Palis is internationally recognized for his research in algorithms and parallel and distributed computing

Michael Palis, a professor of computer science at Rutgers University-Camden, has been appointed provost, Chancellor Phoebe Haddon announced.

Michael Palis
As provost, Michael Palis will serve as chief academic officer for Rutgers-Camden.

Palis will begin his new responsibilities as provost on July 1, when Rayman Solomon concludes his 18-month appointment as provost and returns to the faculty.

As provost, Palis will serve as chief academic officer for Rutgers-Camden, which enrolls 6,535 students in 36 undergraduate majors and 29 graduate programs. Palis will work with Rutgers-Camden’s academic units to ensure that rigorous standards for curriculum and faculty development are achieved.

“Mike Palis is a highly respected scholar and a gifted administrator,” Haddon says. “I will look to him for leadership in working to implement the vision of an enterprising future that Rutgers–Camden deserves and that is captured in our strategic planning initiatives. The critical and related functions of enrollment management, undergraduate education and student success, civic engagement, and sponsored research report to the provost, who works collaboratively with leadership from each area to ensure that Rutgers University-Camden engages fully in every opportunity to advance our students and our faculty.”

Palis is internationally recognized for his research in algorithms and parallel and distributed computing, having served on the editorial boards of leading journals in the area including the IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems and the Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing. He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Palis came to Rutgers-Camden in 1996 as the founding chair of the Department of Computer Science, having previously served on the faculties of the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania. He served as interim dean of the faculty of arts and sciences for more than two years. During that time, new undergraduate and graduate programs were launched and opportunities for research grew.

A Pilesgrove resident, Palis, 58, received bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and physics from the University of the Philippines in 1979 and 1980, respectively, and his doctoral degree in computer science from the University of Minnesota in 1985.

Solomon began serving in the newly created role of provost at Rutgers-Camden January 1, 2014. Prior to that, he served as dean of the Rutgers School of Law–Camden since 1998.

“Ray has been a thoughtful contributor to our discussions about the appropriate administrative structure that will enable Rutgers to grow as a system,” Haddon says. “His intuitive understanding of the strengths of our campus and its critical role both in South Jersey and within Rutgers University has helped us to set new standards in terms of scholarly accomplishments, student recruitment and success, and civic engagement.”