Top 12

Brian Strom Inaugural chancellor, Rutgers Biomedical Health and Sciences Rutgers University New Jersey longs to be known as an eds & meds state. Strom, who oversees so many aspects of Rutgers’ efforts in those areas, is a...

Brian Bridges Secretary of Higher Education State of New Jersey Most of his work is done behind the scenes, but those who know say he was impactful during the struggles involving the pandemic. He will need to...

Teik Lim President New Jersey Institute of Technology Granted, he’s new to the job — but simply taking the reins of such a STEM-centric superpower in education that is highly connected to the N.J. business community is...

Jonathan Koppell President Montclair State University In a little more than a year, Koppell fostered a partnership with Bloomfield University to display his visionary approach to higher ed — one that emphasizes public service and community engagement. #6...

Kathryn Foster President The College of New Jersey TCNJ is a highly regarded top-value school on the East Coast. Foster has helped it achieve that status with women in nearly every key leadership position, a refreshing (and...

Greg Schiano Head football coach Rutgers University Without Schiano, there likely is no Big Ten for Rutgers. Without the Big Ten, there is not the huge TV contract that will bring untold exposure (and dollars) to the...

Nariman Farvardin President Stevens Institute of Technology His 10 years at the helm of Stevens have greatly impacted — and elevated — what already was one of the top STEM schools in the country. He has made...

Chris Eisgruber President Princeton University While his thoughtful leadership is just one of the reasons why Princeton is one of the top universities in the world, Eisgruber also ensures the school maintains strong connections to the state. #2...

Jonathan Holloway President Rutgers University The head of the state’s flagship university always will have a prominent place on this list. Holloway, through hiring and polices, is slowly putting his stamp on Rutgers, a university that many...

Ali Houshmand President Rowan University Rutgers School of Law – Newark There’s only one issue with naming Rowan University President Ali Houshmand No. 1 on the 2022 ROI Influencers: Higher Education list. The honor may not be enough. Sure,...