Past Chancellors

Christopher J. Molloy | Debasish Dutta | Richard L. Edwards

Christopher J. Molloy

Christopher Molloy served as interim chancellor of Rutgers University–New Brunswick from July 2018 to February 2019, and as chancellor from 2019 to June 2021.

Dr. Molloy holds a faculty position as Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy.

He has played a pivotal role at Rutgers again and again, including his exceptional management of the largest single merger in American higher education history when he led the integration of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey into Rutgers.

Watch Videos from Former Chancellor Molloy

Previous News and Communications

Information Regarding Return to Campus for Rutgers–New Brunswick
June 17, 2021
Chancellor Molloy and Provost Conway provide updates and information for the transition back to campus.

Announcement of Interim Dean of Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP)
June 9, 2021
Chancellor Molloy and Provost Conway announce the appointment of Ryan J. Kettler as the new interim dean beginning July 1.

On Hatred and Bigotry
May 29, 2021
A message from President Jonathan Holloway.

An End-of-Year Message to Our Students
May 14, 2021
Chancellor Molloy congratulates this year’s graduates and looks forward to seeing students on campus in the fall.

School of Graduate Studies Leadership Transition
May 12, 2021
Chancellors Molloy and Strom announce the appointment of an interim dean to lead the school.

Save the Date! In-Person Celebrations for the Class of 2021 and 2020
May 11, 2021
President Holloway and Chancellors Molloy, Strom, Cantor, and Marsh invite graduating students to save the date for upcoming in-person events to celebrate the Class of 2021 as well as the class of 2020.

Announcement of the RUMP Retreat
May 5, 2021
Chancellor Molloy encourages the Rutgers community attend a virtual retreat featuring poster presentations and faculty talks hosted by the Rutgers University Microbiome Program.

Celebrating the Publication of Scarlet and Black Volume 3
April 29, 2021
Chancellor Molloy praises the final book in the triology and encourages the Rutgers community to attend a virtual symposium on the final two books in the series.

From President and Chancellors: The Chauvin Verdict
April 20, 2021
Today’s verdict does not change the fact that as a nation we must work much harder to deliver equal justice for all.

Community Support
April 9, 2021
Chancellor Molloy expresses solidarity with members of the New Brunswick Jewish community in response to an act of vandalism and reaffirms the university's commitment to nurturing an environment free from anti-Semitism.

Fall 2021 Return to Rutgers–New Brunswick
April 5, 2021
Chancellor Molloy thanks faculty and staff for their flexibility in response to the pandemic and shares plans for ensuring a fall return to campus that prioritizes health and safety.

Fall Return to the Banks
April 2, 2021
Chancellor Molloy announces a large majority of courses will offer in-person instruction and encourages students to begin planning for housing and course registration.

Chancellor's Student Leadership Awards
March 12, 2021
We seek nominations to recognize outstanding students and student organizations' achievements in service, academics, mentoring, research, innovation, and as change agents to the university and community.

From President and Chancellors: Affirming Our Asian Community
March 11, 2021
Amid rising anti-Asian sentiment and violent hate crimes, President Holloway and Chancellors Molloy, Strom, Cantor, and Marsh express solidarity with the Asian community and around the world.

Cultivating Community and True Belonging
February 26, 2021
Chancellor Molloy remarks on the activities of Access Week and acknowledges faculty and staff who are engaged in diversity, equity, and inclusion at Rutgers.

New Brunswick Strategic Planning Process
February 23, 2021
Chancellor Molloy announces the formation of a steering committee to guide Rutgers–New Brunswick’s diversity strategic planning efforts.

A Commitment to Educational Access
February 15, 2021
Chancellor Molloy talks about Access Week 2021 and encourages us to rethink the traditional role of higher education to promote access and ensure educational opportunities.

Zoom-Bombing Attacks
February 13, 2021
Chancellor Molloy's statement about the recent Zoom-bombing incidents.

Supporting a Strong Community in 2021
January 29, 2021
Chancellor Molloy thanks faculty and staff for their ongoing work and resilience and reminds them to practice self-care.

Fall 2021 Outlook and Academic Planning
January 28, 2021
Our current vision includes in-person experiences for all courses that were fully face-to-face before the onset of the pandemic.

In Memory of Dr. Andy Brooks
January 26, 2021
Remembering a pioneering researcher.

Welcome to the Spring Semester
January 19, 2021
Chancellor Molloy shares his pride in how the Scarlet Knight community has reimagined how to engage, learn, innovate, and support each other. He also provides a framework to utilize the Knight's Call to achieve President Holloway's goal of becoming a beloved community.
End of Year Reflections on Resilience
December 18, 2020
Chancellor Molloy reflects on 2020 and with the help of the great-nephew of Paul Robeson ‘19, Dr. Gregory Robeson-Smith, and fellow Scarlet Knights Victoria Dabrowski-Schmidt ’42 and Frank McClellan, Esq. ’67 remind us of the famous Rutgers Resilience.

A Year in Review
December 4, 2020
Chancellor Molloy reflects on 2020 and thanks faculty and staff for their ongoing commitment to Rutgers.

A Video Message to Give Thanks
November 24, 2020
Chancellor Molloy shares a message of thanks and appreciation.

First-Generation Students
November 9, 2020
Faculty and staff are encouraged to share their first-generation stories on social media by using #RUFIRST for National First Generation Week.

Celebrating Our First-Generation Students
November 9, 2020
Chancellor Molloy encourages first-generation students share their first stories on social media by using #RUFIRST.

Spring Semester 2021 Update
November 6, 2020
Chancellor Molloy announces the spring semester will offer limited in-person instruction.

Provost Leadership Transition
October 22, 2020
Chancellor Molloy appoints Dr. Francine Conway as Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs.

Rutgers–New Brunswick Plans for Spring 2021
October 8, 2020
Chancellor Molloy offers some insight into the planning underway for the spring semester.

Mourning the Loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
September 19, 2020
Chancellor Molloy remarks on the legacy of the pioneering Supreme Court justice.

Community Safety Following Sunday's New Brunswick Shooting
September 14, 2020
Students are urged to remain aware of their surroundings, refrain from large gatherings, and report suspicious activity or persons to the police immediately.

The Start of a New Academic Year
September 1, 2020
Chancellor Molloy welcomes faculty and staff back for the fall semester and announces some administrative changes.

The Start of a New Semester
September 1, 2020
On the first day of classes, Chancellor Molloy welcomes students back for the fall semester.

Welcome to Our New Students (August 31, 2020)
Read an excerpt of Chancellor Molloy's remarks during the New Student Convocation ceremony.

Announcing the Big Ten Academic Alliance Online Course Sharing Program (August 11, 2020)
Rutgers–New Brunswick undergraduate students can take a free online course from a participating school.

Rutgers–New Brunswick Plans for Fall 2020 (July 6, 2020)
The fall semester will combine a majority of remotely delivered courses with a limited number of in-person classes.
- Response to DACA Supreme Court Decision (June 19, 2020)
- United for Justice (May 29, 2020)
- Thank You for a Great Academic Year! (May 21, 2020)
- In Memory of Thomas Sokolowski (May 7, 2020)
- Remembering Professor Ruth B. Mandel (April 13, 2020)
- Chancellor's Message for Student Leadership Awards Update (April 8, 2020)
- In Memory of Professor Cheryl Wall (April 6, 2020)
- Interim Dean Appointment for the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (April 2, 2020)
- The 2020 Census and Redistricting: Why Every Count Matters - An Operational Update (March 31, 2020)
- Center for COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness Announced (March 24, 2020)
- Our Rutgers–New Brunswick Community (March 19, 2020)
- Rutgers–New Brunswick Update on COVID-19 (March 12, 2020)
- Spring Break Travel (March 9, 2020)
- Chancellor's Student Leadership Awards (March 6, 2020)
- Announcing the Publication of Scarlet and Black Volume II (February 25, 2020)
- An Invitation To Access Week (February 17, 2020)
- Welcoming the New Dean of the Mason Gross School of the Arts (February 12, 2020)
- Upholding Our Values in Response to Coronavirus (February 7, 2020)
- School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Dean Transition (January 24, 2020)
- A Semester in Review – New Brunswick Highlights (December 18, 2019)
- We Stand United (December 17, 2019)
- Season's Greetings from Chancellor Molloy (December 11, 2019)
- In the Spirit of Thanksgiving (November 26, 2019)
- Message from the Chancellor Regarding Off Campus Bias Incident (November 22, 2019)
- Course Schedule Improvements Fall 2020 (October 22, 2019)
- Director of the Institute for Women's Leadership (September 30, 2019)
- Remembering Joachim Messing (September 18, 2019)
- Remembering 9/11 (September 11, 2019)
- Rutgers Encourages "I Support. I Prevent. I Speak." Movement Against Sexual Misconduct (September 10, 2019)
- Looking Forward to Another Great Semester! (September 3, 2019)
- Welcome, Scarlet Knights! (September 3, 2019)
- Leadership Transition at the Eagleton Institute of Politics (August 19, 2019)
- Rutgers University's Ongoing Efforts to Combat Gun Violence (August 5, 2019)
- Leadership Transitions in the Office of the Chancellor (June 6, 2019)
- Mason Gross Announcement (June 4, 2019)
- Message from the Chancellor Regarding Hate Speech (May 24, 2019)
- Thank You for Another Great Academic Year! (May 15, 2019)
- Congratulations to Our Two National Academy of Sciences Recipients (May 6, 2019)
- Announcing the New Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement (April 30, 2019)
- Campus Open House — Thank You (April 16, 2019)
- You're Invited: Robeson returns to the Banks (April 5, 2019)
- Course Scheduling Initiative (April 3, 2019)
- Chancellor's Address to the University Senate (April 1, 2019)
- Our Hearts Are with New Zealand (March 15, 2019)
- Chancellor's Student Leadership Awards, Call for Nominations (March 14, 2019)
- Infosilem Course Scheduling Town Hall Meetings (February 7, 2019)
- Christopher Molloy Appointed Rutgers–New Brunswick Chancellor (February 6, 2019)
- Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications Appointment (February 4, 2019)
- Timeline for the Launch of Course Scheduling System (November 20, 2018)
- A Message for Healing After the Violence (October 30, 2018)
- Big Ideas Submission Process (September 25, 2018)
- Meet & Greet with Interim Chancellor Christopher Molloy (September 24, 2018)
- Chancellor's Colloquium: Superbugs: Evolutionary Insights from the Protein Data Bank (September 11, 2018)
- The Interim Chancellor of Rutgers–New Brunswick Talks About His New Role (September 7, 2018)
- Much to Look Forward to As We Start Anew (September 6, 2018)
- An Invitation to Celebrate Paul Robeson (August 31, 2018)
- Greetings from Interim Chancellor Molloy (July 27, 2018)
- Announcement of Interim Chancellor (July 25, 2018)
- Leadership Appointment Announcements (July 11, 2018)
- Director, Institute for Women's Leadership (June 1, 2018)
- Announcing Vice Chancellor for Diversity Search (May 18, 2018)
- School of Management and Labor Relations Dean Search (February 12, 2018)

Debasish Dutta

Former Chancellor Debasish (Deba) Dutta served at Rutgers from July 1, 2017, to July 25, 2018, and was a tenured Distinguished Professor of Engineering. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Dr. Dutta has served as educator, scholar, and administrator at four national research universities.

Previous Initiatives and Communications

Inaugural State of Rutgers University–New Brunswick Address

Deba Dutta, Chancellor
Celebrate our institution’s accomplishments and discuss our future.
(February 28, 2018)

The State of Rutgers–New Brunswick (PDF, 27.1 MB)
Talks with prominent faculty from a variety of disciplinary perspectives provide a forum to network with colleagues, catalyze new research ideas, and inspire collaboration across academic disciplines.

Amoeba Artist

Aki Sasamoto, Department of Visual Arts
A discussion how collaborations with musicians, choreographers, mathematicians, writers, physicists, engineers, and scholars from all walks of life have shaped a sculptor's work.
(March 26, 2018)

Coasts in Times of Sea-Level Rise

Robert Kopp, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
A look at sea-level change and the intersections between physical climate change and the economy.
(February 5, 2018)

Republic of Spin

David Greenberg, Departments of Journalism and Media Studies and History
An examination of the duality of political spin and its societal impact.
(October 30, 2017)
Republic of Spin: An Inside History of the American Presidency

Hard Choices

Ruth Chang, Department of Philosophy
How do we exercise our freedom through the choices we make?
(September 25, 2017)
How to Make Hard Choices TED talk
Campus Conversations use data to shed light on areas of strength, challenges, and opportunities for growth at Rutgers University–New Brunswick.

Undergraduate Education at Rutgers–New Brunswick: A Closer Look

How does our undergraduate program compare with those of our peers? How are we striving to improve the undergraduate experience?
(April 19, 2018 )

Undergraduate Education at Rutgers–New Brunswick (PDF)

Analyzing and Innovating Research at Rutgers

Join Chancellor Dutta in assessing the current state of our research enterprise to begin charting a course for the future.
(February 12, 2018)

Analyzing and Innovating Research (PDF)

Beyond the Baccalaureate: A Look at Rutgers Graduate Education

Want to know the state of affairs of graduate programs at Rutgers? How do our programs, especially Ph.D. offerings, measure up against our Big Ten peers?
(December 6, 2017)

A Look at Graduate Education (PDF)

Beyond Football: Rutgers in the Big Ten

Want to know how Rutgers stacks up against its Big Ten peers off the gridiron? Where we stand in terms of research output, diversity, U.S. News & World Report rankings, fundraising, and more?
(November 7, 2017)

Big Ten Academic Comparison Charts (PDF)
The Chancellor's Distinguished Lecture Series brings prominent leaders in higher education to campus to talk about the future of public higher education.

Recommitting to Lincoln's Vision: Access and Excellence in Public Research Universities

Robert Birgeneau, Chancellor Emeritus
Arnold and Barbara Silverman Distinguished Professor of Physics, Material Science and Engineering, and Public Policy
University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Birgeneau is a chair of the Lincoln Project, Excellence and Access in Public Higher Education. This initiative of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences has developed recommendations for ensuring that public universities continue to serve the nation as engines of economic development and opportunity for Americans from all backgrounds.
(May 14, 2018)

Preparing the American University for the Year 2040

James Duderstadt, President Emeritus
University Professor of Science and Engineering
University of Michigan

James Duderstadt served as President of the University of Michigan from 1988 to 1996. He received the National Medal of Technology for exemplary service to the nation, and the Vannevar Bush Award for lifelong contributions to the welfare of the nation through public service activities in science, technology, and public policy. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Science, and is a nonresident Senior Fellow of the Brookings Institution.
(April 11, 2018)
- Leadership Appointment Announcements (July 11, 2018)
- Greece, Garden State, and Graduates: A Year at Rutgers (July 2, 2018)
- A Call for Kindness and Solidarity (March 30, 2018)
- Welcoming Middle States Visitors (March 19, 2018)
- State of Rutgers University–New Brunswick Address (February 26, 2018)
- Announcing the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation (January 18, 2018)
- Protecting Our DACA Students (January 17, 2018)
- In Thanks of Your Generous Holiday Spirit at the Big Chill (December 5, 2017)
- Rutgers Makes History with Zimmerli Art Museum Gift (November 9, 2017)
- Remembering a Rutgers Graduate Killed in the New York City Attack (November 1, 2017)
- My Happy First Homecoming as Chancellor (October 23, 2017)
- Welcome Message to Faculty: Our Moment to Reinvigorate and Reimagine Our Mandate (September 6, 2017)
- Welcome Message to Students: Welcome Scarlet Knights! (September 6, 2017)
- Supporting Our DACA Students (September 5, 2017)
- Fulfilling the Higher Purpose of Higher Education at Rutgers University–New Brunswick (Rutgers Today, July 5, 2017)
- Summer Greetings from Your New Chancellor (July 5, 2017)
- Debasish Dutta Named Chancellor of Rutgers University–New Brunswick (Rutgers Today, April 6, 2017)

Richard L. Edwards

Inaugural Chancellor Richard Edwards served from 2014-2017 during a pivotal period in the university's history, with its entrance into the Big Ten and Big Ten Academic Alliance, the integration of the former University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and the university's historic 250th anniversary. Prior to his appointment as chancellor, Dr. Edwards served as executive vice president of academic affairs from 2011 to 2014.

Previous Reports and Communications

- With Thanks and Appreciation (June 30, 2017)
- Final Report from the Task Force on Inclusion and Community Values (March 20, 2017)
- How Big Ideas Converge at Rutgers University–New Brunswick (March 9, 2017)
- America Converges Here: The People of Rutgers (February 14, 2017)
- An Introduction to America Converges Here (February 3, 2017)
- An Update on RU-1st and Improving the Student Experience (January 25, 2017)
- Slavery, Dispossession, and the Way Forward (November 18, 2016)
- A Beginning, and End, as We Converge at Rutgers University–New Brunswick (September 8, 2016)
- The Relationship between Freedom of Expression, Inclusion, and Civility (February 12, 2016)
- Appointment of Board of Governors Professor Deborah Gray White as Chair of the Committee on Enslaved and Disenfranchised Populations in Rutgers History (November 23, 2015)
- Formation of Committee on Enslaved and Disenfranchised Populations in Rutgers History (November 10, 2015)
- Our Campus Climate Survey and Action Plan on Sexual Violence (September 2, 2015)
- The Rutgers University–New Brunswick Strategic Plan (PDF) (December 12, 2014)

Past Chancellors

Christopher J. Molloy

Previous News and Communications

2021 Communications

2020 Communications

2019 Communications

2018 Communications

Debasish Dutta

Previous Initiatives and Communications

Campus Address

Inaugural State of Rutgers University–New Brunswick Address

Chancellor's Colloquia

Amoeba Artist

Coasts in Times of Sea-Level Rise

Republic of Spin

Hard Choices

Campus Conversations

Undergraduate Education at Rutgers–New Brunswick: A Closer Look

Analyzing and Innovating Research at Rutgers

Beyond the Baccalaureate: A Look at Rutgers Graduate Education

Beyond Football: Rutgers in the Big Ten

2018 Distinguished Lecture Series: The Future of the Public Research University

Recommitting to Lincoln's Vision: Access and Excellence in Public Research Universities

Preparing the American University for the Year 2040

News and Communications

Richard L. Edwards

Previous Reports and Communications

Task Force Reports

News and Communications

Past Chancellors

Christopher J. Molloy

2021 Communications

2020 Communications

2019 Communications

2018 Communications

Debasish Dutta

Campus Address

Inaugural State of Rutgers University–New Brunswick Address

Chancellor's Colloquia

Amoeba Artist

Coasts in Times of Sea-Level Rise

Republic of Spin

Hard Choices

Campus Conversations

Undergraduate Education at Rutgers–New Brunswick: A Closer Look

Analyzing and Innovating Research at Rutgers

Beyond the Baccalaureate: A Look at Rutgers Graduate Education

Beyond Football: Rutgers in the Big Ten

2018 Distinguished Lecture Series: The Future of the Public Research University

Recommitting to Lincoln's Vision: Access and Excellence in Public Research Universities

Preparing the American University for the Year 2040

News and Communications

Richard L. Edwards

Task Force Reports

News and Communications

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