NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Six individuals acknowledged as leaders in health care, philanthropy, entertainment, advertising and publishing will be inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni on Saturday, May 10. The annual awards reception and dinner will begin at 6 p.m. at the Heldrich Hotel in downtown New Brunswick.
The Rutgers University Alumni Federation created the Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 1987 to honor alumni with superior achievements in their professional and civic lives. As the highest honor bestowed on Rutgers alumni, the “Hall” commemorates more than 200 years of history and tradition and continues to inspire students and alumni, both present and future, to strive for honor and excellence.
This year’s honorees are: television industry executive Richard H. Askin Jr. of Los Angeles, Calif.; marketing executive Mary L. Baglivo of Short Hills; biopharmaceutical executive and research scientist Sol J. Barer of Westfield; philanthropist and basketball legend Robert E. Lloyd of Maui, Hawaii; health care executive Dr. Herbert Pardes of New York City; and the late publishing pioneer William B. Ziff Jr.
The new honorees bring the number of distinguished alumni to 187. Notable members include U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema, chef and restaurateur Mario Batali, author Janet Evanovich, the late actor and humanitarian Paul Robeson, and Nobel Prize winners Selman Waksman and Milton Friedman.
Information about the 187 members of the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni is available at www.alumni.rutgers.edu/HDA. The public may visit Winants Hall on the New Brunswick Campus to view the Hall of Distinguished Alumni display. Individuals seeking to attend the May induction ceremony and dinner can gather information and register at www.alumni.rutgers.edu/HDA2008. Reservations are $75 before April 30 and $90 after that date.
About the honorees:
Richard H. Askin Jr., Rutgers College 1969, was chairman and CEO of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which administers the primetime Emmy Awards. Askin’s work strengthened the academy’s service to its members and the public, and brought international recognition for the Emmy brand. As a chair of the academy’s Executive Committee, Askin promotes educational outreach programs and encourages diversity within the television industry. Prior to his role at the academy he was president and CEO of Tribune Entertainment Company. Askin also is a trustee of the American Film Institute and board member of the Hollywood Radio and Television Society. In 2003, the Entertainment Industries Council, which encourages responsible depiction of important social issues in the media, honored Askin, a former board member, with the Larry Stewart Leadership and Inspiration Award.
Mary L. Baglivo, Rutgers College 1979, is CEO and chair of Saatchi & Saatchi Americas, one of the world’s top advertising agency
networks. Baglivo is widely respected for developing innovative and strategic brand concepts for such clients as P&G, Novartis, JCPenney and Wendy’s. Baglivo was named 2007 “Woman of the Year” by Advertising Women of New York and was awarded a spot in American Advertising Federation’s Hall of Achievement. She previously served as executive vice president and COO at J. Walter Thompson and was CEO of Euro RSCG Tatham in Chicago. Baglivo sits on the Rutgers University Foundation Board of Overseers, serving as chair of the Rutgers Fund. She also supports the Mary L. Baglivo Scholarship in the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies.
Sol J. Barer, Graduate School-New Brunswick 1970 and 1974, is chair and CEO at Celgene Corporation and has been with the company since 1987. He helped Celgene, a multinational biopharmaceutical company, become the largest company in New Jersey of its kind. Barer, who studied graduate-level chemistry at Rutgers, has pioneered the use of several medicines to address illnesses that have challenged researchers around the world. His most significant accomplishments are his work on treatments for leprosy and multiple myeloma, the second most common blood cancer. Barer is a trustee of BioNJ, a founding board member of the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders, and a former commissioner of the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology. He is the founding chair of the Graduate School-New Brunswick Dean’s Advisory Council, working to enhance corporate, public, legislative, and alumni relations, and identify private funds for graduate student support.
Robert E. Lloyd, Rutgers College 1967, is a prominent figure in Rutgers men’s basketball history, having led the team to its
first post-season appearance in 1967. He also was the school’s first All-American. In addition, Lloyd has been a successful businessman, acting as executive and president to several national companies. He is recognized for his leadership of The V Foundation for Cancer Research, of which he has been chair since its establishment in 1993 by ESPN and Lloyd’s close friend, the late Jim Valvano, RC’67. The V Foundation’s vision is to support young researchers striving to find cures for cancer. Lloyd has been an active leader, helping the foundation raise more than $70 million and award research grants in 37 states. Prior to joining the foundation, Lloyd played in the NBA for the New Jersey Nets.
Dr. Herbert Pardes, Rutgers College 1956, is a national leader in health care and academic medicine. He has been president and CEO of New York-Presbyterian Hospital since January 2000 and recently was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art for his humanitarian work to enhance medicine in emerging countries. Previously, Pardes was director of psychiatric services at Presbyterian Hospital and chair of Columbia’s Department of Psychiatry. He also has served as dean of the Faculty of Medicine and vice president of health services at Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. Pardes has earned national recognition for his expertise in education, research, clinical care and health policy. Pardes also has held many prominent positions throughout his career, including U.S. assistant surgeon general, director of the National Institute of Mental Health and president of the American Psychiatric Association. Pardes graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers and earned his medical degree from the State University of New York-Downstate Medical Center in 1960.
William B. Ziff Jr., Rutgers College 1955, developed Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, co-founded in 1927 by his father, into a highly successful niche media
empire. When Ziff, a new college graduate, took the company reigns in 1955, its major publications were Modern Bride, Popular Photography and Popular Electronics. Over the next several years, his leadership helped revitalize existing titles and launch new ones. The company’s tactics were considered major influences in the publishing industry. When his health began to fail in the mid 1980s, Ziff sold 24 consumer and trade publications but retained a small division of computer titles, including PC Magazine. The company grew to become the largest publisher of computer magazines with annual revenue of $1 billion. In recognition of his contributions to the publishing industry, Ziff was presented with the Henry Johnson Fisher Award in 1991. In 1992 he was named executive of the year by Magazine Publishers of America. Ziff retired as chair of Ziff Communications in 1993 and sold the company in 1994. He died in 2006.
