Rutgers chooses Penn prof to lead Camden Campus

Rutgers Univerity has named Wendell E. Pritchett, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and former aide to Mayor Nutter, to be the next chancellor of the school's Camden campus.

Pritchett, 44, who lives in West Philadelphia, is a scholar of urban history and policy. He served as Mayor Nutter's deputy chief of staff and director of policy in 2008, during which he wrote the city's five-year plan and budget, among other responsibilities. He also serves as president of the Philadelphia Housing Development Corpo.

Pritchett is an experienced school administrator, having served as associate dean at Penn Law from 2006 to 2008.

Pritchett would be the first African-American chancellor for Rutgers, according to the Associated Press. He has written two books and numerous articles on urban history and policy.

He is slated to begin at Rutgers on June 30.

Pritchett and his wife have two children. He received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and holds a law degree from Yale. He received his Ph. D. in history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997.