Interim Provost Announcement
Dear Highlanders,
I am very pleased to share the news that NJIT Senior Vice Provost for Research Atam Dhawan has been selected as the university’s Interim Provost and Senior Executive Vice President beginning July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, or until such time as a Provost is appointed. In addition to his current responsibilities as Senior Vice Provost, Atam also holds the titles of Executive Director of Undergraduate Research and Innovation, and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He has served NJIT in many roles since joining the university in 2000, and has established a record of prolific accomplishment in research, teaching, and administration throughout his tenure.
Among his achievements, Atam has developed several successful interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary academic and research programs during his time as Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department, as Associate and Interim Dean of the Albert Dorman Honors College, and in his current role as Senior Vice Provost for Research at NJIT. Atam played a critical role in the implementation of the 2020 Vision strategic plan by increasing externally funded academic research from $32 million in FY14 to $87.4 million in FY21, and growing the number of NJIT research institutes, centers and specialized labs from 41 in FY14 to 141 in FY21 while establishing four new flagship research institutes. He also has been leading the implementation of the research priority goals for the 2025 strategic plan.
I would like to thank Atam for accepting this responsibility, and I look forward to working with him in this critical role. I also would like to thank the members of the Interim Provost Interview Committee—Ken Alexo, Dale McLeod, Marybeth Boger, Ellen Thomas, Oya Tukel, and Ali Akansu—for their work in vetting candidates and providing insights that were instrumental in my decision to make this appointment. Lastly, I would like to thank all those who applied or were nominated for the position of Interim Provost. I was very impressed by their credentials, their contributions to NJIT and to their fields, as well as their willingness to assume an expanded role in order to serve our university.
Please join me in congratulating and thanking Atam for undertaking this responsibility. I look forward to working with him and all of you to assure a high level of continuity and a continued positive trajectory for NJIT during this time of presidential transition.
Sincerely,
NJIT President-Elect Teik C. Lim
