Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) delivered remarks on Monday to welcome William Tate as the next president of Rutgers University.
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00:00Thank you, Amy. To say that I am thrilled to especially not talk about trains this morning is the understatement of the year. Thankfully, we got that under our belt. Thank you, Amy, for those very generous words and for your incredible work as chair of the Rutgers University Board of Governors.
00:24We have Amy Squared to my right. So Amy Towers and Amy Mansew, thank you both for your exceptional leadership. Good morning, everyone. I'm incredibly honored to be with you all here again in this very special space as we mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter for New Jersey's flagship university and one of the finest public research institutions in the entire world, and that is Rutgers University.
00:51For more than 250 years, by the way, longer than America itself has been a nation, Rutgers has prepared generations of New Jerseyans to lead our world in government, business, science, technology, and so many other fields of endeavor.
01:10Over the years, the students and faculty at Rutgers have been absolutely essential to securing New Jersey's reputation as the state of innovation, the medicine chest of the world, and the home for trailblazers and problem solvers from every corner of the globe.
01:31And if you need any evidence of how central Rutgers is to our state's identity, just head down or up the turnpike, as I just did, because it is hard to drive anywhere in the Garden State without seeing that large red R on the back of somebody's car or truck.
01:50And remember, Bill, we're from Jersey, baby.
02:01And over the past five years in particular, Jonathan, it's hard to believe it was not much longer than five years ago that we were standing in this very same space.
02:15President Dr. Jonathan Holloway has done an exceptional job in preserving and strengthening Rutgers' reputation on the world stage.
02:41That every step of the way, President Holloway has led with courage and compassion, whether it is championing academic freedom or securing record sums in research funding.
02:56And it is not just on the campus where Jonathan has made his mark.
03:00Outside of campus, he has also emerged as an influential civic leader.
03:05And I have two personal experiences of many that I know we all share in this room of Jonathan's incredible impact on campus and off.
03:15He and I gathered a few months ago to discuss the commemoration of the upcoming 250th anniversary of our nation's founding through the lens of black history and black lives lived.
03:30One of the most compelling conversations I've been a part of in my my time as governor.
03:36And in fact, later today, Jonathan and I will be together for another conversation, this time with the wealth disparity task force for which Jonathan has served as co-chair.
03:48In all of the above actions on campus and off, I've been incredibly honored to consider President Jonathan Holloway a collaborator, a thought partner, and of course, a friend.
04:02One more time for President Jonathan Holloway.
04:04And while we are sad to say farewell to Jonathan as he prepares to embark on his next life chapter,
04:34I know that Amy, Amy's and their colleagues have identified literally the perfect candidate to take on the mantle as president of Rutgers University, Dr. William F. Tate.
04:48He is the ideal leader and educator for the job.
05:00Currently, Bill serves as president of another one of our nation's premier public universities, Louisiana State University.
05:09In this role, he has brilliantly led an institution of more than 60,000 students and has worked to cultivate a positive learning environment for each and every one of them.
05:24And by the way, those 60,000 students are spread across eight campuses, a far from insignificant experience as it relates to overseeing Rutgers multiple campuses.
05:37And outside of his role with LSU, Dr. Tate boasts an impressive and frankly, almost overwhelming list of honors and accolades for being awarded the Anna Julia Cooper Postdoctoral Fellowship to being elected to the National Academy of Education
05:55and his highest academic election and his highest academic election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and so much more.
06:04We could go on, I promise you.
06:07But beyond his remarkable achievements in academia, Dr. Tate, much like Dr. Holloway, has proven that he is prepared and devoted to defending the values of Rutgers University,
06:21to supporting and empowering its more than 68,000 students, and in preserving its reputation as an anchor institution for our state and the entire nation.
06:34Bill and I had the honor, I had the honor, I should say, of speaking with Bill during the process, and I was instantly and incredibly impressed.
06:44As they say in the movies, he had me at hello.
06:49So, Dr. Tate, I am incredibly honored to say congratulations and to welcome you to the home of the Scarlet Knights.
06:56Thank you, sir.
06:57Thank you, sir.
07:04Thank you, sir.
07:05Thank you, sir.