Frank’s Bio
Dr. Esposito was appointed Kean University interim president effective March 4, 2002.
In 1997, Esposito was named dean of Kean’s School of Graduate Studies, now the Nathan Weiss College of Graduate Studies. During his tenure, Esposito led the internal reorganization of the graduate school and graduate office while collaborating with University deans on program development.
Before assuming his current position, Esposito served as vice president for academic affairs and developed the University’s academic policy and budget. Esposito also headed the general and cooperative education and honors programs, promoted faculty/staff development and recommended faculty for retention and tenure. Additionally, he served as advisor to former President Nathan Weiss.
Prior to becoming vice president for academic affairs, Esposito was acting dean of Kean’s School of Education, leading 102 faculty members and 4,000 students. Esposito also developed new programs in education and technology. In addition to administering the budget, he reorganized the school from eight to six departments and contributed solutions to statewide math/science teacher shortages. He was integral to the development of an alternate route for teacher certification in New Jersey. While an assistant dean, Esposito facilitated the creation of the Center for Human Services/ Gerontology, as well as several academic program initiatives.
During a two-year leave from Kean, Esposito served as special assistant and advisor to the New Jersey Commissioner of Education. In that capacity, he conducted a study of public school choice, developed related policy and implemented school-choice programs. From 1994 to 1996 he assisted the New Jersey Commissioner of Education in the development and writing of the Charter School Program Act of 1995.
Esposito is the author and co-author of numerous books as well as newspaper and journal articles spanning a broad range of subjects, including New Jersey history, the Lenape Indians and reflections on the state of education. He holds a Ph.D. in American history from Rutgers University.
Esposito has made several appearances on New Jersey Network television programs and is the moderator and host of the semimonthly interview show Counterpoint, which is broadcast by Comcast and several other cable networks.
PolickerNJ posted an article describing how Frank is not a newbie to the world of New Jersey politics.
Esposito, 68, is a history professor at Kean University and a former interim president there. A lifelong New Jerseyan who grew up in Ocean City, Esposito has never run for elected office at any level before, but he worked for two years as an assistant commissioner of education under Gov. Tom Kean - where he met his current running mate, Christopher Daggett — and later spent two years in the Christie Whitman administration working the Charter School Act of 1995.
