Conway Is Named Chancellor of Rutgers-New Brunswick
The promotion announced by President Jonathan Holloway reflects Conway’s leadership of the New Brunswick campus and her vision that resulted in the Academic Master Plan
On July 1, Chancellor-Provost Francine Conway became Chancellor Conway. As she continues to lead Rutgers University–New Brunswick, her new title reflects the challenges unique to a Big Ten campus and the nation’s 19th top public university.
Conway, who has led Rutgers–New Brunswick under the hybrid title of “chancellor-provost” for two years, will continue to oversee Rutgers–New Brunswick’s administrative, academic and research operations. She soon will appoint a provost who will report to her with direct oversight of the institution’s academic side. The separation of responsibilities between chancellor and provost mirrors the leadership structures of Rutgers’ other chancellor-led units, Rutgers–Camden, Rutgers–Newark, and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences.
“Chancellor Conway’s work has highlighted the complexities of managing an institution that is a top 20 public university, a member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, a world-class powerhouse of research and a proud home of diversity and opportunity,” President Jonathan Holloway said when he announced the new title. “These realities have led Dr. Conway and me to recognize the need to once again separate the roles of chancellor and provost to ensure continual growth for all three components of our university mission: elevating the public good through excellence in education, research and service.”
Over the past two years, “Conway’s vision for these priorities has yielded an ambitious suite of new initiatives under the Academic Master Plan, all of which reflect the strengths, opportunities and values of Rutgers–New Brunswick and its community,” Holloway added. “I look forward to working with her to write the next chapter of academic excellence at Rutgers.”
As chancellor of Rutgers–New Brunswick, Conway oversees a top 20 public university with more than 20 programs and schools in the nation’s top 20; a more than $300 million research portfolio across science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the humanities and the arts; and 40,000 students and 10,000 faculty and staff.
“I am deeply grateful to President Holloway and to the Rutgers–New Brunswick community for entrusting me to lead our nexus of excellence in world-class education, research, service and diversity,” Conway said. “As chancellor, I will continue listening to our students, faculty and staff, while leading us forward in the vision that we have established together in the Academic Master Plan. This is the place where excellence is earned, and where we proudly work for the benefit of our students, communities and society.”
Conway champions the Academic Master Plan (AMP), a comprehensive blueprint for Rutgers–New Brunswick’s future based on Four Pillars of Excellence: Scholarly Leadership, Innovative Research, Student Success and Community Engagement. The AMP implementation includes bold new initiatives to reimagine the student experience from enrollment to retention and graduation; establish a public health and prevention-focused approach to wellness; create interdisciplinary scholarly communities to address society’s grand challenges; expand the access and affordability of higher education; and more.
Her service as chancellor-provost began in July 2021. She previously served as provost, when she prioritized diversity and inclusivity and developed a robust suite of faculty support initiatives including the Center for Faculty Success, the position of the vice provost for faculty affairs, the Rutgers Associate Professor Project (RAPP) and the Provost’s Fellowships in Faculty Advancement.
An internationally renowned clinical psychologist, Conway also serves as Distinguished Professor in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, where she was the dean from 2016 to 2020.
