News

Dance faculty Frederick Curry has received the National Dance Education Organization's Outstanding Leadership Award in the Area of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. 

Nyeema Watson, the vice chancellor for diversity, inclusion, and civic engagement, is at the helm of Rutgers–Camden’s efforts to expand excellence in equity and education.

Rigoberto González, Professor and Director of Rutgers University–Newark’s MFA Program in Creative Writing, has been selected by Library of America (LOA) to be Principal Humanities Advisor for Latino Poetry, a national public humanities initiative planned for 2024-25.

Rutgers–Newark’s Department of Urban Education will be hosting this year’s annual statewide conference on diversifying the teacher workforce next month starting with virtual sessions Oct. 4 and 11 and closing with an in-person gathering on Oct. 18.

Five representatives from Rutgers joined their counterparts in college athletics for a cultural, spiritual and emotional journey through the Deep South.

“While significant progress has been made, now is the time to redouble our efforts at suicide prevention,” said William Zimmermann, program manager for the New Jersey Suicide Prevention Hopeline (855-654-6735) and the recently opened national 988 backup center at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. 

Rutgers scholar Elie Honig’s short film on the 60th anniversary of the trial of Adolf Eichmann is a contender for outstanding news analysis: editorial and opinion. The project, which was very much a personal one, is up for an Emmy Award.

Students, faculty and staff will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a wide range of cultural and educational activities across the university, including screenings, performances and lectures, some hosted virtually due to the ongoing pandemic.

Rutgers–New Brunswick seniors Nina Gohel and James Cortes come from families with very little in common. This summer, both Eagleton Undergraduate Associates’ paths converged at the New Jersey State House.

"Culture is a word that I only intrinsically understood in its totality a few years ago," writes Pedro Monroy-Polanco in the first student blog of the month for Hispanic Heritage Month.

Jacqueline Romero, the groundbreaking new U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, is a Rutgers Law School in Newark graduate who thrives on the powerful position’s enormous responsibility.

Cyril Reade, Ph.D., director of the Rutgers–Camden Center for the Arts (RCCA), has unveiled the work of six artists with deep personal and professional ties to the city of Camden in the exhibition “Portraits of Camden.” 

In some ways, the chance to direct Lorraine Hansberry’s theatrical masterpiece “A Raisin in the Sun,’’ which opens at Newark Symphony Hall on Sunday, is the result of a dream deferred for Rutgers-Newark alumna and retired vice chancellor Marcia Brown.

The grand opening of a new model for medical research and innovation from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School took place recently with the unveiling of the Center for Innovation, located on the main campus of the hospital in New Brunswick.

Ralph always wanted to attend Rutgers because Princeton native Paul Robeson, star performer-athlete and activist, had studied there, she told OWN’s “Where Are They Now.” 

Members of Rutgers’ Class of 2026 have already built a resume of activism, achievement and service before entering their first university classroom or laboratory.

Rutgers researchers provide guidelines for fertility preservation counseling before gender-affirming medical procedures for transgender men.

Rutgers Summer Service Internship Initiative taught Danna Green about the power residents have to make a difference.

Rutgers–Newark and Rutgers–Camden also among U.S. News top public and national universities.

Ashante Patterson MCM’20, SAS’18, a communications and marketing manager with the Mount Sinai Health System, is a content writer, communication strategist, and dynamic advocate who is passionate about raising awareness of health inequities.

Rutgers–Camden Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis, Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen, and community leaders gathered to celebrate the exceptional contributions of six Rutgers–Camden students who worked alongside Camden leaders this summer.

Fiserv, Inc., a global provider of payments and financial services technology with a growing presence in New Jersey, has announced it is partnering with Rutgers University–Newark to create and fund a new program designed to drive diversity and innovation within the financial technology field.

Students enroll in academic enrichment courses, learn about financial literacy and civic and cultural engagement, among many other subjects and areas of development. A heavy emphasis is placed on college readiness and career exploration.

The Axiom REACH Foundation, which partnered with Rutgers to create the program, combats public health disparities by aiding underserved, under-resourced patients, families, and communities dealing with life-threatening diagnoses. 

The  American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services has awarded 2022 Spectrum Scholarships to 60 graduate students at universities across the country. 

High schoolers in Greater Newark learned the power of tech skills at Rutgers University–Newark’s first coding camp, a summer program supported by Apple.

The Black Camden Oral History Project, led by Kendra D. Boyd and Jesse Bayker, will tell the stories, through first-person accounts, of life and activism in the city, including the Black student protest movement at Rutgers University–Camden.

Antonio D. Tillis hit the ground running when he began his tenure as Rutgers–Camden’s chancellor on July 1, 2021. Take a look back on a year full of civic engagement, partnerships, accomplishments and progress.

Tanya Kersey, a Rutgers alumna and founder of the Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF), passed away in July at age 61. Recognized as a champion of Black cinematic talent, not just in Los Angeles but nationally and around the world, Kersey DC’83 was the driving force behind this annual filmmaking showcase often described as “the Black Sundance.”

Academic stress takes a toll on the mental well-being of certain groups of college students more than others – a correlation further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Rutgers New Jersey Medical School study.

Socially disadvantaged children and those from minority backgrounds are less likely to receive services before 36 months of age, Rutgers study finds.

Johanna Cordasco, who focused on sculpture at the Mason Gross School of Arts, is helping communities and doing conservation work in the southwestern U.S. 

“Day of the Dead in the USA: The migration and transformation of a cultural phenomenon, second edition” by Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Regina Marchi, looks at the role of the mass media in the growth of the celebration and the construction of ethnic identity.

Rutgers University has selected Dr. Consuella Askew as its new Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian. On July 18, 2022, she became Rutgers’ 15th University Librarian and the first person of color in the institution’s 256-year history to hold the position.

Chao Chen and Maha Ibrahim of the Class of 2023 have been awarded New Jersey’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (NJLEND) fellowship. They are the first Rutgers School of Dental Medicine students to participate in the program.

This summer, Rutgers–Newark rising senior April Barcus is doing a nine-week External Foster Youth Internship with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated on raising awareness of the needs of children without families.

In a year marked by critical milestones and mixed outcomes for women’s rights and representation, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers Eagleton Institute of Politics is celebrating its 50th anniversary as the original and preeminent source for data, research and resources regarding women in American politics and public life.

Marybeth Gasman, the Center for Minority Serving Institutions executive director at Rutgers Graduate School of Education, writes for Forbes about one company's aim to reduce bias in hiring. 

Distinguished Professor of Management and Global Business Nancy DiTomaso talks about her DEI study amongst scientists & engineers in Innovation Research Interchange's latest podcast.

The three-day program – ELEVATE stands for Enriching Learning, Enhancing Visibility & Training Educators – will give a cohort of early-career MSI faculty professional development and best practices for facing challenges as early-career faculty.

When protestors targeted a school board meeting last fall demanding that several award-winning books with LGBTQ+ themes be pulled from the shelves, school librarian Martha Hickson didn’t back down, even when the attacks turned personal.

Express Newark was conceived as an art-making “third space” in which the university and community would come together with equal voices and experiences. As cultural institutions all across the United States face a reckoning over racial injustice, Express Newark urgently responds to these demands by valuing art’s ability to amplify marginalized voices, address critical issues, and advocate for change. This initiative addresses many of Rutgers’ strategic priorities.

Watch President Holloway discuss social justice scholarship and the mission of the Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice. 

Coral Omene, MD, PhD, medical oncologist in the Stacy Goldstein Breast Cancer Center at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the V Foundation for Cancer Research in partnership with ESPN to increase clinical trial awareness and enrollment of Black women with breast cancer.

The president of RCC for the 2021-2022 school year, Sabrina Lew, reflected on the club’s major growth. “We’ve more than doubled in size since then—with nearly 100 members coming to our meetings—despite the challenges of sustaining it in a virtual setting due to COVID.” 

Rutgers medical students from the community service organization North American Disease Intervention (NADI) were providing the on-site screenings as part of a health fair organized by Rutgers Global Health Institute in collaboration with multiple local partners.

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Rutgers College class of 1975, has earned an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Abbott Elementary.

Lorraine Minnite, a professor of public policy and administration at Rutgers-Camden, said Black voters have been a target of voter suppression for more than a century in the U.S.

With adults, teens and kids across the state still depressed and anxious from COVID-19, NJ struggles to find psychiatrists, psychologists and counselors to help them. Dr. Angelica M. Diaz-Martinez, an associate teaching professor at Rutgers University in Piscataway and the director of clinical training at The Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP), weighed in on the problem.

The Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM) will lead a team of health care professionals to investigate the possible link between mental health issues and poor oral health with a one-year grant from the New Jersey Health Foundation.

MSW student Vimmi Surti dedicated this year's Guru Purnima to the Rutgers School of Social Work faculty. Learn more about this Hindu holiday and the meaning it holds for Surti.

The Rutgers Food Innovation Center in Bridgeton, New Jersey is helping to spark economic development in the local area by helping businesses grow and become successful.

Whatever your role or practice environment, as a nurse, you are called to lead. Nurse Leadership through Crisis: Examining COVID-19, Health Equity, and Care a free, on-demand webinar, offers experience-based insights from seasoned nurse leaders, with practical pointers to help you meet challenges effectively.

School of Communication and Information Associate Professor Charles Senteio and his research collaborators based in Brazil seek to use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to examine words and phrases used in medical records to identify biases which can help inform interventions.

Rutgers alumni Sandy Jaffe and Linda Stamato have funded the creation of a research fellowship at the Honors Living-Learning Community (HLLC) at Rutgers University–Newark. A key admissions factor at HLLC is a commitment to social justice and community building. 

"We want to continue to make dental schools more inclusive communities and drive change," Perez said.

Rutgers professor of sociology Karen Cerulo, Ph.D. analyzes what it means to dream and imagine future possibilities, and how people’s dreams differ based on a variety of social factors.

Carolina Cabrera DiGiorgio’s journey taught her about its destination. It began in Honduras, grew in New Jersey, and flourished at Rutgers–Camden and in the practice of corporate law. Now it is blossoming as DiGiorgio shines in a new role: president and CEO of Congreso de Latinos Unidos.

Rutgers-Newark alumna Nancy La Vigne is a widely recognized criminal justice policy expert who last month was appointed by President Biden to direct the National Institute of Justice, a component of U.S Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which works to reduce crime, assist victims, and advance racial equity in the administration of justice.

Whether it was idolizing her pulmonologist uncle in the family’s native Dominican Republic as a young child or advocating for her parents during doctors’ visits in the South Bronx as a teenager, Angelica Lopez can trace her “why” for wanting to become a physician to family.

The Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care National Call Center has been selected to serve as one of 12 national backup centers that will triage overflow calls made to 9-8-8, a new national hotline for mental health crisis and suicide prevention that launches July 16. 

ROI-NJ is once again honoring many of the top leaders of DEI programs around the state.

A classic car show and men’s health fair in East Orange provided a chance for Rutgers-Newark neuroscientists to educate the community about protecting brain health and lowering the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. 

The Global Village Art as Activism House, a Douglass living-learning community focused on the global role of art in social justice, wrapped up the academic year by putting on their annual exhibition, which included student artwork that focused on the theme of creating community.

The author of many articles and books in his areas of expertise, most recently Jeff is co-author with Rutgers alumnus Dr. Randal Pinkett of Black Faces in High Places: 10 Strategic Actions for Black Professionals to Reach the Top and Stay There.

Roxane Gay, an internationally recognized writer, editor, cultural critic and educator, has been selected as the next Gloria Steinem Endowed Chair in Media, Culture and Feminist Studies at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

Juneteenth is being widely celebrated across the country a year after President Biden signed a law making it a federal holiday. We asked faculty across Rutgers why it's important to mark this day and what are appropriate ways to honor the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. 

In a mural created by Rutgers-Newark BOLD scholars and acclaimed artist Adama Delphine Fawundu, a blue figure with her arms outstretched to the sky symbolizes freedom and womanhood. But to her creators, she also represents something more personal.

Built in the mid-1840’s, the Peter Mott House is one of the few surviving Underground Railroad sites owned by an African-American abolitionist in an African-American community.

An academic leader in addiction and LGBTQ+ mental health research, Petros Levounis plans to use platform to continue fighting for social justice.

Troy A. Roepke, Ph.D., will lead the new SEBS/NJAES Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Rutgers University–Camden graduates celebrated with four commencement ceremonies and the inaugural Rites of Passage ceremony for Black and Latinx students.

Newark artists and city leaders yesterday celebrated the completion of 14 new public installations created through a partnership between Audible and 20 Newark artists and collectives, including many Rutgers-Newark alumni.

A  Rutgers-Newark program that helps parents provide literacy support in Newark schools has done more than improve children’s reading skills.

A health clinic run by Rutgers School of Nursing–Camden now offers a safe space for guests to receive basic medical care and advice. Many of the guests have no insurance and previously had to rely on emergency room visits to address routine conditions.

Law professor Elise Boddie, who teaches at Rutgers-Newark, is founder and director of The Inclusion Project (TIP), which works to promote systemic equity in public education.

President’s internship initiative puts focus on engaging with and serving others.

Looking out at the sea of red and black gowns, Pulitzer Prize winner Nikole Hannah-Jones was blunt. She typically turns down invites to give commencement speeches, the journalist said.

But not when Rutgers-Camden called, the quaint campus located in the predominantly Black and Hispanic city.

More than 500 graduating students participated in the 30th annual Rites of Passage ceremony honoring Black and Latinx students from Rutgers–New Brunswick who, through resolute persistence, have successfully completed an undergraduate or graduate degree.

In high school, Gary Carter had a mentor who taught him about accounting. “It inspired me to become an accountant,” Carter said. “He shed light on how having your own assets, your own business would bring you generational wealth. I wanted to learn more.”

Rutgers University–Newark Professor Salamishah Tillet was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in criticism for her New York Times essays on race in arts and culture, the Pulitzer Prize board announced. 

“Issues of diversity, equity and inclusion are present everywhere in our lives and if we do not acknowledge them, we continue to support and enable a system meant to oppress,” she said.  

Join host Mary Marchetta O’Dowd as she welcomes Dr. Denise Rodgers, RBHS Vice-Chancellor for Interprofessional Programs, to discuss the relationship between race and health, the state of health disparities in minority populations, and the steps we can take to change the landscape.

The Autism MVP Foundation Endowed Fellowship will create new, hands-on educational opportunities for Rutgers graduate students who want to empower adults with autism.

Every Wednesday after school this spring, students at the Paul Robeson Community School for the Arts in New Brunswick have been moving, dancing, leaping and twisting, all while learning about community, emotions and identity.

Kevin Carolina helped launch the group Minority Men in Medicine at Rutgers to provide an academic and social support network to increase the number of underrepresented minority men matriculating into medical school.

In this episode of Faces & Voices, Tania Martinez walks President Jonathan Holloway through the quad to Rutgers-Camden Alumni House where they discuss what drew her from Springdale, Arkansas, to Camden, New Jersey, how Rutgers-Camden’s deep commitment to civic engagement has allowed her to make meaningful differences in the lives of others as an immigrant rights activist, and the importance of cultivating hope in the midst of daunting circumstances.  

“Taking time to recognize members of our community in this way each year speaks loudly and clearly about our values,” said President Jonathan Holloway. “The work that today’s honorees are doing to build a beloved community at Rutgers is so important.”

In September 2020, Mason Gross School of the Arts (MGSA) art & design student Tehyla McLeod grabbed her sketchbook and headed to the New Brunswick train station. Her goal: create portraits of the displaced and struggling community of people who congregate at and around the station.

Rutgers released a new plan, supported by University Equity and Inclusion, that includes goals set by each chancellor-led area – Rutgers-New Brunswick, Rutgers-Newark, Rutgers-Camden and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences – and actions to reach them.

Rutgers University–Camden has received a $306,000 grant from AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as part of a new initiative to enhance public health resources across the country. 

Rutgers–Newark graphic design student James Negri has distinguished himself as being among the school’s highest academic performers. After graduating in May, the 27-year-old plans to pursue a career that utilizes his skills in 3D design and augmented reality.  

All eligible New Jersey students can attend Rutgers tuition-free for four years through a combination of university, federal and state financial aid programs.

Rutgers historian and series co-executive producer Erica Armstrong Dunbar ensured the show brought to life authentic characters of color who too often have been reduced to stereotypes or entirely overlooked in media portrayals of American history.

Once a center for some of Newark’s earliest Black activists, a 19th-century church that stood on Rutgers University—Newark property been designated a historic site by the National Park Service for its links to the Underground Railroad. It is one of the first sites in Northern New Jersey to receive that designation.

The way that Adam Soliman sees it, government can impact society in a big way – and that’s a good thing.

To honor Wall for years to come, the Dr. Cheryl A. Wall Memorial Fellowship has been created to provide $2,500 annually to doctoral students conducting research in African American or Black literature, Black feminism or interdisciplinary studies.

Staff at the Center for Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities are organizing events throughout April. 

APIDA Heritage Month represents an opportunity for the AACC to highlight the necessity for social justice work to combat anti-Asian violence and sentiment.

The quad at Rutgers–Camden was a sea of rainbow flags, colorful balloons and glittering outfits as students, staff and faculty showed up on Friday afternoon to support the campus’ first-ever Pride Fest.

Rutgers is launching a new initiative to improve the health and quality of life in economically disadvantaged communities dealing with food insecurity, high unemployment, low high school graduation rates and shrinking household income – funded through a $10 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

“This study highlights a critically important way of looking at the quality of higher education institutions: how well we facilitate social mobility,” said Rutgers–Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor.

In an effort to build inclusive academic communities, institutions are asking tough questions about the role they play – not only as places where people from various backgrounds and experiences go for intellectual growth, but as places that provide a framework for excellence that regards diversity, equity and inclusion as key drivers of success.

In this moment of profound uncertainty, reconnection, and newfound creativity, the organizers of the Black Portraiture[s] conferences invite the submission of abstracts summarizing a paper, panel, or performance related to the role of “play” in past and contemporary African Diasporic art, performance, liberation struggles, and cultural work.

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, members of the RU Indigenous student organization at Rutgers University-New Brunswick shared brief essays about their history, traditions and culture and their desire to be recognized. Camilla Townsend, Distinguished Professor of History who researches indigenous history and language, also shares her thoughts on the importance of native studies and its future at the university.

For Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked students to share brief essays reflecting on their identity. In their own words, students shared stories about the importance of preserving their native language, the challenge of being a non-English speaker in school, and the lessons they’ve learned from embracing their culture, their native food and their families. Here is what they had to say.

Rutgers-Newark is joining a network of scholars working to uncover the beginnings of modern conceptions of race and racism through the study of pre-modern times through an external $3.5 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The vice-chancellor for diversity, equity, and civic engagement at Rutgers-Camden knows from personal experience how essential it is for town and gown to work together.

Process developed by Rutgers to transcribe music to braille for prodigy Yerko Difonis opens door for other musicians with disabilities

While most Rutgers faculty and staff have been working remotely since the start of the pandemic, a group of university employees continued to report to campus to do their jobs. Here are their stories.

A conversation led by Camden native George Hill, a nationally renowned microbiologist and educator, enlightened city residents and Rutgers University‒Camden students, faculty, and staff about COVID-19 vaccines.

When Tom Pisano started making rounds in his wheelchair, he worried his patients would consider him less capable than his Robert Wood Johnson Medical School peers. However, he quickly found it had the opposite effect on patients and put them at ease.

This month Rutgers Today spoke with two women who are leading that charge: Enobong (Anna) Branch, senior vice president for equity at Rutgers University, and Nyeema C. Watson, vice chancellor of diversity, inclusion, and civic engagement at Rutgers University-Camden.