Ä¢¹½tv President William F. Tate IV Accepts Presidency at Rutgers University
May 19, 2025
BATON ROUGE – Ä¢¹½tv President William F. Tate IV announced Monday that he has accepted the role of president at Rutgers University and will conclude his service at Ä¢¹½tv on June 30, 2025.
“This was a distinctly difficult decision, and one I did not take lightly. Ä¢¹½tv, its students, faculty, staff, and supporters are all incredible and inspirational. You will forever stay in my heart. This is a very special place, and I am honored to have been a part of it for four incredible years,â€� said President Tate. “There’s no other place like it in the world, and I will forever cherish the memories we created together.â€�
Tate served as president of the eight-campus Ä¢¹½tv enterprise and head of the flagship campus in Baton Rouge since July 1, 2021. Under his leadership, Ä¢¹½tv has soared in research. In the 2023-2024 academic year, Ä¢¹½tv’s campuses in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Shreveport achieved a record-breaking $543 million in combined research activity. He introduced the Pentagon Priority areas—five research focus areas of agriculture, biomedical, coast, energy, and defense/cybersecurity—where Ä¢¹½tv could have a significant impact on the state and nation. He also initiated Ä¢¹½tv’s goal of becoming a Top 50 research university and ramping up the university’s drive toward national prominence through life-changing discoveries.
“We are saddened by President Tate’s departure but grateful for the deep and meaningful impact his leadership left on the Ä¢¹½tv enterprise over the last four years,â€� said Ä¢¹½tv Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott Ballard. “We wish him well on his journey and will always consider him a Tiger.â€�
Highlights of Tate’s time as President include:
· Historic fundraising capped by the largest gift in Ä¢¹½tv history—$245 million for health initiatives;
· Record enrollment of over 55,000 students across the Ä¢¹½tv enterprise and record-breaking graduate rates;
· Record research growth, including consecutive double-digit increases and the $160 million National Science Foundation FUEL grant;
· Increased state support, especially in the Pentagon Priority areas;
· And the meteoric rise of Ä¢¹½tv’s cybersecurity programs to one of the best in the nation.
He takes the helm of Rutgers on July 1, 2025. An interim will be announced shortly, with a national search for a permanent president to begin afterward.


