Wendell Pritchett ’86: A “first-rate educator.” Credit: Robert J. Laramie / Rutgers University

Alumnus named to head Rutgers University–Camden

Wendell Pritchett ’86, a noted scholar in urban policy and an experienced government and university administrator, has been appointed chancellor of Rutgers University–Camden. Town and gown is already high on his priority list.
By TAB Staff  |  April 4, 2009  |  Email to a friend

Wendell E. Pritchett, a 1986 Brown graduate who is currently a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Law School, has been named chancellor of Rutgers University’s Camden, NJ, campus, effective June 30. His appointment was confirmed by the Rutgers Board of Governors on April 2.

The announcement is the second in as many months of new university leaders from among the ranks of Brown alumni. In early March, Dartmouth College announced the appointment of Jim Yong Kim ’82 as its 17th president.

As chancellor, Pritchett will serve as chief executive officer of the Rutgers–Camden Campus, an institution that enrolls 5,600 students in 34 undergraduate programs and 16 graduate programs at the master’s and Ph.D. levels. ““He brings vision and energy to the role of chancellor, as well as a keen perspective on how higher education institutions can become critical partners in the advancement of a city and a region,” said Rutgers President Richard L. McCormick in announcing the appointment.

“I am humbled and honored,” Pritchett said. “Rutgers–Camden students are smart, focused, and engaged, and enjoy the full benefits of a major state university with the service of a small liberal arts college. As chancellor, I will work to continue growing Rutgers–Camden’s academic programs, while developing new opportunities for our students. We also have a wonderful opportunity to advance our commitment to civic engagement in ways that will … benefit our host city and region.”

At Brown, Pritchett concentrated in political science “and took a lot of urban studies, Afro-Brazlian studies, and history classes,” he recalls. He names political scientist Edward Beiser and the late historians Rhett Jones and William McLoughlin as major faculty influences during his undergraduate years. Pritchett was also active in community service as a Brown student, serving as a Big Brother and on the organization’s board.

Pritchett has taught at the Penn’s law school since 2001. As associate dean during 2006-08, he focused on faculty development and improving the quality of experience for students. He has written two books and numerous articles on topics relating to urban history and policy in the areas of housing, race relations, land use, and economic development. 

At Penn, Pritchett is also a member of the faculty of the graduate programs of the School of Design and the history department in the School of Arts and Sciences. He is a founding member of the Penn Institute for Urban Research.

Pritchett served as deputy chief of staff and director of policy for Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter during 2008. Among other initiatives, he was responsible for writing the city’s Five-Year Plan and Budget, reorganizing the city’s anti-poverty programs, and supervising the operations of the mayor’s office. During 2007, Pritchett chaired the Urban Policy Task Force for then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

Before going to Penn, Pritchett spent five years as assistant professor of history at Baruch College of the City University of New York. He earned his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1991 and his Ph.D. in history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997.