
He shares the core values that I have articulated to guide my administration,
as well as my commitment to strengthening the education we offer to our students,
conducting innovative research that contributes to the state’s global
economic competitiveness, and serving the people of New Jersey.
I extend my appreciation and gratitude to search committee chair
David Mechanic and his fellow committee members for their outstanding
work. In Phil they found the right person — someone who will be an excellent
academic leader for Rutgers.
Phil will be a member of my cabinet and will serve as acting president
in my absence. He will be a tenured professor in the department of
cell biology and neuroscience in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences–New
Brunswick. He will also hold an appointment as a professor in the department
of molecular
genetics, microbiology and immunology at the Robert Wood Johnson
Medical School of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey upon
approval of
the faculty and dean of that school.
Phil comes to Rutgers from New York University, where he is currently
chair of the department of biology, a position he has held since
1990, and a professor of pathology at New York University School of Medicine.
He served
as dean of NYU’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences from 1995 to 1998.
As I have outlined in earlier communications to the university community,
the executive vice president for academic affairs will be the university’s
chief academic and budget officer. In close consultation with me, Phil will
be responsible for setting university priorities and enhancing Rutgers’ academic
quality. He will have direct oversight of undergraduate and graduate
education, research, university budgeting, land grant programs, libraries,
enrollment
management, financial aid, student affairs, institutional research,
continuing education, and all schools, faculties, centers and institutes on
the New Brunswick/Piscataway
campus.
A critical aspect of Phil’s new role will be to promote research and
instructional collaborations within Rutgers as well as with nonprofit
and private organizations. Working with faculty, students, staff and other
university
stakeholders, Phil will also define emerging instructional, research
and outreach opportunities, develop new initiatives, and oversee performance
and accountability
of individual teaching, research and outreach programs.
Rutgers can become one of the top-tier public research universities
in the nation. I am convinced that Phil’s leadership as executive vice
president for academic affairs will help us reach that goal. Please
join me in welcoming Phil Furmanski to Rutgers.
Richard L. McCormick
President
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey