News From the Board of Governors: June 2026

Faculty Appointments: Board of Governors June 2026

At its annual meeting on Tuesday, the Rutgers Board of Governors made the following faculty appointments. All positions are effective July 1.

George A. and Margaret M. Downsbrough Chair in Astrophysics

Renyu Hu has been appointed the George A. and Margaret M. Downsbrough Chair in Astrophysics.

Hu has been conducting groundbreaking work on the existence of atmospheres on Earth-sized and super-Earth-sized exoplanets close to their host stars, including seminal discoveries concerning extraterrestrial atmospheres. Hu is committed to mentoring at all levels, and has demonstrated extensive service work by supporting large NASA projects, such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory, and several NASA study groups on various aspects of exoplanet science.

Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Faculty Development Chair in the Life Sciences

Dah-eun Chung, an assistant professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience at Rutgers-New Brunswick School of Arts and Sciences, has been named the Duncan and Nancy Macmillan Faculty Development Chair in the Life Sciences.

A transformative scientist and a rising star in the field of neurobiology, Chung's early pioneering work was recognized with the BrightFocus Alzheimer's Disease Research Fellowship and the Scholar Award from the BCM Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Her current research aims to leverage protective molecular determinants inherent to the brain to develop innovative ways to counteract neurodegeneration, with a particular focus on tau biology.

Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Chair in Genetics

Distinguished Professor Maureen Barr was named the Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Chair in Genetics.

Barr, whose lab is at the Department of Genetics at the Rutgers-New Brunswick Arts and Sciences, is nationally recognized for her impactful and innovative research using nematode C. elegans, worms the size of a comma. She researches molecular genetics and model human genetic diseases and has a long-standing commitment to creating model systems to study human development, health, and disease. In 2024, she was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Additionally, Barr is a member of the executive committee of the Genetics Society of America, serving as its secretary. She is also the recipient of continuous research funding by the National Institutes of Health since 2001.

Board of Governors Professor of Mathematics

Fred Roberts, who is nationally recognized for his expertise spanning several disciplines in the sciences, social sciences, and engineering, has been named the Board of Governors Professor of Mathematics.

A Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Rutgers-New Brunswick School of Arts and Sciences, Roberts has been acclaimed for his pioneering research focusing on mathematical modeling and measurement theory. He has dedicated much of his career to exposing diverse audiences to the joy and power of applied math.

His foundational work on mathematical modeling and measurement theory has inspired countless practical applications that have contributed to the technological advancement of our world.

Roberts leads the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS), a consortium of seven universities and six companies based at Rutgers, and a prestigious National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center. He is also the founder and director of the Command, Control, and Interoperability Center for Advanced Data Analysis (CCICADA), a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence.

Board of Governors Professor of Philosophy

Distinguished Professor Jonathan Schaffer, an internationally recognized expert and scholar of metaphysics, has been named Board of Governors Professor of Philosophy.

Acclaimed for his highly original and influential research on metaphysics, Schaffer has made significant contributions to epistemology, philosophy of language, and philosophy of science.

Schaffer's field-defining research focuses on space and time, truth, and the nature of the mind. He has also been recognized for his foundational work on grounding, monism, and causation.

Schaffer has received many honors and awards, including his selection for Philosopher's Annual, and the Lebowitz Prize for Philosophical Achievement and Contribution from the American Philosophical Association.

Board of Governors Professor of Africana Studies

Pioneering sociologist Charles M. Payne has been named Board of Governors Professor of Africana Studies.

Payne, the Henry Rutgers Distinguished Professor of African American Studies at Rutgers-Newark School of Arts and Sciences, has been nationally recognized for his expertise in the study of the civil rights movement and urban education.

His work has helped shape national conversations on urban education and school reform, social inequality, and social change and modern African American history.

Payne is the director of the Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies at Rutgers-Newark, where he is also the project coordinator for the National Freedom School Project. He also founded Education for Liberation Network, whose work has begun to affect policy at state and local levels.

Kimberly Mutcherson, University Professor

Award-winning scholar Kimberly Mutcherson, who has served on the faculty of Rutgers Law School since 2002, was appointed University Professor.

Mutcherson, whose research focuses on reproductive justice, bioethics, and family and health law, has also served as vice dean of Rutgers Law School, Camden, from 2015 to 2018, and as its co-dean from 2019 to 2023.

In her leadership roles, she has worked to strengthen the school's administrative structure, supporting the creation of a unified registrar system across campuses, enhancing consistency and collaboration; increasing student application volume; implementing initiatives, such as the Bar grant program to financially support students during the Bar Exam preparation; overseeing the marketing strategy consulting process to refine the school's public story as a merged institution. She also helped guide Rutgers Law School through its first post-merger accreditation site visit; and having led a successful campaign to provide tenure-track opportunities for clinical faculty.

Bonita "Bonnie" Veysey, University Professor

Bonita "Bonnie" Veysey, who has served on the faculty of Rutgers-Newark as a professor in the School of Criminal Justice since 1998, was appointed University Professor.

Veysey has served in numerous leadership roles, such as interim provost and executive vice chancellor at Rutgers-Newark (2024-2025), vice chancellor for planning and implementation (2015-2019), interim vice chancellor of strategic initiatives (2014), and interim dean of the school.

Nationally recognized as a leading evaluation specialist in behavioral criminology, Veysey was the inaugural director of the P3 Collaboratory for Pedagogy, Professional Development and Publicly Engaged Scholarship. Under her direction, P3 Collaboratory became a national model for faculty engagement and culture change.