New chancellor named at Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Debasish Dutta

Debasish Dutta of Purdue University has been named the next chancellor of Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

The university conducted a national search before choosing Dutta, who is the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity at Purdue. During his tenure at Purdue, school officials said he has helped increase the graduation rate, enhance student advising, establish new programs in liberal arts, and expand programs in engineering, computer science, business, nursing and technology.

Previously he worked at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, where he was a mechanical engineering faculty member for 20 years. He also spent three years at the National Science Foundation.

“We welcome and applaud Dr. Dutta’s commitment to diversity. He has a proven track record of success in building diverse, inclusive communities, as he has shown in his efforts as Purdue’s chief diversity officer and at Illinois, where he served as chancellor’s adviser on diversity,” Rutgers President Robert Barchi said.

“Dr. Dutta will be an inspiring, collaborative leader and a powerful voice for Rutgers University-New Brunswick at a pivotal time in its history,” Barchi said.  “He comes here with impeccable academic credentials, solid administrative leadership and deep experience at three Big Ten institutions.”

As chancellor of Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Dutta will oversee the largest of the three major Rutgers University campuses with more than 50,000 students, 4,000 faculty, 12 degree-granting schools, nine academic research centers, four administrative units, the Douglass Residential College and the Zimmerli Art Museum.

Dutta will succeed Richard Edwards, who is returning to the faculty after serving as chancellor of Rutgers University-New Brunswick since 2014. Dutta will begin serving as chancellor on July 1.