News From the Board of Governors: October 2025
Ian Koebner Named Inaugural Chair and Endowed Professor in Arts in Health
Scholar, arts practitioner, and cultural strategist Ian Koebner, who for more than two decades has forged partnerships between arts and health to enhance individual and communal well-being, has been named the inaugural chair and endowed professor in Arts in Health at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts (MGSA).
Koebner’s appointment comes as a result of the largest gift in MGSA’s 49-year history, $8.8 million, announced in February 2025.
In this position, Koebner will guide the development of public programming, education, and research collaborations that explore how creative engagement supports physical, emotional, and social health. His work will further connect Rutgers artists and scholars with health care institutions and community organizations across New Jersey and beyond.
“The field of arts and health sits at the crossroads of creativity and care, offering powerful ways to improve individual and collective well-being,” says Koebner, a published poet who serves as strategic advisor for health and wellness programs at Carnegie Hall. As an artist himself, Koebner has delved into curation, as well as writing, performance, and exhibit design.
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Legacy Professorship Established in Occupational and Environmental Medicine
For 25 years, Michael Gochfeld—a renowned researcher who holds both an M.D. and Ph.D.—served as founding director of the Rutgers Health residency program in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
On Thursday, the Rutgers University Board of Governors unanimously approved the Michael Gochfeld Endowed Legacy Professorship, which was created to honor, retain, and recruit faculty members, especially those who are part of the residency program within the Rutgers Health Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, or to support those who advance research and training in the field.
The professorship was made possible by a generous gift from Gochfeld—a professor emeritus in the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the Rutgers School of Public Health—and his spouse, Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Distinguished Professor Joanna Burger. In June, the Board of Governors unanimously approved the Joanna Burger Endowed Legacy Professorship, which also was established with a gift from Gochfeld and Burger.
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Board Approves Professional and Interdisciplinary Master of Engineering Degree Program
Rutgers’ introduction of a professional Master of Engineering degree at the School of Engineering has been designed to prepare students with the knowledge, skills and expertise necessary to excel in a wide range of engineering roles.
The new degree responds to the need for industry-aligned and customizable programs with unique learning pathways that meet students’ individual learning and career goals. The Professional and Interdisciplinary Master of Engineering (PRIME) program is designed to respond to the evolving demands of industry, while supporting New Jersey’s workforce and advancing its economy with graduates fully prepared to contribute as leaders in industry, research and innovation.
