Statement by Rutgers President Richard L. McCormick on the Appointment of Jonathan R. Alger as President of James Madison University

I am pleased to congratulate Jonathan Alger on his appointment as president of James Madison University in Virginia. Jon is a remarkably talented higher education leader who is truly ready to become president of an outstanding institution. He has the temperament, the experience and the intelligence to lead a great university well into the 21st century.

Throughout his seven-year tenure as senior vice president and general counsel at Rutgers, Jon has been deeply involved in crafting the university’s strategic decisions, responding to its opportunities and meeting its challenges. He has won the respect of every constituency within and beyond the university for his hard work, his sensitivity to the needs and values of different groups and his vision. At the same time, Jon has garnered an extensive national reputation, in both higher education and legal circles, through his scholarship, his leadership activities, and his thorough understanding of the most pressing issues faced by today’s colleges and universities.

I wish Jon well and I look forward to working with him over the next several months before he leaves Rutgers to take on this wonderful new opportunity at James Madison University.