Nancy Cantor
Nancy Ellen Cantor (born February 4, 1952) is an American academic administrator and the chancellor of Rutgers University-Newark, in Newark, New Jersey. A social psychologist, Cantor is recognized for her scholarly contributions to the understanding of how individuals perceive and think about their social worlds, pursue personal goals, and how they regulate their behavior to adapt to life's most challenging social environments. Previously, Cantor was the first woman chancellor at Syracuse University. Prior to that she was the first woman chancellor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Earlier, she had been provost at the University of Michigan. Early life and education Cantor was born in New York City. She received her A.B. in 1974 from Sarah Lawrence College and her Ph.D. in psychology in 1978 from Stanford University. At Stanford, Cantor initiated a program of research on person prototypes with Walter Mischel inspired by the categorization research of Eleanor Rosch and Carolyn Mervis. Career Cantor has been recognized for establishing a new understanding of the role of universities in society that re-emphasizes their public mission. Conversely, Cantor’s terms as chancellor have been criticized for placing too much emphasis on city development and admission status. Early career Early in her