Bolstered by $6.3 million raised in donations, the Rutgers Board of Governors recently established the William Hait Endowed Directorship at Rutgers Cancer Institute in honor of the visionary oncology leader and founding director of the institute.
William N. “Bill” Hait, MD, Ph.D., is the executive vice president, chief external innovation and medical officer at Johnson & Johnson as well as the founding director of Rutgers Cancer Institute. Moving forward, the director of Rutgers Cancer Institute will be known as the William Hait Director.
During his 14-year tenure as director, Hait earned the Institute the prestigious National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation in 1997 – the first and only in New Jersey. He also led the center to achieve Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the NCI in 2002.
Following his tenure at Rutgers Cancer Institute, Hait joined Johnson & Johnson in 2007 where he has served in various global leadership positions focusing his teams on the intersection of unmet medical needs and breakthrough science, transforming the lives of millions of patients around the world. He will retire from his current role at Johnson & Johnson in September.
“On behalf of our faculty and staff, I thank the many donors who have made the William Hait Endowed Directorship possible,” said Steven K. Libutti, MD, director of Rutgers Cancer Institute, who is also senior vice president of oncology services at RWJBarnabas Health.
“It is a fitting tribute to Bill’s remarkable leadership and innovation in the field of oncology, and the legacy that he created at New Jersey’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center,” Libutti said. “Our groundbreaking cancer research is the engine that drives access to the most advanced cancer treatments including clinical trials. This will be enhanced with the opening of the state’s first freestanding cancer hospital, Jack and Sheryl Morris Cancer Center, in 2025."
Hait said he was “humbled and touched” by supporters' generosity towards Rutgers Cancer Institute.
“It was an honor and privilege to work with so many incredible individuals determined to create a cancer center of extraordinary quality for New Jersey's people,” Hait said.
Loren Savage, associate vice president at Rutgers Health and chief development officer at Rutgers Cancer Institute, said philanthropic support from donors reflects their commitment to recognize “an individual who played such a pivotal role in establishing and succeeding Rutgers Cancer Institute.”
“Bill’s legacy will now serve as a pillar of cancer research and care at Rutgers University and in New Jersey,” Savage said.
Rutgers Cancer Institute will recognize Hait’s contributions to oncology this fall with a special celebration.
About Rutgers Cancer Institute
As New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute offers advanced cancer treatment options including bone marrow transplantation, proton therapy, CAR T-cell therapy and complex surgical procedures through its partnership with RWJBarnabas Health. Along with clinical trials and novel therapeutics such as precision medicine and immunotherapy – many not widely available – patients can access these cutting-edge therapies at multiple locations across New Jersey.
For more information or to make a tax-deductible gift supporting Rutgers Cancer Institute: call 848-932-8013 or visit www.cinj.org/giving.
