Rutgers University has named Robert Barchi  the 20th president of New Jersey's flagship school.

Dr. Robert L. Barchi
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Barchi will replace Richard McCormick, who announced last year that he would retire at the end of this school year.

Barchi announced last July that he was stepping down as president of Thomas Jefferson University, a medical school in Philadelphia.

Barchi, a neurologist, was previously provost at the University of Pennsylvania.

The university board voted Wednesday to approve Barchi's appointment at the New Brunswick campus.

McCormick has led Rutgers since 2002.

In a statement, Governor Christie was pleased with the announcement. "I believe Dr. Barchi is precisely the kind of strong and decisive leader Rutgers University has been starving for," said Christie in a statement."He comes aboard at this critical moment in Rutgers' history, when a good university is on the cusp of becoming a truly great university and medical research center of excellence. I commend Greg Brown and the search committee for its work and selection of Dr. Barchi."

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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