Fairleigh Dickinson University Selects New President

A longtime Fairleigh Dickinson University administrator has been named the school's seventh president, the FDU Board of Trustees announced Tuesday. 

Sheldon Drucker, FDU's chief operating officer, will take the top job effective immediately, the university said. He was serving as interim president since the death of former university leader J. Michael Adams. 

“In Sheldon Drucker, we have someone with the experience, knowledge and skills necessary to raise FDU to a new level of achievement and excellence,” FDU Board of Trustees Chair Patrick J. Zenner said in a statement.

“He is a tremendous strategist, an individual with impeccable judgment, someone not afraid to make difficult decisions and, most of all, a truly honorable man who will always represent FDU with the utmost dignity and distinction.”

The university's announcement credited Drucker for work on a team that engineered the school's "strong financial turnaround" and for his efforts to grow FDU's international programs, including opening . He also played a key role in launching FDU’s School of Pharmacy, the message said. 

“It is an honor and privilege to serve such a devoted and caring community," Drucker said in a statement. "FDU has enjoyed a rich history of innovation and achievement and I look forward to building on that legacy and doing everything possible to help our students transform their lives.”

The selection of a senior FDU official came after a national search to replace Adams. The university's presidential search committee brought two outside finalists –  – to campus last week. 

In the statement, Zenner said Drucker emerged as the top pick in the final stages of the search process. His name was not previously publicly announced for the position. 

"We already were benefiting from the service of an incredible leader who was daily proving himself the best fit for the University,” Zenner said. 

Before joining FDU, Drucker was chief financial officer at IVC Industries, and a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts, New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Institute of Management Accountants.

Adams, who led FDU for 12 years, died in June after going on medical leave. University officials have said they received more than 70 applications for the job.