News From the Board of Governors: April 2024
Nir Eyal Named First Bergen Chair in Biomedical Ethics
The Rutgers Board of Governors appointed Nir Eyal, a bioethicist whose renowned work in population-level bioethics focuses on health inequalities, health promotion, and research ethics, as the first holder of the Dr. and Mrs. Stanley S. Bergen Jr. Chair in Biomedical Ethics.
In his research, Eyal, director of the Center for Population-Level Bioethics in the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, addresses bioethical issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as health care rationing in resource-poor settings, critical health-worker shortages, disaster response, universal health coverage and ethics in HIV and emerging-infection trials.
The endowed chair was created to honor, retain or recruit eminent scholars in the field of biomedical ethics for service on the faculty with proceeds from a life insurance policy for Dr. Stanley S. Bergen Jr., the former longtime president of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Emily S. Barrett Appointed to the George G. Rhoads Endowed Legacy Professorship
The Rutgers University Board of Governors appointed Emily S. Barrett to the George G. Rhoads Endowed Legacy Professorship in recognition of her research on the early origins of health and disease and how exposures early in life shape human health and developmental trajectories.
“This is a particularly special honor for me given Dr. Rhoads’ reputation as a pioneer in environmental epidemiology and maternal-child health,” said Barrett. “Following in his footsteps, I seek to improve children’s environmental health through high-quality, impactful research as well as a commitment to training the next generation of public health leaders at Rutgers.”
An exceptional scholar and prominent epidemiologist, Barrett is a professor and vice chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the Rutgers School of Public Health. She is also a member of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, where she codirects the Maternal-Child Environmental Health Lab and the Human Exposures and Outcomes Research Core.
Lea P. Stewart Appointed to the Richard D. Heffner Professorship in Communications and Public Policy
The Rutgers University Board of Governors appointed Lea P. Stewart to the Richard D. Heffner Professorship in Communications and Public Policy in recognition of her research linking interpersonally based prevention strategies with mass mediated campaigns targeting college student drug and alcohol use.
“I had the privilege of working with Richard Heffner for many years,” said Stewart. “He was an engaged teacher, with a keen mind, who always challenged his students to do their best work. I am honored to be appointed to a professorship that carries his name.”
Stewart, whose professorship began Jan. 1, 2024, is director of the Center for Communication and Health Issues and professor of communication at the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers-New Brunswick. She has received numerous awards for her teaching, research and service, including a Model Program Award from the U.S. Department of Education’s Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program. She has been the principal investigator for almost $5 million in funding from the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services.