South Middlesex Times

Rutgers University has announced a multi-year partnership with Nike and BSN SPORTS, which will see the sports apparel giant exclusively outfit all 24 Scarlet Knights programs starting in July 2025. Ryan Pisarri, interim athletic director, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration: "We are excited to partner with Nike and BSN SPORTS." He added that Nike is "an iconic brand, synonymous with innovation, success and a championship mentality."

The Board of Governors approved this contract during their recent meeting. The agreement designates BSN SPORTS as the official supplier of uniforms, apparel, footwear, and accessories for Rutgers Athletics. Student-athletes will benefit from the latest Nike styles aimed at enhancing performance both on and off the field. Fans can expect to purchase officially licensed Rutgers Nike apparel by summer 2025.

In other developments, the Board voted to rename a plaza at Rutgers Law School in Newark after Elizabeth Blume-Silverstein. A graduate of what is now Rutgers Law School in 1911, Blume-Silverstein was New Jersey's first female attorney to represent a murder suspect. Her son, Nathan Royce Silverstein, has donated $7 million to support the law school and fund renovations for the newly named Elizabeth Blume-Silverstein Plaza.

Additionally, an anonymous donor has pledged $250,000 to establish the David Mechanic Endowed Legacy Professorship within Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS). This donation was matched by RBHS funds to honor David Mechanic's contributions as founding director of the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research.

Finally, Rutgers' Board of Governors approved a new Doctor of Philosophy degree program in Environmental Engineering within the School of Graduate Studies. This program aims to prepare students for careers in engineering practice across various sectors including industry and academia.