New Interim President Selected For The College Of New Jersey In Mercer

MERCER COUNTY, NJ – The College of New Jersey recently selected an interim president for the institution.

Michael Bernstein was selected for a two-year term beginning on July 1, TCNJ said.

Bernstein is provost emeritus at Stony Brook University. An accomplished educator and administrator, he previously served as that institution’s interim president from August 2019 through May 2020.

During that time, he guided the university through challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, including a move to fully remote instruction.

“Dr. Bernstein has a proven track record of achievement in higher education leadership and is an outstanding fit to lead The College of New Jersey for the interim period,” TCNJ Board Chair Rebecca Ostrov said in a statement. “We look forward to working with him to ensure the college’s continued success.”

Bernstein also served as Stony Brook’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs from 2016­ to 2019.

“With great excitement and enthusiasm, I look forward to joining The College of New Jersey. It will be a genuine privilege and honor to work with the TCNJ Trustees, the senior administrative team, and the college’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni in the weeks and months ahead,” Bernstein said in a statement.

“Decades ago, I started my teaching career in New Jersey. I am delighted to return now to my professional roots — back in the Garden State.”

From 2007 to 2016, Bernstein served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Tulane University, where he helped navigate the institution’s recovery from the impact of Hurricane Katrina.

He spent 20 years at the University of California - San Diego (1987–2007) in a variety of roles.

Bernstein currently serves as a senior consultant with Keeling and Associates, a consulting and professional services firm that works exclusively in the field of higher education.

He received his PhD (1982), MPhil (1980), MA (1978), and BA (1976) in economics from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com