$3M Gift Will Create LGBTQ+ Public Health Chair At Rutgers

NEWARK, NJ — A $3 million donation will fund the creation of an endowed chair in LGBTQ+ Public Health at Rutgers University.

The gift from James F. Dougherty, a Rutgers alumnus and longtime supporter of the university, will fund the Perry N. Halkitis Endowed Chair in LGBTQ+ Public Health, a new position at the School of Public Health.

In addition to Dougherty’s gift of $3 million, Rutgers Health Chancellor Brian Strom is devoting an additional $2 million to support the new chair, which has been unanimously approved by the Rutgers Board of Governors.

The new position will be key in launching the planned Rutgers Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health, administrators said.

Dougherty said his motivation for making the gift was to support an emphasis on LGBTQ+ health at Rutgers long into the future. He said he chose to name the endowed chair after Halkitis, who began as dean in 2017, because Halkitis has been a “tremendous leader” for the university.

“My hope is that there will always be a champion for LGBTQ+ rights and public health continuing on in the mold that Perry has established,” Dougherty said.

Dougherty said he had been planning the gift for several years, and felt that “in light of a rise in transphobia, homophobia and hate in general across the country,” the timing was right.

“It's happening at a time when I think it's very needed,” he said.

Halkitis, who in addition to serving as dean holds the roles of Hunterdon Professor of Public Health and Health Equity, and Distinguished Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, thanked Dougherty for the donation.

“The endowed chairship in LGBTQ+ Public Health is a commitment to the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people and populations by supporting research, academic excellence, and community engagement in this area,” said Halkitis, who also is founder and director of the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies (CHIBPS).

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page.