Richard Helldobler

Richard J. Helldobler is the eighth president of William Paterson University (NJ). Like many William Paterson students, Helldobler is a first-generation student of immigrant heritage, an experience which grounds his work in serving students for whom education is a means of social mobility and economic progress. Since joining William Paterson University, Helldobler has established new programs to expand access, increase retention and completion, and make the university more equitable and inclusive. Helldobler has been named to the NJBIZ Education Power 50 list and serves as the board co-chair of the LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education. In addition, he serves on the boards of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU), the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ), and the American Council on Education (ACE). He is a member of the New Jersey Presidents Council and also serves on the Finance and Audit Committee of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). He is also the immediate past chair of the ACE Council of Fellows.