Margaret Brennan-Tonetta, Ph.D.

Peggy Brennan Tonetta, Director, Office of Administration and Strategic Development, Senior Associate Director, NJAES, Executive Director, Economic Development and Innovation Rutgers University Agricultural Experiment Station

Margaret is Associate Vice President for Economic Development at Rutgers University and Associate Director of the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Margaret is responsible for the leadership and strategic direction of broad based university economic development initiatives, such as the Rutgers Food Innovation Center, the Innovation Park@Rutgers and the Rutgers Discovery Informatics Institute (home of the most powerful supercomputer in the region).

Margaret led the creation of the New Jersey Big Data Alliance, an unprecedented partnership of New Jersey’s higher education institutions focused on advancing computing innovation and education. She is also responsible for building collaborations among economic development units across Rutgers campuses and facilitating university-government-industry engagement and support.

Margaret is an economist with expertise in economic development strategies, impact assessment and bioenergy economics and policy. She received a B.S. in Economics, M.S. in Agricultural Economics and a Ph.D. in Public Policy all from Rutgers.