NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Rutgers University–New Brunswick has named John “Jack” Donohue director of the Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience, the university announced.
Donohue succeeds John J. Farmer Jr., the center’s inaugural director. His appointment took effect in July 2026.
A former Miller Center fellow, Donohue brings decades of leadership experience in law enforcement, public safety, intelligence and organizational strategy. He spent much of his career with the New York City Police Department, where he concluded his service as chief of strategic initiatives. He also served as director of intelligence for the U.S. Capitol Police.
In executive leadership roles, Donohue led multidisciplinary teams focused on identifying challenges and developing solutions intended to improve effectiveness and efficiency across policing, prosecutions, courts, school safety and intelligence. He has also worked with government and industry partners on protective security technologies, information security and information-sharing policies, community engagement and public safety initiatives.
“Public safety is foundational to thriving communities, and law enforcement is a critical component of keeping them safe,” Donohue said in a Rutgers news release. “Police, working in partnership with community stakeholders, generate trust and credibility among the people they serve. That is what makes the work of the Miller Center so vitally important. I’m particularly energized by the opportunity to expand the work of the Center.”
Elizabeth C. Matto, director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics, said Donohue’s experience and strategic leadership will help the center build on its work.
“Jack brings an exceptional combination of experience, strategic leadership and a deep understanding of the relationship between public safety institutions and the communities they serve,” Matto said. “The Miller Center’s work is rooted in strengthening trust, resilience and collaboration, particularly among communities facing heightened risk.”
The Miller Center is housed within the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. Its members work to improve trust-based relationships among law enforcement, government agencies and communities considered vulnerable or at heightened risk.
The center was launched in 2017. In 2022, Rutgers announced a $2 million gift and endowed fund from alumnus Paul Miller and his family, allowing the Center on Policing to join the Miller Center on Community Protection and Resilience. Rutgers said the combined center is intended to better coordinate research and practice aimed at improving police-community relations and promoting the well-being of vulnerable populations in New Jersey, across the United States and beyond.
Donohue holds a juris doctor from Fordham University, an MBA from Manhattan College and a bachelor of arts degree from Pace University.
