Mihaela Glamoclija Named to Inaugural Sam L. Agron Endowed Legacy Professorship
Rutgers–Newark Professor Mihaela Glamoclija was awarded the inaugural Sam L. Agron Endowed Legacy Professorship for her exceptional record of research excellence in geomicrobiology, astrobiology, and planetary science. The Board of Governors on Thursday approved the creation of the professorship and Glamoclija’s appointment.
The professorship was created with a gift from alumnus Laurence Agron, a 1971 graduate of Rutgers College in New Brunswick, in memory of his father, a professor of geology in Rutgers–Newark’s Geology Department, which has evolved into today’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in the School of Arts and Sciences–Newark. It will be used to support a faculty member in that field.
Glamoclija’s work has been funded by major grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Department of Defense, and the European Space Agency. She has earned a national and international reputation through her selection to NASA and COSPAR working groups focused on Mars Sample Return assignments.
She also received the NASA 2024-25 Agency Honor Award and has been recognized for her innovative teaching, mentorship, curriculum development, and departmental leadership. In addition, Glamoclija has initiated innovative multidisciplinary collaborations across the university.
New Professorship Honors a "Giant" in Mathematics and a Philanthropist
The Rutgers University Board of Governors on Thursday approved the creation of the Israel Gelfand and Madge Goldman Endowed Professorship in Mathematics.
The new position in the School of Arts and Sciences–New Brunswick is named in honor of Israel Gelfand, a preeminent mathematician and Rutgers Distinguished Professor that The New York Times described as “one of the giants of 20th century mathematics” in his 2009 obituary, and prolific math benefactor Madge Goldman.
Goldman served as president of the Gabriella and Paul Rosenbaum Foundation, which made a generous gift to establish the professorship, until her death in 2024. Gabriella and Paul Rosenbaum were her parents.
The professorship is designed to honor, retain, or recruit exceptional scholars in the field of mathematics. Goldman was a generous philanthropic supporter of mathematics education and great admirer and supporter of Gelfand’s work and philosophy.
"We are delighted that this generous gift in recognition of Professor Gelfand's accomplishments and influence will help the Math department to carry forward the mathematical excellence he epitomized and championed,'' said Mathew Stone, dean of mathematical and physical sciences in the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers–New Brunswick.
Robson Endowed Legacy Professorship Established at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
A new endowed legacy professorship at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences will recognize and support exceptional faculty in plant biology.
The Rutgers University Board of Governors approved the creation of the Robson Endowed Legacy Professorship on Oct. 1. The professorship was established through a gift from Mark Gregory Robson and Patricia Mykalosky Robson.
Robson first came to Rutgers in 1973 as an undergraduate at the newly established Cook College. He earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Rutgers and began his Rutgers career in 1979. Today, he is a distinguished professor of plant biology, associate vice provost for graduate education at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and dean of the School of Graduate Studies.
“I have spent my entire adult life at Rutgers, first as a student, where I had wonderful teachers, and then for many decades as a teacher, where I have had exceptional students,” Robson said. “I feel truly fortunate to have been the beneficiary of an education at a public land-grant university. We felt strongly that this was an appropriate way to demonstrate our commitment to teaching and service excellence at Rutgers.”
Teaching and mentoring have been a significant part of Robson’s Rutgers career. In 2024, he received the Sustained Career Teaching Excellence Award, recognizing his decades of teaching and commitment to student success. His other honors include the Daniel Gorenstein Memorial Award in 2021, the Clement A. Price Human Dignity Award in 2020 and the Chancellor’s Award for Global Impact, among others.
Professorship Approved Honoring Pioneering Leader in Tobacco Control
The Rutgers University Board of Governors voted unanimously on Thursday to establish the John D. Slade Endowed Legacy Professorship in honor of the physician, professor, researcher, and internationally acclaimed health activist whose work continues to be responsible for saving thousands of lives.
The professorship named for Slade, who died in 2002, will join the faculty in the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine and Tobacco Studies at Rutgers Heath. It was made possible by a gift from Cristine Delnevo, director of the institute, and her husband, Michael Steinberg, professor and chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
“As junior faculty members, we had the privilege of working with Dr. Slade and witnessing firsthand the extraordinary impact he had on the field,” Delnevo said. “His work helped establish the scientific foundation for tobacco treatment and product regulation. Throughout his career, he was deeply committed not only to advancing knowledge, but also to mentoring the next generation.”
Their gift to create the endowed professorship was matched by the Rutgers Health Legacy Professorship Match Campaign.
“Twenty-five years after Dr. Slade’s passing, his influence continues to be felt across Rutgers and the tobacco control community,” Delnevo said. “We can think of no more fitting tribute than investing in those who will continue to advance the kind of scholarship and public service that defined John’s life and work.”
Board Approves the Klapholz and Abramowitz Endowed Legacy Professorship
The Rutgers University Board of Governors has voted to establish the Klapholz and Abramowitz Endowed Legacy Professorship, which is designed to support, retain and recruit department faculty at Rutgers News Jersey Medical School in Newark who specialize in scholarship and service dedicated to health equity.
The professorship is funded through a gift from Marc Klapholz, chair of the Department of Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. His contribution was matched with an additional gift from the Rutgers Health Legacy Professorship Match Campaign.
The new position honors Klapholz’s late grandparents, Pincus and Regina Abramowitz, Holocaust survivors from Czechoslovakia who came to America after World War II.
Through this new professorship, the university aims to further its commitment to advancing health equity and continuing the legacy of service inspired by the Abramowitz family. Despite facing tragic personal losses, Klapholz says his grandparents saw the healing powers of medicine for all.
‘My grandparents, who endured great suffering and personal loss, saw the medical profession as a pathway to acknowledge, share and strengthen the common humanity that exists in all people,” Klapholz said. “They were always my inspiration.”
Board Establishes a Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Degree
The board voted to approve a new bachelor of science in real estate degree program that will be offered to students at Rutgers Business School in both Newark and New Brunswick.
The degree program has been designed for students with an interest in real estate and real estate-related assets to provide training in the development, investment, financing, and management of real estate projects.
The degree will expand on classes offered through the Center of Real Estate in response to growing demand.
“Many students learn after having a class or two in the real estate program at Rutgers— a world-class program, with instructors that are well-known, top academics and top global professionals—that they wish to learn as much as possible and pursue commercial real estate acquisition, financing, or development as a career,’’ said Morris A. Davis, the Paul V. Profeta Chair of Real Estate and Professor of Finance and Economics at Rutgers Business School.
“The real estate major signals to the very competitive marketplace that Rutgers students are trained, knowledgeable, and ready to work at the top real estate and real estate-adjacent firms in the state, the area, nationwide, and globally,’’ he said.
