Message From the President

As UMDNJ's newly inaugurated president, I would like to join the University family in engaging a future that is filled with promise and unlimited possibilities. Though we are a young institution, we are establishing ourselves as a leader in health sciences education and research, as well as an excellent resource for the state of New Jersey.

We are an academic community almost 20,000 strong, with great potential to impact the future. So we must ensure that the University continues to grow and flourish as a community of learners.

Among our short-term initiatives is the development of a strategic plan to chart future growth. The plan will involve all the constituencies within the University. The thrust here is to get the entire community to participate.

In addition, we will place a strong focus on development and fundraising. We've come through our adolescent stage and have become a large and productive intellectual institution. As we move to early adulthood, we'll need to attract more dollars to the University. NIH funding has leveled off in the last few years, so I am also committed to increasing UMDNJ's share of federal research dollars.

The University's building campaign, already well underway, will continue to be a top priority on all campuses, not just in facilities, but in the context of who we are, the branding of the University, the delivery of healthcare, and the quality and quantity of our research.

Another initiative is forging stronger business and research relationships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies throughout the state. New Jersey is home to more pharmaceutical companies than any state in the nation, along with numerous medical technology companies, so this industry plays a critical role in creating a thriving economy in this state.

I am proud to introduce this issue of UMDNJ Magazine, which focuses on our faculty and staff who have recently been in the news. UMDNJ is a large institution with wide-ranging strengths, a University whose impact and influence is felt not only in our local communities and home state, but in the entire country and beyond.

Sometimes our day-to-day responsibilities cause us to lose sight of our important leadership role in the worldwide health sciences community. This issue reminds us that we do newsworthy work that is covered in The New York Times and Parade magazine, on CNN and NPR, on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and CNBC, to mention just a few. UMDNJ is the source for expertise in heart disease, cancer, biodefense, infectious diseases, stem cells, adolescent medicine, new drug development and testing, geriatrics, cardiovascular surgery, children's mental health, smoking cessation, genetic disease, environmental toxicology, community health, infertility and many other areas.

I want to thank all of our UMDNJ newsmakers, too many to include in this issue, for their hard work and their willingness to translate their scientific findings into language that we can all comprehend. Because of them, we can gain a better understanding of new discoveries that allow us to live healthier lives.