Michael Avaltroni, President, Fairleigh Dickinson University

In an interview with Invest:, Michael Avaltroni, president of Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU), said that the university is reimagining its role through a strategic focus on health education, innovation, and workforce development. “We firmly believe that the higher education landscape in New Jersey becomes stronger when institutions see each other as collaborators, not competitors.”

What changes in the educational sector, and within your institution, have had the most significant impact on FDU, and in what ways?

Over the past year, we’ve taken a critical look at reimagining the university and developed a new strategy called FDU HealthPath Forward. This initiative represents a culmination of over a decade of work in focusing on health, health-adjacent, and professionally oriented programs. It reflects a strong institutional push to lean into areas where we see growth and demand.

We launched FDU HealthPath Forward with the belief that success requires us to view ourselves as part of a larger educational ecosystem, one that integrates high schools, two-year colleges, four-year institutions like ours, and the healthcare workforce. It’s about placing students at the center of that journey, not as a single point in time, but as part of a lifelong learning process.

This year, we began establishing partnerships, exploring new opportunities, and launching programs that align with health and health-related sectors. We’re also reimagining what our campuses can be, creating intergenerational communities centered around living and learning. It has been an exciting year of strategic renewal, driven by our desire to create something forward-looking and impactful.

How will new facilities and innovations redefine health education and training in response to industry needs?

One of the things we’ve fully embraced is the idea of serving as a hub for innovation, bringing together diverse perspectives to generate new ideas, forge meaningful partnerships, and adopt emerging technologies. The launch of our innovation space has allowed us to put many of our ideas into practice. We’re looking ahead to a healthcare model that emphasizes care delivery anywhere, shifting it out of traditional settings and into communities and homes, leveraging technology to make that possible.

Our new FDU Health Connected Care & Innovation Lab exemplifies this direction. It’s designed to support better clinical decision-making and healthcare delivery by moving care closer to where people live, rather than centralizing it in facilities. We’re using these initiatives to reshape not just our academic offerings but also how our campuses function — as sites where new models of care, learning, and collaboration can be tested and scaled.

How would you describe the state of higher education, and what role does FDU play?

Higher education is facing significant challenges — demographics, rising costs, and questions around the value of a degree — but those challenges are also opportunities to redefine what we’re about. We firmly believe that the higher education landscape in New Jersey becomes stronger when institutions see each other as collaborators, not competitors. At FDU, we’ve prioritized partnerships with two-year and four-year institutions because we recognize that when we work together, we create greater opportunities for students.

We’re developing seamless pathways that help students manage affordability, time, and the need to work, especially when those partnerships can ease transitions and expand access. We’re also engaging in advocacy efforts with a unified voice across institutions, which has been refreshing and long overdue. Even though we all serve different missions and student bodies, there’s a collective benefit when we prioritize collaboration and student success above all else.

What trends have you noticed in higher education regarding new learning formats or career-aligned programs?

One area where we’ve built significant momentum is our Education Anywhere initiative. These programs are not fully online but are delivered at partner sites and tailored to specific industries. For example, we’ve partnered with companies like Merck, Novartis, Fiserv, Barclays, and Bell Works to deliver education on-site for cohorts of learners. These programs offer hybrid delivery models, rooted in community and relevance. They foster a sense of camaraderie because participants already work together. The result is a more cohesive and meaningful learning experience.

We’re also embracing a “learn while you earn” philosophy, particularly in healthcare. Starting in high school, students can begin earning certifications as EMTs, phlebotomists, or medical assistants. Then they can move into two-year degrees in areas like nursing or pharmacy tech, and later, progress to bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees, all while remaining embedded in the workforce. This model addresses affordability and workforce shortages simultaneously, and we’ve already seen strong momentum and success stories.

It’s also about those in their 30s or 40s looking to pivot careers. We ask: How do we meet students where they are in terms of time, location, and life circumstances? That’s what this model allows us to do.

How challenging is it to bring all these disciplines together into a cohesive innovation ecosystem?

There has been a lot of excitement around this interdisciplinary approach. People often worry that by focusing on health, we’ll lose space for other fields like the humanities, social sciences, or business. But the opposite is true. As healthcare becomes more complex and technology-driven, we need expertise from many disciplines.

Think of cybersecurity and ensuring medical records are safe. Or business and managing the financial complexities of health systems. We also need human-centered skills like empathy, leadership, and cultural competency, which are rooted in the humanities and social sciences. AI and automation are changing the landscape, but they also highlight the growing need for soft skills and human insight. We’re committed to preparing students to navigate that intersection.

With rapid changes — AI, automation, the economy — how do you help students stay ahead of the curve and ensure your curriculum stays aligned with industry?

It’s a challenge, especially given how fast things evolve. Just four years ago, tools like ChatGPT weren’t even on the radar. Now they’re central. So, we’re doing two things: integrating AI coursework into existing programs and emphasizing human connection.

For example, we’ve introduced AI modules in our business school curriculum. But beyond technical skills, we’re investing in human-centered education. We’ve launched a Center for Empathy Research and Training to help students develop interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence.

As automation takes over more routine tasks, the value of human connection will grow. Whether it’s a physician spending more face-to-face time with a patient or a business leader navigating a complex, diverse team, the human element will remain vital.

While automation will certainly change job roles, I don’t believe it will eliminate the need for human interaction. Instead, it will shift our focus toward roles that require deeper relational and emotional skills.

Looking at the challenges ahead — for both FDU and its alumni — what are the key barriers in continuing the education journey?

The biggest shift is that education is no longer a “one-and-done” experience. Earning a degree used to signal you were ready for the workforce. But today, learning must be continuous.

We want to position FDU not just as a place you have attended for four years, but as a lifelong educational partner. Whether it’s a recent grad needing career advice or a mid-career professional looking to reskill, we want to provide that support.

I’ve often thought education could evolve into a subscription-based model, where students can return for certifications, short courses, or even new degrees throughout their lives. It’s about creating lifelong engagement and ensuring that alumni feel their alma mater is always there to help them grow.

But of course, affordability remains the biggest hurdle. We’ve tried to address this through institutional aid — we gave out over $80 million in scholarships last year. Around 98-99% of our students receive aid directly from FDU.

We also work to link affordability to value. For instance, pharmacy students often graduate with starting salaries over $130,000, making the return on investment clear. The same goes for our business graduates — 95% of them are either employed or in grad school right after graduation. That’s how we make the case: education at FDU is an investment that pays off.

Where do you see FDU in the next three to five years, and how does that align with the broader New Jersey higher education landscape?

Our goal is to transform our campuses into intergenerational learning communities and continue building out our longitudinal ecosystem of education and career development. That means creating more partnerships, redesigning our physical spaces, and incorporating housing and services that support students, professionals, and retirees.

We’re exploring partnerships to build university-affiliated retirement communities, early career housing, and joint-use facilities. It’s a reimagining of what a university can be: not just a place for classes, but a true hub of community and lifelong learning.

In a time when higher education is at a crossroads, rethinking the campus ecosystem is essential. Through public-private partnerships and shared-use models, we can create a sustainable, vibrant future for students and institutions.