In a move aimed at enhancing service and support for the university’s academic and research missions, Rutgers University President William Tate IV has announced two key appointments to his executive leadership team. The new appointments are Kimberly Lewis as executive vice president (EVP) and chief administrative officer and Dr. Keena Arbuthnot as executive vice president for Academic Affairs and chief academic officer.
Lewis, a seasoned executive with extensive experience in state government and higher education, will oversee the university’s administrative activities, including institutional planning, finance, human resources and information technology. She previously served as the chief administrative officer at Louisiana State University, where she led significant budget and administrative reforms that resulted in improved financial ratings. Before her time at LSU, Lewis was the CEO for Louisiana’s Department of Revenue, managing over $10 billion in state tax revenue. Her leadership will bring a new level of efficiency and alignment to Rutgers’ administrative functions.
“By bringing these areas under a single leader, my expectation is alignment around efficient support and service to the university,” Tate said in a message to faculty and staff.
Meanwhile Arbuthnot is a distinguished scholar in educational measurement and applied statistics. Effective Aug. 18, she will oversee central academic and research policy and support functions. Arbuthnot comes to Rutgers from Louisiana State University, where she was the vice president and chief data officer, and dean of the Pinkie Gordon Lane Graduate School. In these roles, she advanced data infrastructure and spearheaded artificial intelligence initiatives to support strategic planning and student success.
“Dr. Arbuthnot will work closely with the chancellors, provosts, and academic leaders to drive forward Rutgers’ academic priorities,” President Tate said.
The appointments come as part of a broader effort by Tate to establish an exceptional leadership team. He also announced that the Office of University Labor Relations will now be overseen by the Office of the Executive Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel. This change coincides with the retirement of Vice President David Cohen, who is stepping down on Sept. 1 after more than a decade of service.
Tate noted that the new leadership team will help the university “reach higher” and overcome challenges to achieve even greater success, building on its standing as one of only two university systems in the country with at least three institutions ranked in the top 50 public universities.
