Passing of Dr. Charles R. Dees, Jr.

NJIT Community Members,

With great sadness, I write today to share news of the July 30, 2021 death of former NJIT Senior Vice President Dr. Charles R. Dees Jr.

Chuck – or CRD, as he was known to many – led a distinguished career as a highly successful higher education leader who served at Fairleigh Dickinson and Seton Hall before joining NJIT in 2003. He then became NJIT’s Senior Vice President of University Advancement and President & COO of the Foundation at NJIT. A tireless and accomplished fundraiser, Chuck traveled hundreds of thousands of miles and met more than 5,000 alumni and friends in person throughout the years. He led the NJIT NEXT comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised $201 million to support students, research, and teaching at NJIT. More than 24,000 alumni, students, faculty, staff, friends, foundations, and corporations contributed to that campaign, the largest in our university’s history, resulting in the creation of 257 new student scholarships and fellowships. When Chuck arrived at NJIT in 2003, the university’s endowment was just $37.4 million. In 2017, when he retired, it was $104.6 million. During his tenure at NJIT, Chuck also played a critical role in upgrading the university’s marketing, alumni relations, and major events operations.

Many of my fondest memories of my time at NJIT have been of traveling with Chuck to meet with NJIT’s most ardent supporters. Those who had the privilege of working closely with Chuck will recall his dedication, his insistence on high standards, his warm personality, and his sharp sense of humor. Chuck’s impact on NJIT and on those of us who knew him best will endure.

Please join me in keeping Chuck, his longtime life partner Dr. Patricia Kuchon, and all his family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers. 

Sincerely,

NJIT President Joel S. Bloom