Prior to the busyness that will accompany the beginning of the new academic year, I look back on the Spring 2024 semester, which served as a remarkable conclusion to the 2023-2024 academic year. Commencement was a joyful occasion, where we graduated 537 undergraduate students and 175 graduate students, of which eight earned their doctoral degrees. Honored speakers included Assemblyman Lou Greenwald and Brian Bridges, Secretary of Higher Education.
Our growth was evident in the number of staff welcomed this semester, including new administrative assistants for several departments and programs. Faculty received awards that recognized both their teaching and research – Dr. Benedetto Piccoli, Distinguished Professor of Mathematical Science, received the W.T. and Idalia Reid Prize from the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and Dr. Emily Marker, Associate Professor of History, was named the recipient of the George Louis Beer Prize from the American Historical Association, just to name a few.
Through the leadership of Dr. Kwangwon Lee, Professor of Biology, and Dr. Nathan Fried, Associate Teaching Professor of Biology, the Department of Biology received grant funding to continue to grow the number of students of underrepresented backgrounds who are pursuing a STEM degree, and to offer them support. Faculty such as Dr. Tyler Hoffman, Professor of English, were invited to give keynote addresses at seminal events such as the 150th anniversary of the poet Robert Frost’s birth, a testimony to their prominence in the field.
Our students continue to impress with their achievements. Paul Boyd, a philosophy major, was named a 2024 Harry S. Truman Scholar, the first Rutgers–Camden student and only the sixteenth Rutgers University student to ever receive this prestigious honor. What an accomplishment, indeed!
With such incredible achievements, I am eager to see what great things our faculty, staff, and students accomplish in the 2024-2025 academic year. I hope you will join us on what is sure to be an exciting journey.
I hope the rest of your summer is one of health and happiness. See you in September!
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences–Camden
Department Highlights
Donations
Forensic Science Program
- The Forensic Science Program received a generous donation from the late Dr. Richard and Mrs. Gail Saferstein. Dr. Saferstein was the first director of the New Jersey State Police Forensic Science Lab. His personal forensic science library of several hundred books was donated to Rutgers–Camden, where half of the collection is housed in the Paul Robeson Library and the other half with the student forensic science shared office. Mrs. Saferstein and her daughter, Sharon, came to campus for a tour and to meet with students and alumni. They so enjoyed their visit that they donated $10,000.00 to support student travel to the American Academy of Forensic Sciences annual meeting.
Events
Department of Childhood Studies
- As part of their Centering Black Childhoods Series, the Department of Childhood Studies hosted a conversation with Zul Manzi, the creator of the animated series The Matumbilas.
New Hires
Department of Biology/Center for Computational and Integrative Biology
- Ms. Imani Craig joins the Department of Biology and the Center for Computational and Integrative Biology as their administrative assistant.
Department of Childhood Studies
- Ms. Michelle Phang joins the Department of Childhood Studies as their administrative assistant.
Center for Urban Research and Education (CURE)
- Ms. Mariah Casias joined CURE as their department administrator.
Department of Education/Department of English and Communication
- Ms. Debra Hudasko was hired as the administrative assistant for the English and communication department (including supporting StoryQuarterly and the writing program) and also the Department of Education (MAT program).
Faculty of Arts and Sciences–Office of the Dean
- The FASC-Office of the Dean welcomes the following new members to their business office:
- Ms. Casey DeJoseph, Business Manager
- Ms. Stacey Shelle, Business Specialist
- Ms. Zelda Walker, Business Specialist
- Mr. Magid Youseff, Business Specialist
Department of Health Sciences/Department of Political Science/Prevention Science Program
- Mrs. Monica Dillard serves the health sciences and political science departments and the prevention science program as their administrative assistant.
Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities (MARCH)
- Ms. Isabel Steven joined MARCH as the new program coordinator.
Rutgers–Camden Center for the Arts (RCCA)
- Rutgers–Camden Center for the Arts (RCCA) welcomed the following staff:
- Ms. Katy Resch, Assistant Director;
- Mr. Jake Foster, Gallery and Public Programs Coordinator; and
- Ms. Amy Hoke, Art Education Coordinator.
Productions
Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts
- The Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts’ music program presented “Love Notes: A Springtime Festival of Song,” “Groovy Hits and Broadway Beats,” and “Soundtrack to the 60s Counterculture.”
- The Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts’ theater program staged the productions The Triumph of Love and Urinetown over the Spring 2024 semester.
Rankings
- The Department of Economics was ranked as a top 25% institution in New Jersey by IDEAS rankings.
Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts
- The Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts’ animation program has been ranked as the first in New Jersey by Animation Career Review.
Faculty Highlights
Appointments
- Dr. Kendra Boyd, Assistant Professor of History, was appointed by the New Jersey Historical Commission to the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail Advisory Committee.
- Dr. Evan Jewell, Assistant Professor of History, has been appointed for a three-year term as Director of the Classical Summer School at the American Academy in Rome,for 2024-2026. The Classical Summer School is in its 101st year and is a five-week intensive program which attracts participants from top Ph.D. programs across the United States, as well as high school teachers, and faculty from universities and colleges across the country.
Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts
- Dr. Joseph Schiavo, Teaching Professor of Music, received a one-year appointment as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education for FASC-Office of the Dean, beginning July 1, 2024.
Awards and Prizes
- Dr. Jennifer Oberle, Associate Teaching Professor of Biology, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence for Non-Tenure Track Faculty.
- Dr. Georgia Arbuckle-Keil, Professor of Chemistry, received the Rutgers University Faculty Scholar-Teacher Award.
Department of Health Sciences/Department of Psychology/Prevention Science Program
- Dr. Kristin August, Professor of Psychology, received the Rutgers University Faculty Scholar-Teacher Award.
- Dr. Kendra Boyd, Assistant Professor of History, received the Clark-McClintock-Gershenson Subvention Award for her forthcoming monograph Freedom Enterprise: Racial Capitalism and Black Entrepreneurship in Great Migration Detroit, from the University of Pennsylvania Press. Dr. Boyd is also a recipient of the Rutgers Research Council Award for “Recovering Black Bottom: Mapping Black Business Loss Caused by Urban Redevelopment in Detroit, MI.”
- Dr. Emily Marker, Associate Professor of History, received the George Louis Beer Prize from the American Historical Association; the Rutgers Board of Trustees Award for Research Excellence; and the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity.
Department of Mathematical Sciences
- Mr. Paul Moré, Lecturer of Mathematical Sciences, received the Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence for Lecturer Faculty.
- Dr. Benedetto Piccoli, Distinguished Professor of Mathematical Sciences, received the W.T. and Idalia Reid Prize from the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.
- Dr. Robrecht van der Wel, Associate Professor of Psychology, received the Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence for Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty.
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice
- Dr. Laura Napolitano, Associate Professor of Sociology, received the Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence for Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty.
- Dr. Jane Siegel, Professor of Criminal Justice, received the Lindback Teaching Award.
- Dr. Gabrielle Rossi, Lecturer of Urban Studies, received the Chancellor’s Award for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement under the category “Academic Civic Engagement” for her course which engages students with Camden-based organizations like The Free Books Project, I Dare to Care, and the Neighborhood Collaborative Community Gardens.
Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts
- Mr. Stass Shpanin, Assistant Teaching Professor of Art, received the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity for his recent exhibition record and participation in international artist residencies.
Department of World Languages and Cultures
- Dr. Próspero García, Associate Professor of Spanish, received the Chancellor’s Award for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement under the category “Community-Engaged Scholarship.”
- Dr. Carla Giaudrone, Associate Professor of Spanish, received the 2024 Excellence in Online Teaching Award in the category of “Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Accessibility.” This recognition comes from the Instructional Design, Teaching, and Learning with Technology team at the Lifelong Learning Center in Rutgers–New Brunswick.
Exhibits/Sculptures
Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts
- Ms. Margery Amdur, Professor of Art, created an evolving textile installation composed of digitally printed designs, cut and sewn, hung on the wall and set on the floor, integrating other media in the exhibit “Seams to be Constructed,” which was hosted by the Rutgers–Camden Center for the Art’s Stedman Gallery from January 16 – April 13, 2024.
- Ms. Elizabeth Demaray, Professor of Art, is the current Artist-in-Residence at the Chrysler Herbarium. Her solo exhibition “Cookbook for When the Sun Goes Out,” is on display at the museum through September 2024. Her exhibition “Home Is Where the Plastic Eating Stomach Is,” will open in June 2024 at Zone2Source in Amsterdam. The “Plastomach,” her living sculpture that eats plastic through white rot fungi, was displayed at the 2024 Focus Art Fair in New York.
- Mr. Allan Espiritu, Professor of Art, organized the “Faculty Focus” exhibition of past and present work and publications from VMPA faculty and lecturers.
- Mr. Michael Morgan, Lecturer of Art, completed a brick sculpture, consisting of bricks salvaged from the Delaware River and highly textured, salt-glazed bricks. This sculpture is on view at the Philadelphia International Airport.
- Ms. Anabelle Rodriguez, Lecturer of Art, submitted a curatorial proposal that was accepted by the Fondazione della Biennale di Venezia for a group exhibition of Afro-Puerto Rican art as a collateral event in this year’s art biennial. The event exhibition, titled “Desde San Juan Bautista,” opened April 21, 2024.
- Mr. Stass Shpanin, Assistant Teaching Professor of Art, had the following exhibitions in 2023 and will have an exhibit beginning January 2024:
Fellowships
- Dr. Kendra Boyd, Assistant Professor of History, is a recipient of Rutgers University’s Cheryl Wall Fellowship for the 2024-2025 academic year and was a faculty fellow for the Rutgers Center for Historical Analysis in 2023-2024.
- Dr. Emily Marker, Associate Professor of History, served as a 2023-2024 fellow at the Rutgers Center for Historical Analysis.
Department of Mathematical Sciences
- Dr. Haydee Herrera-Guzman, Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences, is a recipient of Rutgers University’s Cheryl Wall Fellowship for the 2024-2025 academic year.
- Dr. Tamara Nelson, Assistant Professor of Psychology, is a recipient of Rutgers University’s Cheryl Wall Fellowship for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Films
Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts
- Dr. Robert Emmons’, Associate Teaching Professor, short documentary film Game of Nim was screened at the San Francisco Documentary Festival in May 2024. His interactive online documentary Palimpsest was featured at the Electronic Literature Organization’s 2024 Exhibition.
Grants
- The Department of Biology received a $1.8 million dollar grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) U-Rise (Undergraduate NRSA Institutional Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement) Program. The mission of the U-RISE Program is to increase the number of minority/underrepresented undergraduate students in the sciences, with the goal for these students to eventually enter doctoral programs. Dr. Kwangwon Lee, Professor of Biology, will serve as director, and Dr. Nathan Fried, Associate Teaching Professor of Biology, will serve as associate director.
- Through the leadership of Dr. Kwangwon Lee, Professor of Biology, the Driving Change Initiative at Rutgers–Camden received a $2.5 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Due to the support of his grant, Dr. Lee has established the Institute for Empowering Equitable Education in STEM (E3). The mission of E3 is to drive lasting change on the Rutgers–Camden campus so that STEM undergraduate students from all backgrounds can excel in their respective majors, fields, and future careers. Jamie Cattell joins the Rutgers–Camden community as E3’s assistant director, and Kyra Miller serves as program coordinator.
- Ms. Kimberlee Moran, Associate Teaching Professor of Forensic Science, received a Rutgers Global Grant to examine ancient fingerprints, thought to be made by children, from Neolithic Crete. The project involves collaborations with a local ceramic studio, Say It with Clay, and the University of the Aegean.
Department of Health Sciences/Department of Psychology/Prevention Sciences Program
- Dr. Kristin August, Professor of Psychology, is the co-principal investigator for the project “Creating a culture of wellness for Bancroft organization: Supporting wellness in group homes through policy, systems, and environmental changes,” supported through the South Jersey Institute for Population Health.
- Dr. Emily Marker, Associate Professor of History, is a recipient of the American Philosophical Society Franklin Grant.
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice
- Dr. Julio Alicea, Assistant Professor of Sociology, received a 2024-2025 Rutgers Research Council Grant.
- Dr. Kayla Preito-Hodge, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, received a $93,000 grant from Arnold Ventures to support her project “Prison Identification Project.”
Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts
- Dr. Chinghsin Wu, Associate Teaching Professor of Art History, received the Rutgers Research Council Grant for the 2024-2025 academic year.
In the News
Department of English and Communication/Africana Studies Program
- Dr. Keith Green, Associate Professor of English, was featured in the Rutgers Todayarticle, “English professor’s two-year grant will help trace the spiritual lives of enslaved church congregants.”
- Dr. Hunter King, Assistant Professor of Physics, was featured in the following news articles:
- “From Seasoning to Soufflé: The Science of Cooking,” in Rutgers Today; and
- “Beetle morphology influences fog droplet collection, researchers find,” in the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s research news.
Department of Political Science
- Dr. Shauna Shames, Associate Professor of Political Science, was featured in a June 2024 “WalletHub” article about the Most Patriotic States in America.
- Dr. Andrew Abeyta, Assistant Professor of Psychology, was featured by CNBC in the piece “It’s Hard to Resist the Pull of the ‘Good Old Days,’ Nostalgia Researcher Says – Here’s Why.”
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice
- Dr. Laura Napolitano, Associate Professor of Sociology, was featured in the April 2024 edition of the Rutgers–Camden Student Success Insider as a Faculty Student Success Champion.
- Dr. Daniel Semenza, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, was featured in the Newsweek article “Gun Violence Faced by a ‘Striking’ 60% of Black Americans.”
- Dr. Christopher Thomas, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, was featured in “How Weather Affects Crime Rates,” published in Rutgers Today.
Keynote Addresses
Department of English and Communication
- In March 2024 at Dartmouth College, Dr. Tyler Hoffman, Professor of English, gave the keynote address at the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Robert Frost’s birth. The address was titled “Robert Frost’s America.”
- Dr. Wendy Woloson, Professor of History, gave the Annual Faculty Fellow Lecture keynote address to kick off Research Week in April 2024. The title of her lecture was “The Latest Novelties: New Goods and New Ideas in 19th-Century America.”
Leadership Roles
- Dr. Emily Marker, Associate Professor of History, serves as president of the Western Society for French History.
Outside Activities
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice
- Dr. Nathan Link, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, served on a Philadelphia initiative to forgive five million dollars in court fines and fees to low-income Philadelphians.
Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts
- Mr. Allan Espiritu, Professor of Art, designed the catalog for the exhibition Rising Sun: Artists in an Uncertain America, hosted by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the African American Museum in Philadelphia.
- Mr. James Mobley, Assistant Teaching Professor, served as the set designer for Citrus Andronicus and the technical director for Children of the Sun, both from the Philadelphia Artists’ Collective. Both productions are up for Barrymore awards. Additionally, Mr. Mobley was the technical director and designer for Rutgers–Camden’s productions of The Triumph of Love and Urinetown.
Performances
Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts
- Dr. Joseph Schiavo, Teaching Professor of Music, served as the artistic director for the highly successful Mallery Concert Series. The series featured performers such as the Copeland String Quartet and Gabriel Schaff. The Fall 2024 series will begin in October 2024.
- Dr. Mark Zaki, Professor of Music, performed his 34th season with the American Classical Orchestra in New York City. He served as violinist and producer.
Presentations
Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics
- Ms. Bailey Blessing, Assistant Teaching Professor of Chemistry, and Mr. Cory Trout, Assistant Teaching Professor of Physics, gave a joint presentation about chemistry and physics career paths to nearly 200 students from Cherry Hill High School East.
Department of Health Sciences/Department of Psychology/Prevention Science Program
- Dr. Charlotte Markey, Professor of Psychology, promoted The Body Image Book Series in March 2024 in New York, NY.
- Dr. Andrew Shankman, Professor of History, participated in the Liberty Fund-invited symposium “Realizing Independence: Liberty, Self-Government, and the First Constitutions,” convened by Professor Gordon S. Wood and Professor Jack P. Greene in Portland, Maine, in June 2024.
- Dr. Lorrin Thomas, Associate Professor of History, gave the Intersectional Justice Program lecture at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Arts, and also gave public lectures at the Montclair Public Library and at Landmark West, a New York City preservation society.
Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts
- Dr. Elizabeth Pilliod, Assistant Professor of Art History, delivered the following lectures while on sabbatical in Florence:
Promotions and Tenure Appointments
Department of English and Communication
- Dr. Allison Page, Associate Professor of English, was reappointed with tenure.
- Mr. Patrick Rosal was promoted to Distinguished Professor of English.
Department of Mathematical Sciences
- Dr. Siqi Fu was promoted to Distinguished Professor of Mathematical Sciences.
Department of Philosophy and Religion
- Dr. Margaret Betz was promoted to Associate Teaching Professor of Philosophy.
- Dr. John Wall was promoted to Distinguished Professor of Religion.
- Dr. Sarah Allred was promoted to Professor of Psychology.
- Dr. Kristin August was promoted to Professor of Psychology.
- Dr. Courtenay Cavanaugh was promoted to Professor of Psychology.
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice
- Dr. Daniel Semenza was promoted with tenure to Associate Professor of Criminal Justice.
Department of World Languages and Cultures
- Dr. James Boucher was promoted with tenure to Associate Professor of French.
Publications
- Ms. Kimberlee Moran, Associate Teaching Professor of Forensic Science, along with several forensic science educators in the United Kingdom, published “Enhancing the Student Learning Experience Through Memes” in the journal Science and Justice.
Department of Health Sciences/Department of Psychology/Prevention Science Program
- Dr. Kristin August, Professor of Psychology, and Dr. Charlotte Markey, Professor of Psychology, co-authored the following publications:
- “A dyadic analysis of anti-fat attitudes as predictors of partners’ diet-related influence among gay married men,” in Psychology and Health; and
- “An examination of youths’ social media use and body image: Considering TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram,” in Journal of Media Psychology.
- Dr. Sujoy Chakravarty, Associate Professor of Health Sciences, co-authored the following publications:
- “Recent Trends in Hospital Market Concentration and Profitability: The Case of New Jersey,” in Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy; and
- “Emergency Department Peer Support Program and Patient Outcomes After Opioid Overdose,” in JAMA Network Open.
- In January 2024, Dr. Lorrin Thomas, Associate Professor of History, published “Desegregation is Not a Black and White Issue: Latino Advocacy for Equal Schooling Before and After Brown,” in the Journal of Public History. Dr. Thomas also received an advance contract with the University of Texas Press for her in-progress book, Latinx Civil Rights and the Making of Multiracial American in the 1970s.
Department of Philosophy and Religion
- Dr. Margaret Betz, Associate Teaching Professor of Philosophy, published the book Modes of Protest and Resistance: Strange Change in Morals Political.
- Mr. Cory Trout, Assistant Teaching Professor of Physics; Dr. Julianne Griepenburg, Assistant Professor of Physics; and Dr. Sean O’Malley, Associate Professor of Physics, published “Influence of environmental conditions on the morphological evolution of bismuth oxide nanostructures via pulsed laser ablation in liquids” in the June 2024 issue of Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects.
Department of Political Science
- Dr. Kelly Dittmar, Associate Professor of Political Science, published “Number of Congresswomen Choosing Not to Run Again Hits a Record High,” in Forbes.
- Dr. Beth Rabinowitz, Associate Professor of Political Science, published “Our Era is One of Defensive Nationalism. It’s Happened Before,” in Time.
- Dr. Andrew Abeyta, Assistant Professor of Psychology, published “America’s Hopelessness Crisis May Have Less to Do with the Economy and More to Do with Gen Z’s Mental Health, New Survey Shows,” in Fortune.
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice
- Dr. Julio Alicea, Assistant Professor of Sociology, published “Latinx Youths’ Racial Meaning Making in a Post-Chocolate City,” for the blog Immigration Ed Next.
- Dr. Nathan Link, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, co-authored “Reframing the Debate on Legal Financial Obligations and Crime: How Accruing Monetary Sanctions Impacts Recidivism” in Criminology. Dr. Link also serves as lead co-editor on the 9th volume of the American Society of Criminology (ASC) Division on Corrections and Sentencing Handbook, titled “Contemporary Issues in Health, Crime, and Punishment.”
- Dr. Christopher Thomas, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, published “Racial reckoning protests, the Capitol insurrection, and asymmetric social facts: A mixed-methods study of public opinion” in the Journal of Experimental Criminology.
Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts
- Dr. Kenneth Elliott, Associate Professor of Theater, published the book Beyond Ridiculous: Making Gay Theatre with Charles Busch in 1980s New York. It received positive reviews from publications such as Talking Broadway and The Bay Area Report.
- Dr. Elizabeth Pilliod, Assistant Professor of Art History, published the review “’Pontormo and the Art of Devotion in Renaissance Italy’ by Jessica A. Maratsos” in the April 2024 edition of Renaissance Quarterly.
Rankings
- Dr. Noha Emara, Associate Professor of Economics, was ranked in the top 25% of economists in New Jersey based on publications in the last ten years, according to the latest IDEAS rankings. She has maintained this ranking since January 2023.
Retirements
The following faculty retired at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year:
- Dr. Katrina Hazzard-Donald, Professor of Criminal Justice
- Dr. Charlene Mires, Professor of History
- Dr. Jane Siegel, Professor of Criminal Justice
- Dr. Carol Singley, Professor of English
- Dr. Lynne Vallone, Distinguished Professor of Childhood Studies
Student and Alumni Highlights
- Animesh Borad (CCAS ’25) was featured in “On the Fast Track, Rutgers Pre-Med Student Pursues Health Equity and Community Impact,” in Rutgers Today.
- Sophia Mora (CCAS ’27) was featured in the Rutgers Today article “First-Year Chemistry Major Secures NASA-Sponsored Internship.”
Department of Childhood Studies
- Dr. Halle Singh (GSC ’24) and Dr. Diana García Gómez (GSC ’21) will join the faculty of Bridgewater State University as Assistant Professors of Childhood Studies in September 2024.
- LaTiana Ridgell, doctoral candidate, has been awarded two fellowships for the 2024-2025 academic year: a seminar fellow at the Rutgers Institute for Research on Women and as a Graduate Student Fellow within the Rutgers Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
- Dr. Halle Singh (GSC ’24) and E Lev Feinman, doctoral candidate, co-organized the online symposium, “The Mundanity of Girlhood: Pleasure, Play, and the Everyday.”
Department of Computer Science
- Wali Palmer (CCAS ’25) was featured in “Shining Bright: Formerly incarcerated student conducts laser research at Princeton,” in Rutgers Today.
- Kyra Miller (GSC ’24), Jacki Gross (GSC ’24), Qhawe Bhembe (GSC ’21 and computational and integrative biology doctoral candidate), and Alexis Quinter (CCAS ’18, GSC ’21) presented posters at the 2024 American Academy of Forensic Sciences Annual Meeting.
Department of Mathematical Sciences
- Eva Chen (CCAS ’26) obtained an internship as a Technical Specialist at Kyndryl, an informational technology infrastructure services provider.
- Mulunesh Kramer (CCAS ’26) secured an internship working as a global compliance analyst in the global wealth risk management division at Bank of America’s Corporate Headquarters in Charlotte, NC.
Department of Philosophy and Religion
- Paul Boyd (CCAS ’25) was named a 2024 Harry S. Truman Scholar. He is the first Rutgers–Camden student to receive this honor.
Department of Political Science
- Oriana Holmes-Price (CCAS ’21), a current public affairs graduate student, was featured in “Rutgers Alumna on the Front Row of Combating Climate Change” inRutgers Today.
- Joseph Abbas, prevention science doctoral candidate, received a $3,000 National Science Foundation I-Corps Fund to support innovative research projects with commercial potential, facilitating preliminary market discovery research, and validating technology concepts with potential societal benefits.
- Morenike Alugo, prevention science doctoral candidate, was selected as the winner of the Research Week master’s degree level paper competition, sponsored by the Graduate School–Camden, for his paper “Crafting CyberResilience: Proposing a multidimensional school-based intervention of cyberbulling in the digital age.”
- Nishan Dhungel, prevention science doctoral candidate, presented “Exploring the Relationship between Sleep Pattern, Support System, and Binge Drinking Among US Neighborhoods” at the Annual Conference of the Eastern Psychological Association in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in March 2024.
- Alexis Richeson, prevention science doctoral candidate, was appointed as a BeReal Ambassador, a nonprofit focused on body image education.
Department of Public Policy and Administration
- Montrell (Monty) Sanders, a doctoral student in public affairs, was selected as a Fulbright Student Scholar and will conduct research in Fiji, where he previously served as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Monty’s project is for the Ministry of Itaukei Affairs, which is the cultural affairs ministry for Fiji. He will create a database of Fijian villages on the main island of Viti Levu that will catalog social, physical, and economic indicators related to community and economic development. The work is aimed at helping the Fijian government improve the sustainability of its important tourism industry and to promote the preservation of Fijian culture.
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice
- Sheldon Morris (CCAS ’20) was featured in the Rutgers Today article, “Finding an Unexpected Home: Learning abroad shaped Rutgers–Camden alum’s future in the City of Lights.”
- Together with the organization Heart of Camden, King Cohen (CCAS ’27) has led a beautification project around Waterfront South by facilitating mural painting with community residents.
- Gavin Henry (CCAS ’24) will begin a graduate program at the University of Pennsylvania in Fall 2024. During Summer 2024, Gavin is working with Camden City Hall, tackling issues around youth homelessness.
Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts
- Noel Cross (CCAS ’20) exhibited “Life in Plastic, It’s Fantastic” from January 2024 – March 2024 at the Campus Gallery, and “It’s Not Me, It’s YOU!!!” during April 2024, also at the Campus Gallery.
- Tracy Tse (CCAS ’24) became the campus’ first Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate in May 2024. Her story, “Fine Arts Trailblazer: Award-winning student becomes Rutgers–Camden’s first BFA recipient” was featured in Rutgers Today.
- Students graduating with majors in animation, graphic design, painting and drawing, sculpture, and intermedia presented their work in the 2024 Senior Thesis Exhibition “We Perform the Ornate Escape,” hosted by the Rutgers–Camden Center for the Art’s Stedman Gallery from May 1 – 16.