Two FDU Leaders Named to 2025 NJBIZ Education Power List

September 17 – Fairleigh Dickinson University President Michael Avaltroni and FDU Poll Executive Director Daniel Cassino have been recognized among New Jersey’s most influential education leaders, earning spots on NJBIZ’s 2025 Education Power List.

The annual list honors individuals who are “helping to make New Jersey a better place to live, work and do business” through their professional accomplishments and public service in the education sector.”

Avaltroni, who became FDU’s ninth president in April 2023 after serving as interim president since January 2023, is the first FDU graduate to lead the university. Under his leadership, the University created FDU Health, uniting health science programs, and established Lifelong Learning at FDU for education across the lifespan. He launched FDU HealthPath Forward, building coalitions to develop healthcare programs and workforce training.

Cassino, a professor of government and politics at FDU, serves as executive director of the FDU Poll, leading experimental research on public opinion and political behavior. He appears regularly on television broadcasts about politics and is frequently quoted in major national publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Atlantic.

Beyond his media presence, Cassino has authored several books and textbooks, including “Fox News and American Politics” and leading social science research methods texts. His research explores how media consumption affects political knowledge and how threats to masculinity shape political attitudes and behaviors.

The 2025 NJBIZ Education Power List features 69 honorees working across all levels of education, from early childhood through higher education and workforce development. The complete list appears in NJBIZ’s September 15, 2025 edition.