Update: On Oct. 17, the Rutgers Board of Governors officially appointed Dr. Steven Libutti as the inaugural William N. Hait Director of Rutgers Cancer Institute.

The original story, published June 27, 2024, continues below.

Thanks to $6.3 million in donations, the Rutgers Board of Governors recently approved the establishment of the William Hait Endowed Directorship at Rutgers Cancer Institute. 

The leader of the Rutgers Cancer Institute will hold the title of the William Hait Director, RCI said in a June 20 announcement. 

The designation bears the name of Dr. William “Bill” Hait, the executive vice president, chief external innovation and medical officer for Johnson & Johnson, as well as founding director of RCI. 

Hait is credited with earning RCI the state’s first and only NCI-Designated Cancer Center in 1997 from the National Cancer Institute. Then in 2002, he led the center to earn the Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from NCI. Again, RCI, together with RWJBarnabas Health, is New Jersey’s only facility to hold the credential.

Following his 14-year career with RCI, Hait joined Johnson & Johnson in 2007 and has served in various global leadership positions. He will retire from the New Brunswick pharmaceutical giant in September. 

‘A fitting tribute’

Dr. Steven Libutti, RCI director and senior vice president of oncology services at RWJBarnabas Health, thanked the donors who made the directorship possible. 

“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 added in a statement. 

Rutgers Cancer Institute will recognize Hait with a special celebration in the fall. 

“I am truly humbled and touched by the generosity of supporters of the Rutgers Cancer Institute to endow this directorship” Hait added. “It was an honor and privilege to work with so many incredible individuals determined to create a cancer center of extraordinary quality for the people of New Jersey.” 

RCI, together with RWJBarnabas Health, offers advanced cancer treatment options including bone marrow transplantation, proton therapy, CAR T-cell therapy and complex surgical procedures. The opening of the state’s first freestanding cancer hospital will further enhance the organization’s capacity. The $750 million Jack and Sheryl Morris Cancer Center is scheduled to debut in 2025.