stories of impact and Opportunity
An institution of remarkable impact. A time of great opportunity.
Every day, Rutgers faculty and students engage in inspiring work— work that brings together teaching, research, and service and that exemplifies what a great public university can be: • A
place where tens of thousands of students prepare for
lives of achievement. • A
place where the project of discovering new knowledge
enriches teaching and learning in thrilling ways. • A
place where some of the world’s brightest minds address
some of its most pressing challenges. • A
place where ideas are explored for their own sake and also
put to work—driving growth, sustaining communities, and improving the quality of life.
Through Our Rutgers, Our Future, the university’s historic $1 billion campaign, alumni and friends can become partners in Rutgers’ progress. They can help write new chapters in its many stories of opportunity and impact—stories like those that fill this book.
Making Learning Meaningful
Signature Courses Tackling big issues from multiple perspectives, the School of Arts and Sciences’ Signature Courses plunge new students into the heart of the university liberal arts experience right from the start. Topics range from the ethics of food choices and food policy, to globalization and East Asia, to critical perspectives on war. In each case, faculty and students alike have called the courses among their best experiences at Rutgers. The Impact Undergraduates start their college careers inspired by encounters with outstanding senior faculty and fascinating ideas. The Opportunity To offer enough Signature Courses so that all first- and second-year students can take part. Above / Signature Courses enroll more than 1,000 School of Arts and Sciences students annually, with a goal of reaching more than 6,000.
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finding fresh power sources
Alternative Energy Research As a nation dependent on fossil fuels faces the many risks this dependency presents, Rutgers Energy Institute is seeking other answers. Working to shape alternative energy strategies, the institute brings together faculty from fields as diverse as plant science, computational science, genomics, and public policy to exchange ideas, pursue research, educate the public, and advise policymakers. The Impact Ideas with enormous potential economic and environmental benefit are advancing from concept toward application. The Opportunity To accelerate progress with research funding, faculty endowments, and graduate fellowships. Below / Glenn Amatucci, an institute researcher and professor in the School of Engineering, is developing the next generation of materials for batteries—work that promises to expand our ability to make use of renewable energy sources.
shaping brighter futures
Early Childhood Education Research How can we promote early math and science learning? How can states best direct their investment in preschool education? What are the effects of preschool on children’s long-term development? The National Institute for Early Childhood Education Research is among the most respected sources for answers to questions like these. Based at Rutgers, the institute issues a definitive analysis of data on government-funded pre-K programs nationally. The Impact The institute provides educators and policymakers nationwide with evidence-based guidance for their decisions. The Opportunity To support research that will improve achievement levels for our youngest learners, now and over the course of their lives. Above / Work with children like these, at the Rutgers–Livingston Day Care Center, influences educational practice nationwide.
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adding a global dimension
International Studies Program The International Studies Program at Rutgers–Camden achieves goals educators nationwide are working toward: helping more students study abroad and connecting international experiences more meaningfully to the curriculum. The program combines courses on campus with short faculty-led trips abroad. For example, students learn about management practices in South Africa, then visit businesses there on spring break. They study the religions of South Asia, then travel to holy sites in India. The Impact Many students who would find a full semester abroad beyond reach have the chance for a transformative international experience. The Opportunity To expand the number of students able to go abroad with modest grants to offset expenses. Below / In addition to the International Studies Program, Rutgers sponsors off-campus experiences ranging from semesters abroad to short-term service-learning trips and scientific field studies.
enrolling the best
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Admissions Success By any measure, Rutgers competes successfully for some of the most impressive students in the country. The university currently enrolls over 500 undergraduates who ranked as valedictorians or salutatorians of their high school classes, and the number of first-year students qualifying as Presidential Scholars is at an all-time high of nearly 120. On average, Presidential Scholars rank in the top 3 percent of their high school classes, with combined SAT scores of 2300. The Impact Top students raise the academic bar, enrich the exchange of ideas, and fuel a culture of achievement. The Opportunity To maintain Rutgers’ combination of quality and affordability through scholarship support. Above / An impressive group: undergraduates among the record number currently honored as Presidential Scholars.
uniting service and learning
Community Legal Clinics Rutgers’ law schools in Camden and Newark combine excellence in legal education with a commitment to service through their nationally recognized clinical programs. With close faculty support, students represent the underrepresented, often handling full trials and gaining exposure to areas as diverse as children’s justice and environmental law. Each year, the schools jointly provide more than 130,000 hours of free legal services to their communities. The Impact Students acquire invaluable professional experience while helping fulfill the promise of access to legal counsel. The Opportunity To solidify funding for—and the reach of—these time-intensive programs. Above / Students at Rutgers School of Law–Camden gain experience through a variety of clinical and pro bono programs.
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preserving an art form
Institute of Jazz Studies When scholars and musicians seek to trace the story of jazz, they turn to Rutgers–Newark: the largest library and archive of jazz-related materials in the world. The Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies holds a trove of singular treasures, from more than 100,000 sound recordings to original scores, oral histories, and historic photographs. In addition, visitors can encounter a trumpet played by Miles Davis and Billie Holiday’s plastic gardenia. The Impact One-of-a-kind resources providing unique insights are made available to the world. The Opportunity To expand the collection and increase access, through both traditional and digital means. Below / Rutgers–Newark’s Jazz Archive holds correspondence from greats like Louis Armstrong, notable instruments, and much more.
fighting obesity and disease
New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health Established with a major grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health is bringing together researchers in fields ranging from nutrition and food science to exercise physiology, pharmacology, psychology, and business. Their goal: to develop nutrition and physical activity strategies for addressing national epidemics in obesity and its related diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. The Impact Researchers shape strategies promoting better nutrition— with measurable results. The Opportunity To complete the institute’s new state-of-the-art facility and accelerate its work. Above / The institute will disseminate nutritional information from the lab into the community, promoting fresh local foods.
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offering a world-class experience
Theater Program at Shakespeare’s Globe Through Rutgers’ Conservatory at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, BFA actors, designers, and stage managers from Mason Gross School of the Arts enjoy an experience unique among top American conservatory programs. With London as their campus and the stage of the Globe itself as their classroom, actors spend a year and other artists a semester honing their craft under the instruction of the most accomplished theater artists in the U.K. The Impact Playing Shakespeare and working on Shakespeare’s own stage, students are immersed in a theatrical world singular in its history and richness. The Opportunity To establish an endowment providing stable funding for this intensive international experience. Below / Mason Gross student Jerry Ford appears in Hamlet on the stage of Shakespeare’s Globe in London.
driving Growth
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Economic Engine A partner to business and a magnet for externally funded research and development, Rutgers helps fuel prosperity across New Jersey. In a typical year, the university delivers 11,000 educated entrants into the workforce, several dozen new patents, and consulting support to more than 800 start-ups. Its influence extends from developing new technologies for the pharmaceutical industry, to conducting major federally funded research projects, to strengthening the region’s transportation infrastructure. The Impact Rutgers generates $3.8 billion in direct and indirect spending in New Jersey each year— more than six times the state’s investment in the university. The Opportunity To support research and outreach with a vital impact. Above / Rutgers’ contribution to economic growth takes many forms—from work in the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation to breakthroughs in agriculture and IT and success in new business incubation.
putting dreams within reach
Rutgers Future Scholars Each fall, the university welcomes 200 New Jersey eighth graders from disadvantaged backgrounds as Rutgers Future Scholars. Over the five years that follow, the program provides these students with intensive support and guidance, bringing them to campus for summer and weekend experiences, helping them chart a path that will lead to college. For those who complete the program and enter Rutgers, tuition is free. The Impact Bright young people surrounded by risk find higher education an option within reach. The Opportunity To sustain the program into the future, seeing current students through to success and welcoming new entering classes. Below / Future scholar Lamont Higgins engages in a hands-on science project, extracting DNA from a strawberry, at the Rutgers Math and Science Learning Center.
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achieving national recognition
Top-Ranked Programs From women’s history to discrete mathematics, from printmaking to urban planning, Rutgers holds top 10 national rankings in nearly 20 academic fields and programs. In fact, the philosophy department is ranked second in the country, and third in the English-speaking world. The details vary from poll to poll, but the underlying message of excellence is unmistakable. The Impact Recognition draws students, faculty, funding, and further recognition, creating a cycle of success. The Opportunity To nurture centers of excellence, particularly through endowed professorships and chairs. Above / Prof. Andy Egan of the School of Arts and Sciences’ philosophy department, ranked among the finest in the English-speaking world.
Putting Autism Research into Practice
Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center Since its founding in 1972, the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center has led the way in applying the latest evidence-based techniques to serve people with autism. With more than 100 full-time staff, the resources of a major research university, and its own school on site, the center is uniquely positioned to provide a vital link between cutting-edge research and state-of-the-art practice. The Impact The center supports students, families, and school districts with the best empirically validated autism interventions. The Opportunity To help those on the autistic spectrum—including 1 in 94 New Jerseyans—to lead independent and productive lives. Above / The center’s school in New Brunswick is a leader in applied behavioral analysis, serving students and training educators.
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expanding professional education
Livingston Campus Redevelopment A major development project is reshaping the Livingston Campus, creating a state-of-the-art hub for professional education. The plan includes a new dining hall and upgrades to the student center; a new $85 million building for Rutgers Business School–Newark and New Brunswick; and new facilities for the School of Management and Labor Relations, Graduate School of Education, and School of Social Work—plus a hotel and conference center. The Impact Rutgers will be positioned to support rapidly growing graduate and undergraduate enrollment in the professional schools and to bring together academic units sharing many synergies. The Opportunity To secure funding to speed construction. Below / Part of a $13 million gift—the largest private donation to Rutgers to date—will help fund a major new business building, the dramatic structure in the foreground.
taking the national stage
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Rutgers Athletics Whether the measure is first-round NFL draft picks, the more than 52,000 fans filling Rutgers Stadium, or the 1,000 athletes the university fields on its three campuses, Rutgers athletics has emerged as a powerful force. Contenders in sports ranging from women’s basketball and soccer to men’s volleyball and baseball, the Scarlet Knights are also number one in the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate ranking for football. The Impact Scholar-athletes learn timeless lessons in character and excellence. The Opportunity To recruit more champions. To win more games, hearts, and minds. Above / At the conclusion of the 2010 academic year, the Rutgers Football program ranked first among all public and private NCAA institutions in Academic Progress Rate.
leading the way in diversity
A Multicultural Community Rutgers is home to students from 50 states, 125 nations, and every ethnic and economic group imaginable. It also boasts the country’s single most diverse national university campus in Rutgers–Newark. The university’s demographic mix creates a learning environment unique in its richness, a place of energy and creativity where perspectives proliferate and worlds converge. The Impact Students learn in settings that mirror the multicultural society in which they will live and work. The Opportunity To safeguard this strength, the envy of many an institution, through investment in financial aid. Above / On the campus of Rutgers–Newark, no student is a member of a minority because there is no majority ethnic group.
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attracting top scholars
Faculty Recruitment Each year at Rutgers a strong faculty grows even stronger with the arrival of impressive new members: a physicist working at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva and a world-class applied mathematician from Italy; a former Rhodes Scholar specializing in corporate governance and a nursing professor who studies urban violence; an economist who served with the World Bank and a Guggenheim-winning author whose work has been translated into 11 languages. The Impact Outstanding new faculty members feed the intellectual vitality and excellence of the university. The Opportunity To attract and keep more of the world’s best through endowed chairs. Below / Dr. Wise Young, the Richard H. Shindell Chair in Neuroscience, is an internationally recognized authority in spinal cord injury and treatment.
celebrating great writing
Writers Events and Programs On each of its three campuses, Rutgers proudly plays host to many world-class authors—from illustrious visitors to faculty member Mark Doty, winner of the National Book Award, to alumnus Junot Diaz, Pulitzer honoree for his novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. In addition, the university is home to top creative writing programs, to the noted journal Story Quarterly, to the thriving New Brunswick Writers House, and to celebrated reading series in Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick. The Impact Our next generation’s original voices find themselves supported, encouraged, and surrounded by examples of excellence. The Opportunity To extend the tradition of great writing with funding for writers houses on all three campuses. Below / Mark Doty, professor of English and winner of the 2008 National Book Award for poetry, meets with a writing student in Alexander Library.
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supporting the re-growth of our cities
Urban Outreach Rutgers is committed to applying research-based insights to solve real-world problems—including the pressing challenges facing our cities. The Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and Economic development in Newark and the Center for Urban Policy Research in New Brunswick promote growth and contribute new ideas on urban issues. Meanwhile, the university’s three thriving urban campuses provide a major force for neighborhood vitality. The Impact New businesses start, new buildings rise, and local citizens have new cause for optimism. The Opportunity To expand the work of the centers with increased funding. Above / A view from the new headquarters of Rutgers Business School–Newark and New Brunswick, which extends the reach of the Newark Campus to Washington Park.
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supporting genetics research worldwide
Rutgers University Cell and DNA Repository With millions of DNA and cell samples from more than 375,000 donors, Rutgers University Cell and DNA Repository is the world’s largest university-based collection of its kind and a resource to geneticists around the globe. As these researchers study genetically based diseases ranging from Alzheimer’s to schizophrenia, it may well be that the answers they seek lie within the heavy steel cryogenic tanks housed in the School of Arts and Sciences’ Nelson Biological Laboratory. The Impact An invaluable resource speeds the work of researchers at more than 300 international project sites. The Opportunity To play a part in curing diseases afflicting millions. Left / The repository’s cryotanks have the capacity to hold some 2.5 million samples.
pioneering new fields
The Childhood Studies Ph.D. Peering through the lenses of multiple disciplines can be the best way to bring a subject into focus. Consider the Ph.D. program in childhood studies at Rutgers–Camden, which unites scholars from many fields in examining the rich topic of childhood. The program explores how children learn and grow; how they see the world and are seen; how they are entertained and marketed to, cared for, and treated under the law. The Impact This interdisciplinary approach opens up fascinating and productive paths of inquiry. The Opportunity To endow a faculty chair, supporting a world-class scholar to lead the program. Above / Among other interests, Ph.D. student Anandini Dar explores ways in which children can communicate with researchers through images.
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extending opportunity
First-Generation Students Rutgers has a proud tradition of opening its doors to students from across the economic spectrum. A significant fraction of entering undergraduates at Rutgers continue to represent the first college generation in their families, and among members of the Association of American Universities, Rutgers enrolls one of the highest percentages of students meeting federal Pell grant standards of financial need. The Impact Lives are changed and dreams fulfilled. The Opportunity To support a rapidly growing number of students with financial need. Below / Scholarship donor and first-generation college graduate Michael Azzara RC’69 with scholarship recipient Neal Patel, honored with the Azzara Family Endowed Scholarship.
sharing the thrill of discovery
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Undergraduate Research Through the Aresty Research Center for Undergraduates and through independent initiatives on all of Rutgers’ campuses, students partner with faculty to immerse themselves in meaningful, original research. Projects range from a study of micro credit and its impact on local entrepreneurs to exploration of a potential AIDS vaccine based on the human rhinovirus. In many cases, students have presented and published their results. The Impact Future scientists and scholars gain real research experience and an impressive highlight for graduate school applications. The Opportunity To provide grants releasing students from employment obligations so they can pursue research. Above / Through the National Science Foundation-funded Research Internship Ocean Sciences Program, undergraduates study sea grass in Barnegat Bay.
Discovering New Drugs
Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy The only institution in New Jersey dedicated to educating pharmacists, Rutgers’ Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy is also among the best in the country—highly selective in admissions and ranked in the top 10 in National Institutes of Health research grants and contracts. Faculty explore topics ranging from targeted delivery of AIDS drugs, to spray-on wound dressings, to the power of compounds found in blueberries to suppress colon cancer. The Impact New therapeutic approaches with life-saving potential are taking shape every day. The Opportunity To provide seed funding, allowing researchers to launch new projects, prove their value, and then qualify for external grant support. Below / Research in the school directly supports the pharmaceutical industry, among the state’s most important.
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Charting New Frontiers
Mobile Communication Studies The Center for Mobile Communication Studies at Rutgers’ School of Communication and Information is a world leader—the first academic center anywhere to focus exclusively on the social aspects of the mobile communication revolution. The center’s agenda is as far-reaching as the influence of smart phones and text messages in the modern world. The Impact The center’s research helps us understand how powerful mobile communication technologies are changing the way we live. The Opportunity To support important new work through conferences and symposia, faculty travel, and professional development activities. Above / Like people across the nation, students on Rutgers’ three campuses are ever-connected.
The Next Chapter Rutgers University is moving forward. Dedicated to serving its students, its state, and the world in the 21st century, the university is enacting a bold plan for progress. The result will be many more stories like those on the pages of this book—win-win narratives in which Rutgers advances in excellence, brings benefit to its students, and enriches life in the broader community. The participation of the university’s alumni, friends, and corporate partners is key. Your support represents the possibility of progress. And although the investment Rutgers seeks is significant, the return— in expanded impact and increased opportunity—will be far greater.
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Kelsh Wilson Design
www.kelshwilson.com
October 2010
support. rutgers. edu
rutgers university foundation Winants Hall, 7 College Avenue New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1261 p 732-932-7899 www support.rutgers.edu