Rutgers-Newark Leader Bonnie Veysey Steps into Role of Interim Provost

Rutgers University–Newark has named Bonnie Veysey, a professor and former interim dean of the School of Criminal Justice, as Executive Vice Chancellor and Interim Provost. She started her role on July 1.

Veysey will succeed Jeffrey Robinson, who became Interim Chancellor after former Chancellor Nancy Cantor was appointed to become president of Hunter College.

“Bonnie has deep and broad experience as an academic leader and innovator and an outstanding record of success in leadership at Rutgers-Newark,’’ said Robinson.

“Her visionary implementation and expertise across Rutgers-Newark in areas such as faculty roles in student success, advancing equity through institutional culture, and what it means, and what it takes, for a university to live up to its role as an anchor institution,’’ he added.

Veysey  said, “I am excited about next year’s work and am truly humbled by the confidence of Chancellor Robinson and my colleagues – both faculty and staff - in my abilities. I look forward to working closely with everyone to continue to reinforce our strengths and values supporting our core goals of being an engine of innovation and upward mobility for our students and our community.”

In her 26 years at Rutgers University-Newark, Veysey has held many leadership roles. Her first administrative assignment was Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the School of Criminal Justice. Over the years, she served three times as Acting/Interim Dean of the School of Criminal Justice, providing stability and leadership in challenging times, said Robinson.

 “Bonnie was tapped by Chancellor Nancy Cantor to play pivotal roles, in which she catalyzed the development of initiatives across Rutgers-Newark that embody the principles of our strategic plan,’’ he said.

Veysey joined the Chancellor’s office as Vice Chancellor for Planning and Implementation from 2015 to 2019 and previously as Interim Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives in 2014.

In these roles, she led the development of initiatives across Rutgers University-Newark that reflect the core values of the strategic plan. Among other accomplishments, she oversaw the administration of the Chancellor’s Seed Grant program, created the P3 Collaboratory for Pedagogy, Professional Development, and Publicly Engaged Scholarship and was its Inaugural Director, guided faculty discussions on publicly engaged scholarship.

She also chaired the Rutgers University-Newark’s Teaching Evaluation Committee to assist the Schools in the development of teaching effectiveness plans. 

Veysey has a PhD in Sociology and a Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University at Albany. She also received her BA in Judaic Studies from the University of Albany. 

Veysey’s research has focused on behavioral health and justice issues, including mental health and substance abuse treatment in jails and prisons, reentry and continuity of care, and the impacts of conditions of confinement for justice-involved youth and women who have experienced early childhood trauma. 

More recently, Veysey has focused her attention on how people with mental health and addiction challenges and people with histories of incarceration transform their lives.

Over the course of her career, Veysey has placed an emphasis on research to practice, consulting with states and municipalities on implementing behavioral health and trauma-informed services that ensure continuity of care while supporting individuals and communities.