Rutgers University–Camden Archives | Rutgers University Foundation

A Generous Tax Break

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Annabelle Arana-David

On December 29, 2022, the SECURE 2.0 Act was signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which enhances charitable giving opportunities from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). The new law affirms the Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) is permanent for those 70 ½ years of age and older, up to $100,000 annually. Beginning in 2024, the maximum annual QCD will increase based on inflation. The QCD is a distribution made directly from an IRA to a public charity. The QCD transfer avoids federal income tax and satisfies all or part of a required minimum distribution.

Also, as of January 1, 2023, a QCD may be elected as a once-in-a-lifetime distribution of up to $50,000 to establish a charitable remainder trust* or charitable gift annuity. This election may be combined with additional QCDs up to a total of $100,000.

For example, a 73-year-old who has a required minimum distribution of up to $50,000 could use this election to satisfy that required minimum distribution, avoid federal income tax on the transfer, and create a charitable gift annuity paying 6.3 percent annually for life.

To learn about this new opportunity and charitable giving options, please contact the Estate and Gift Planning Office at Rutgers University Foundation at giftplanningoffice@ruf.rutgers.edu.

*Various restrictions apply with a charitable gift annuity and charitable remainder trust. The QCD may not be elected to contribute to a previously funded charitable remainder trust. All charitable giving decisions should be made based on your specific circumstances and after consulting with your personal advisers.

Fulfilling a Need in the Face of High Food Prices

Posted on December 14, 2022January 30, 2023 by Annabelle Arana-David

By Sam Starnes GSN’04

As grocery prices have increased in 2022, so have the numbers of students turning to the food pantry serving the Rutgers University–Newark community. “We’ve had a lot of new users,” says Hend El-Buri, director of PantryRUN. “Many are people who have never needed to ask for help.”

El-Buri says the cost of eggs has almost doubled, partly due to inflation and partly due to the bird flu outbreak, and that milk has also increased dramatically. “There are more people who suddenly are experiencing pain at the supermarket,” she says. “Some people are realizing, ‘Oh my gosh. We have to cut back on something.’”

The average number of students picking up food at PantryRUN has increased to about 275 per week, near pre-pandemic usage, and up from 175 per week in 2021. In November alone, the pantry provided food for 1,200 students. The pantry strives to destigmatize using a food pantry, which allows students to place orders online and pick up their packages instead of standing in line. The pantry has averaged about 160 new users per month over the last three months. El-Buri says she’s happy to see more students benefitting and she expects that usage is likely to continue to rise.

In addition to providing food to students, the food pantry also assists students who are eligible in signing up for New Jersey’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (NJ SNAP). “We know that about 18 percent of students are eligible for SNAP, but only about three percent are utilizing those benefits,” she says.

As costs for shoppers have gone up, so have expenses for the pantry. In addition to more overhead for eggs and milk, the pantry now pays more for popular items such as cereal and garlic. Although a campaign to raise funds for all four Rutgers food pantries ended successfully in November with more than 600 financial gifts, the need to help more students facing food insecurity remains. “We greatly appreciate the support that we received from our alumni and other donors in the Stop Student Hunger campaign,” says Robin Semple, vice chancellor for development at Rutgers–Newark. “The need to support our students struggling to feed themselves and their families continues year-round, especially in light of the high cost of groceries.”

In addition to the Rutgers–Newark pantry, which opened in 2017, three other food pantries serve Rutgers students: the Rutgers University–Camden Raptor Pantry, the Rutgers–New Brunswick Student Food Pantry, and the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) Food Pantry at Newark Health Sciences.

You can donate to each of the four Rutgers food pantries at give.rutgers.edu/foodpantry.

A Quarter Century of Camaraderie and Academic Excellence

Posted on December 12, 2022January 30, 2023 by Annabelle Arana-David

There’s a good chance that Jerry Pinkerton and Amber Jagielski could have spent four years on Rutgers–Camden’s compact campus and never crossed paths.

tom musca and tomas roldan — *Jerry Pinkerton and Amber (Jagielski) Pinkerton at commencement in 2001*

He was a biology major and she was studying business. His classes were in the morning, hers in the afternoon. But in the fall of 1997, they would meet in a first-year Honors College seminar, and they were dating by the end of the semester. They would go on to participate in the same volunteer programs and attend Honors College field trips together. By the time they graduated, they were engaged, and a year later, they were married. “I don’t think we would have had a class together if not for the Honors College,” says Amber SBC’01, who has worked as a financial analyst and accountant.

Jerry CCAS’01 has only good things to say about the Honors College program, which provided him the outlet to meet his future wife and set the groundwork for his career as an emergency room doctor. “There was a real sense of camaraderie, like you were part of something that was special,” he says.

Members of the inaugural class of Rutgers–Camden’s Honors College, the Pinkertons, who live in Williamstown, New Jersey, represent the kind of motivated, civically engaged, and high-achieving students that the program has produced over the last quarter century. Marking those 25 years of achievement, the university is planning a day of events on March 22 to celebrate the Honors College.

Expanding Student Horizons

Each spring, Honors College administrators cull through the SAT and ACT scores, GPAs, and advanced placement and honor courses of accepted Rutgers–Camden students, identifying between 80 to 100 candidates whom they invite to join the program as incoming first-year students. In addition, roughly 25 rising sophomores recommended by their professors or who complete an application are invited to join the Honors College, and a small group of transfer students are accepted each year as well. Students must take five courses in the Honors College throughout their four years, plus participate in honors events and campus or community service activities each semester.

The goal, says Lee Ann Westman, Honors College director since 2019, is to provide an enriching experience in an intimate setting. “We’re asking them to be more intentional about their college experience,” Westman says. “We’re encouraging students to do things they might not otherwise do. They only have four years, and we want them to jump in with both feet right away.”

The Honors College was first conceived not only to attract a higher caliber of students to Rutgers–Camden’s campus, program founder Allen Woll says, but also to allow the faculty to teach more appealing courses. “We didn’t have to twist too many arms,” says Woll, head of the Honors College for its first 15 years. “Professors taught subjects they were interested in or sometimes tried out new courses that might later be incorporated into the regular curriculum. In the seminar setting, students got to know their professors very well. It raised the boat for everyone.”

Woll, a professor emeritus of history who began teaching at Rutgers–Camden in 1975, has generously established the Allen and Myra Woll Scholarship Fund, one of three scholarships that support students in the Honors College.

A Welcoming Home on Cooper Street

When Timothy Martin, an associate professor of English, took over the Honors College directorship in 2012, the growing program housed in the library was looking for a more permanent home. Promised the second floor of 319 Cooper Street, Martin lobbied for a thoughtful redesign of the previous “all cubicle, CIA-like space,” with more windows, transparent walls, and “a general airiness of place.”

The resulting new home for the Honors College on Cooper Street was a resounding success. “It created a real sense of community where the students had a kind of home on campus,” Martin says. “The building was where everything happened: classes, advising, and being friends together.”

The move also helped institutionalize a fully established advising program, which Martin says is one of the most important Honors College offerings. Students meet with dedicated advisers to discuss everything from personal matters to graduate school applications.

The Honors College’s close-knit, seminar-style classes and advising staff have been the most valuable for Jordan Adhiambo, a senior from Atlanta majoring in accounting in the School of Business–Camden who entered the program as a sophomore. Soon after he joined the Honors College, COVID-19 forced most classes online. Still, Adhiambo took solace in his online honors seminar, where he and fellow classmates created a video archive of incidents of police brutality.

The following year, when he was going through a hard time personally, he says the Honors College pulled him through. “I wasn’t in a good head space, and they were very understanding, providing a bridge for me and my professors,” says Adhiambo, recently elected president of the Rutgers–Camden Student Government Association. “By the spring semester, I came back strong and have been there ever since.”

High achievers like Adhiambo and his classmate Malaysia Nelson reflect the disproportionate number of prominent positions Honors College students hold on campus, from club leaders to commencement speakers. A political science major from Vineland, New Jersey, Nelson is president of her sorority and B1GS, an organization for first-generation college students.

The college senior also serves as a constituent advocate for New Jersey’s 5th legislative district and has begun applying to law schools. For her, the service requirement of the Honors College was the most attractive element. “I’m someone who loves to serve people,” Nelson says. “And in college, we don’t always think about giving back. You’re held responsible in the Honors College. They’re always pushing you forward, preparing you to take that next leap.”

An Invaluable Network

Beyond the rewarding experience, Honors students earn a few perks: a gold stole to wear over their graduation gowns and an impressive line to add to their resumes. The greatest benefit, though, is the network of alumni they join.

Alice Alfano can attest to the value of the Honors College alumni network. Facing graduation in 2020, Alfano learned that Becky Holloway CCAS’02, a member of the Honors College’s second graduating class, had reached out to the program to say she was “looking for a rock star in marketing” for her start-up company. She was given Alfano’s name. This fall marked Alfano’s second anniversary of working for Malbek, a contract management firm that has grown to 100 employees.

While she is thankful for the job connection, Alfano says the Honors College has meant even more. “It impacted the way I think about college,” says Alfano of Cherry Hill. “As a very shy person, it got me out of my comfort zone. It gave me the opportunity to talk to people from different majors and outside my social sphere. I got to know so many more people on campus. It was a great experience.”

Details about the March 22 event celebrating the Rutgers–Camden Honors College’s 25th anniversary are forthcoming. If you have questions about the event, email alumni@camden.rutgers.edu or call 856-225-6028.

Internship Mentoring Girls Ignites Interests for Rutgers–Camden Student

Posted on November 30, 2022January 9, 2023 by Annabelle Arana-David

annemarie bediako — Bediako, at left, with fellow student Jochebed Airede, and Donna Nickitas, Rutgers–Camden’s Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, at the Rutgers Summer Service Internship (RSSI) celebration held in New Brunswick in September.

Before she enrolled at Rutgers University–Camden, Ghana native AnnMarie Bediako had never set foot in the United States. When she arrived, an aunt in New Jersey picked her up from Newark Liberty International Airport and drove her straight to campus. From the onset of COVID-19 just a few months after she enrolled to getting established as a student and making friends, her first two years at Rutgers–Camden were like a rollercoaster, she says.

This past summer, Bediako, now a junior double majoring in French and psychology, had an uplifting opportunity to build on those first two years thanks to the Rutgers Summer Service Internship (RSSI) Program. She was among 100 students selected for the inaugural year of the program—an initiative of Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway that provides funding in support of public service opportunities for students. RSSI placed Bediako with Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, a nonprofit network that works to support girls. “My RSSI experience was life changing,” she says. “I was able to help contribute to young girls’ dreams. I was a guide to a person’s discovery of their passion, their future, and their profession.”

The internship mentoring girls going into their sophomore year of high school wasn’t always an easy assignment. Founded in the 1860s and formerly called Girls Club of America, Girls Inc. helps girls navigate career opportunities. From the start, Bediako put her heart and soul into things as mundane as making PowerPoint slides and Canva presentations, which she felt the girls didn’t fully appreciate at first. But she reminded herself it wasn’t about getting recognition. As the students warmed up to her, the experience became more rewarding. “Being a program facilitator at Girls Inc. was a test of my ability,” she says. “I was always on my toes.”

While she was helping the students in Girls Inc., she also was able to explore potential career paths herself. A few times, leaders at the companies they were visiting didn’t realize she was one of the facilitators. “I was like a student,” she says. “I was learning from scratch, asking questions—I was one of the girls.”

She says it was incredibly inspiring to see the girls explore opportunities in STEM fields. Those types of careers tend to be lucrative and rewarding, Bediako says, but they are dominated by men. Through Girls Inc., she saw other young people willing to break down perceived barriers. “The career exploration just helped the girls know that there are so many things you can do,” she says. “You don’t have the limitations that it looks like you have. You can make a way for yourself.”

The internship appealed to her from the start because it reminded Bediako of a program she enjoyed as a grade-school student called Ghana Girl Guides Association, which is akin to Girl Scouts in the U.S. and shares its motto, “Be Prepared.” As a Girl Guide, Bediako had twice visited the United Kingdom on weeklong trips with other girls from around the world, building social networks and teamwork skills. Bediako saw working with Girls Inc. as a natural extension of her inspiring experience with Girl Guides. “I had been through it before in a certain way,” Bediako says. “I had enjoyed it and thought it would be nice to do something for somebody. The values just matched mine.”

With the summer internship behind her, Bediako is still navigating her own future. She plans to play to her strengths—many of which she discovered and honed through the RSSI program. The experience ignited a new interest in leadership and inspired her to declare a minor in management. Bediako says she’s considering a master’s degree in management or a Ph.D. in organizational psychology after she finishes her bachelor’s degree. “I want to learn everything I can,” she says. “I’m not ever going to stop learning.”

A Time for Radical Generosity

Posted on November 29, 2022January 30, 2023 by Annabelle Arana-David

When the holiday season gets underway, many of us begin focusing on family, friends, and festivities. But the holiday spirit is about much more than bright lights and big meals. It’s about caring for our neighbors and engaging in the “radical generosity” that propels us all toward a brighter future.

There’s no better onramp for that than Giving Tuesday, a global movement celebrated after every Thanksgiving to advance the common good. At Rutgers, Giving Tuesday is an opportunity to strengthen our Beloved Community and make a positive difference in the lives of others—whether that happens by giving financially or by donating time, energy, and expertise.

This year on November 29, Rutgers is partnering with organizations that are committed to service, active citizenship, and the flourishing of diversity and inclusion. All have a local presence in and around our university community, connecting directly with Rutgers students. We invite you to learn more about these amazing organizations and show your support for them!

Braven: Putting Education to Work

Did you know that only 25 percent of low-income or first-generation college students graduate and find robust employment? At the same time, local companies struggle to hire and retain local, diverse talent. Braven seeks to close this talent gap by equipping underrepresented young people with the skills, networks, and experiences they need to succeed professionally. Supporting or volunteering with Braven is a great way to pay it forward, gain leadership experience, and build strong relationships with mentees.

Embrace Kids: A Marathon Sprint for Families

Embrace Kids Foundation exists to lighten the burden, maintain normalcy, and improve quality of life for families in New Jersey and the New York City metropolitan area whose children are facing cancer, sickle cell, and other serious health challenges. The Rutgers University Dance Marathon is a student-run, year-long philanthropy project directly benefiting Embrace Kids Foundation. Over 2,000 Rutgers students dedicate countless hours to raising money, organizing projects, and volunteering at events that culminate in a spectacular dance marathon.

Rutgers Hillel: Home Away from Home

Rutgers Hillel is a thriving, dynamic, diverse Jewish community dedicated to exploring and celebrating Judaism and everything it means to be Jewish. There are no membership fees and students are encouraged to attend any of Hillel’s events and activities, all of which are supported by donations from parents, alumni, and the Jewish community. Whether it’s coming together for Shabbat, making a journey of discovery and delight to Israel, or just hanging out, a Hillel gathering welcomes all with warmth and inclusion.

Women of the Dream: Preparing Girls for Power

Want to give back to girls in underserved areas? Women of the Dream provides programs and services to young women ages 12-18 that prepare them for personal, professional, and economic success. Partnering with local schools, this organization offers important services in places of learning during school hours. In addition to financial support, Women of the Dream seeks facilitators for group services, presenters at its annual STEM conference, chaperones for trips and events, and mentors for young women in college.

On November 29, take a moment to give to or get involved with any of these vital organizations. Let’s make Giving Tuesday 2022 at Rutgers the best one ever!

Rutgers Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies Premiers Film on LGBTQ+ Health Equity

Posted on November 28, 2022December 1, 2022 by Tahjaun Clarke

The Rutgers School of Public Health’s Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies (CHIBPS) premiered the short film “Queer Health: Advancing LGBTQ+ Health Equity.”

“Queer Health,” which aired at the annual American Public Health Association Meeting and Expo, focuses on how we can move toward and achieve health equity for LGBTQ+ people and populations through research, education, and community-engaged programs by chronicling the work of CHIBPS, a nationally recognized center for the study of LGBTQ+ health at Rutgers. The center focuses on infectious disease, substance use, and mental health dipartites and burdens.

The documentary includes interviews with leading LGBTQ+ health and public health experts in New Jersey and highlights the 18.3 million LGBTQ+ people living in the United States. LGBTQ+ people have higher rates of mental health problems, including depression, mood disorders, substance use and suicidal ideation, according to experts. They also experience higher rates of some cancers and are disproportionately impacted by HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. LGBTQ+ people are also less likely to access health care for a variety of reasons including previous discrimination, stigma, financial concerns, fear of negative interactions with clinicians, and a lack of medical professionals trained in LGBTQ+ health.

Emphasizing the work of CHIBPS since the late 1990s, the film proposes an inclusive powerhouse institute that will advance health and visibility, as well as address health disparities that LGBTQ+ people face in New Jersey and beyond. The planned Rutgers Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Heath would be an incubator for individuals to come together to advance LGBTQ+ health efforts in a unified way.

“Too often efforts to address the health of LGBTQ+ people are fragmented and disconnected,” said Perry N. Halkitis, founder and director of CHIBPS. “Researchers work separately from clinicians, who work separately from policymakers. Efforts to unite these professionals will create a holistic approach to improving the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ people.”

The institute will provide a space where research, education, policy, and clinical services are coordinated.

“The institute will develop policies, laws, and white papers that advance LGBTQ+ health issues,” added Halkitis, who also is dean and Hunterdon Professor of Public Health and Health Equity and a Distinguished Professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health.

Halkitis, along with other leading LGBTQ+ health and public health experts, explains that there are very few such institutes in the U.S., with none in New Jersey.

“The dream is that the Rutgers Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Heath will be the home of all LGBTQ+ health work being done at Rutgers and in New Jersey,” said Kristen Krause, deputy director of CHIBPS and instructor at the Rutgers School of Public Health.

The film also highlights hundreds of bills that have been introduced by legislators in recent years that threaten, oppress, and silence LGBTQ+ people.

“Many bills have passed, undermining the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ people and populations,” adds Krause.

The work of CHIBPS, the Rutgers School of Public Health, and the proposed Rutgers Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Heath is especially critical as anti-LGBTQ+ hate and violence continue to occur at alarming rates.

“LGBTQ+ people have long been subject to discrimination and prejudice in all aspects of their lives. In recent years, the rhetoric against members of the LGBTQ+ population – uplifted by political figures as a means of advancing their own careers – has enabled those like the Colorado Springs shooter,” says Halkitis.

“In the end, hate, is the most significant driver that diminishes public health,” he adds.

One of the ways that the Rutgers School of Public Health, seeks to combat this oppression is through programs like the first known master of public health concentration in LGBT public health. The concentration prepares graduate-level students to conduct research and work in public health programs dedicated to improving the health of LGBTQ+ individuals and communities.

In addition to the work being done by CHIBPS and the LGBT public health concentration, faculty members like Rafael E. Pérez-Figueroa, associate dean of community engagement and public health practice, conduct research that takes into consideration social factors and conditions, including representing the most vulnerable sexual and gender minority individuals and groups.

“Ever since Rutgers hired Dean Halkitis, the school has taken an entirely new direction,” said James Dougherty, a member of the Rutgers University Board of Governors and past Chair of the Board of Trustees, who was the principal donor to the university’s Pride Bus Campaign.

Halkitis leaves the film’s viewers with a powerful message of hope.

“I want to say to people, particularly young people, who are questioning, wondering, and thinking about their sexual and gender identities that there are a lot of us out there who are in really powerful positions right now who are going to continue to fight for you,” Halkitis said. “So don’t give up.”

This story originally appeared on the Rutgers Today site.

Veterans House at Rutgers to Be Named After Medal of Honor Alumnus

Posted on November 28, 2022November 28, 2022 by Annabelle Arana-David

One year after graduating from Rutgers College at the height of the Vietnam war, a young ROTC-trained Army advisor named Jack Jacobs made a heroic rescue that earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor—a distinction few soldiers live to receive.

During an ill-fated mission in 1967 that left his commander disabled and his unit in chaos amid heavy casualties, Jacobs took control, ordering a withdrawal and forming a defense line at a more secure position.

Then, despite suffering head and arm wounds and impaired vision, Jacobs repeatedly ran across open rice paddies through heavy fire for hours to evacuate the wounded, personally saving a fellow advisor, the wounded company commander, and 12 other allied soldiers.

In honor of his exceptional act and years of subsequent service, the Office of Veteran and Military Programs and Services at Rutgers is launching a campaign to have Veteran’s House at Rutgers named after the retired Army colonel and raise $500,000 to create an opportunity fund that will support military-affiliated students at Rutgers.

“He is a total legend,” said retired Army Sergeant First Class and Rutgers-New Brunswick senior Paul Frabizzio, 39, a work-study supervisor at Veteran’s House and the vice president of Student Veterans of America.

“It’s pretty ingrained in you to know the Medal of Honor recipients and what they received their medal for, so I knew of Col. Jacobs even before I came to Rutgers,” said Frabizzio, who lives in Piscataway with his wife. “But I didn’t know he went to Rutgers, which I found really cool when I came to Veteran’s House.”

Jacobs called it a “great honor” to know Veteran’s House will one day bear his name. But he was quick to note that his decision to act in those fateful moments decades ago was motivated by brotherhood more than bravery.

“These were my buddies, and I guarantee you if the situation were reversed and I needed help, somebody would have come to get me,” said Jacobs, who resides in Far Hills with his wife. “As Benjamin Franklin said, ‘We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.’”

Jacobs’ modesty is typical of those who have seen combat, said Frabizzio, who served 12 years as a tank mechanic and infantryman in Afghanistan and Africa during Operation Enduring Freedom.

“You’re not doing anything for a medal when you’re in that moment. It’s about the guy to the left of you and the guy to the right of you,” said Frabizzio, a School of Social Work student who plans to assist other veterans in crisis after graduating this May. “I’m sure he’d give that medal back in five seconds to get his friends back, and that’s why he is so humble.”

After Vietnam, Jacobs returned to Rutgers Graduate School-New Brunswick and earned his master’s degree in political science in 1972. He went on to serve on the faculties of the National War College in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he is a senior fellow in the Department of Social Sciences. Jacobs also serves as a military analyst for MSNBC. Once he retired from the military, Jacobs founded and was chief operating officer of AutoFinance Group. He was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2003.

When growing up, Jacobs’ father, along with everyone else’s, enlisted in World War II. By the time Jacobs served, the number of Americans in the military had dropped significantly—especially once the draft had ended. Today, he says that most Americans don’t know anyone in uniform, so they don’t understand the veteran experience or what veterans have to offer as students and employees.

“I talk with corporations all the time. They want to hire veterans. When I ask why, they say, ‘Well, we owe it to them.’ But that’s not why. It’s not an act of charity,” said Jacobs, a father of three—including a daughter who graduated from Rutgers College in 1986.

“The fact is veterans have an enormous amount of authority and responsibility at a very early age and in difficult circumstances, too. It would be useful for people without military experience to understand the incredible capacity of veterans to get things done. They know how to show up on time, focus their attention on the objective and do a really good job with scarce resources.”

Following the longest period of sustained warfare in American history, the number of Rutgers students who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces has increased 180 percent in the last decade, totaling about 1,700 military-affiliated students, said Ann Treadaway, director of the Office of Veteran and Military Programs and Services. These students are often older with spouses, children, and full- or part-time jobs.

“The military clothes you, feeds you, houses you, gives you health insurance, and you have a retirement built in,” said Frabizzio. “It’s an awfully large safety net to walk away from.”

The additional responsibilities and challenges veterans face often create financial barriers not covered by the GI bill that prevent them from taking full advantage of all the opportunities available at Rutgers. Treadaway hopes Jacobs’ story helps the Rutgers University Foundation raise money to help fill the gaps for Rutgers’ military-affiliated students through the new opportunity fund.

“We have an emergency fund, but that is only for sudden financial crisis that students may face,” said Treadaway. “The fund could help a student take the LSAT or GRE, take a prep class or get an additional certificate. Maybe it covers a tuition balance that the GI Bill doesn’t cover. The goal is it will bridge the gap for military-affiliated students to succeed.”

Story originally appeared in Rutgers Today.

Quest Diagnostics Boosts Rutgers Political Equity Program

Posted on November 16, 2022November 23, 2022 by Annabelle Arana-David

Quest Diagnostics has contributed to Ready to Run® at Rutgers, the nonpartisan campaign training program for women. The gift will help fund a range of resources that help women from all political parties prepare for and execute political campaigns.

Nadia Hussain has participated in Ready to Run® going back to her time as an undergraduate at Rutgers–New Brunswick. In 2020 she ran for and won a seat on the Bloomingdale, New Jersey, Board of Education.

“Ready to Run® helped,” she said. “Traditional structures get you connected. I didn’t have those connections; I had to make them. Knowing what to do in an election, having a fundraiser, making fundraising calls, opening a campaign account—the program is a mechanism for feeling empowered.”

A national network aiming to address the underrepresentation of women in American politics, Ready to Run® helps women envision themselves in elected roles by offering a primer for those considering public office—locally and nationally. The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) founded Ready to Run® and administers Rutgers’ instance of the program.

“We’re pleased to be able to help women get the needed resources to aspire to hold elected office in this great state,” said Cecilia McKenney, Quest’s Chief Human Resources Officer. “We’re pleased to team up with Rutgers University to support this important initiative.”

Debbie Walsh, director of CAWP, praised Quest Diagnostics for its support for Ready to Run®. “This contribution from Quest Diagnostics makes a powerful statement about the need for Ready to Run®,” Walsh said. “With women comprising less than one third of officeholders at every level of office we study, there is so much left to do. We welcome support from the private sector in the important work of advancing women’s public leadership.”

Hussain agrees. “Fifty percent of the country is female,” she said, “and that’s not what you’re seeing in elected office. Even women whose families have been in the country for generations, they don’t feel they have a voice.”

The CAWP-hosted Ready to Run® is the organization’s flagship New Jersey program. Over the past 20 years, the program has trained more than 4,000 women to run for office, seek appointed positions, and manage campaigns. Ready to Run® program attendees walk away with a range of skills and resources, including “how to” instructions for running for office, fundraising and media skills, real-world advice from experts, networking opportunities, and more.

Hussain took full advantage of these resources. In her successful 2020 campaign, she applied what she learned—fundraising, networking, earning publicity—with intensity, knocking on more than 1,000 doors. Her professionalism and work ethic earned her the highest vote returns of any candidate in her town in more than a decade. “Women,” she said, “work harder in politics—on the campaign trail and wherever they’re serving.”

“We are enormously grateful to Quest Diagnostics for supporting Ready to Run®,” said Jean Sinzdak, associate director of the Center for American Women and Politics. “Quest’s gift will help us engage more women as future public leaders, crucial in a moment when we all look towards building a better future and strengthening our democracy.”

In addition to its recent support for Ready to Run® at CAWP, Quest Diagnostics’ ongoing work with Rutgers includes support for no-cost laboratory tests to diagnose and manage acute and chronic diseases for uninsured and underinsured patients of the Rutgers’ H.O.P.E. Clinic in Plainfield, New Jersey. Like that program, Ready to Run® seeks to make an immediate impact on a long-running problem.

“The issue of women’s underrepresentation in politics has been an ongoing one,” said Walsh. “To help change that, we must ensure that women continue to have the resources and training they need to run for office and serve their communities as public officials.”

Hussain said, “When I was younger, I thought, ‘I’m a girl, and I can do anything.’ It amazes me that society doesn’t think that. It’s 2022 and it’s illogical. We know what to do, but the political will is still not there. I’m still pushing for that.”

About Quest Diagnostics
As the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world’s largest database of clinical lab results, Quest’s diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors, and improve health care management.

Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States. The company’s nearly 50,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives.

About the Center for American Women and Politics
CAWP is nationally recognized as the leading source of scholarly research and current data about women’s political participation in the United States. Its mission is to promote greater knowledge and understanding about the role of women in American politics, enhance women’s influence in public life, and expand the diversity of women in politics and government.

CAWP’s education and outreach programs translate research findings into action, addressing women’s under-representation in political leadership with effective, intersectional, and imaginative programs serving a variety of audiences. As the world has watched Americans considering female candidates for the nation’s highest offices, CAWP’s five decades of analyzing and interpreting women’s participation in American politics have provided a foundation and context for the discussion.

About the Eagleton Institute of Politics
The Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling is a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. The Eagleton Institute studies how American politics and government work and change, analyzes how democracy might improve, and promotes political participation and civic engagement. The Institute explores state and national politics through research, education, and public service, linking the study of politics with its day-to-day practice. To learn more about Eagleton programs and expertise, visit eagleton.rutgers.edu.

$2M Grant Enhances Artificial Intelligence in Biological Research

Posted on November 16, 2022November 16, 2022 by Tahjaun Clarke

Rutgers University–Camden researchers in the diverging fields of biological information (DNA) and biological function (proteins) will soon connect through an innovative program that uses software engineering and artificial intelligence to promote collaboration among scientists.

Codes4Life (C4L) is supported by a $2 million National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) grant awarded to Grace Brannigan, associate professor of physics and director of the Center for Computational and Integrative Biology (CCIB) at Rutgers–Camden.

“This extraordinary award is a testament to the outstanding work of Dr. Brannigan and the CCIB,” said Rutgers–Camden Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis. “The Codes4Life program will link biological researchers like never before. Just as importantly, the program’s novel STEM training model will prepare Rutgers–Camden graduate students to innovate and take on leadership roles in their fields.”

The C4L research team comprises scientists trained in computational genomics, evolutionary genomics, computational biophysics, and computational chemistry, who will collaborate on four projects focused on the interface between genetics and proteins. The co-principal investigators on the project are Anthony Geneva, an assistant professor of biology; Iman Dehzangi, an assistant professor of computer science; Andrey Grigoriev, a professor of biology; and Guillaume Lamoureux, an associate professor of chemistry.

Brannigan explained that there is a traditional lack of communication between scientists in these two fields, worsened by the shortcomings of currently available software.

“Even though DNA and proteins are closely linked within cells, these two communities of scientists don’t communicate very often,” said Brannigan, who serves as principal investigator on the project. “They have both produced an exciting but overwhelming amount of vital data. Software is a powerful method for sharing that data and bridging disciplinary divides, but it must be developed to a standard that academic software rarely meets. Our diverse team will ensure development adheres to best practices, maintaining both the high level of precision and the user-friendly design that commonly used academic software lacks.”

Brannigan noted that her recent paper, “Contiguously hydrophobic sequences are functionally significant throughout the human exome,” published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is a prime example of an effective cross-disciplinary collaboration between scientists studying genomes and proteins. She recalled that she and her husband, a genomicist, began sharing research at home during the height of the pandemic lockdown.

“We began to talk about our work; in a way, we had to. After all, he was the colleague in my house,” Brannigan said. “I recognized then that exciting collaborations were possible and knew the CCIB was the ideal center to further that engagement.”

The research centers around the connection between gene mutations in protein structures and diseases. Brannigan explained that mutations tend to occur within the body’s oily regions of proteins. This is typical of Mendelian diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease, and epilepsy.

“It can be hard to figure out what components of our own DNA affect our traits, our health, and disease,” said Brannigan. “It can be tough to figure out which differences in DNA are important.”

Brannigan and her team sequenced data using a platform called Caliburn, formerly commissioned by the Rutgers Office of Advanced Research and Computing, to predict specific patterns in large strains of proteins in order to identify certain “suspects” of diseases. Their work was made possible by the Busch Biomedical Grant Program, designed to enhance biomedical research at Rutgers, which awarded the team a bridging grant in 2019 to fund their research. (Read more about Brannigan’s innovative research paper in Rutgers Research News.)

Benedetto Piccoli, vice chancellor for research at Rutgers–Camden, credits Brannigan and an all-star ensemble of researchers for creating a National Science Foundation program that advances both biological research and effective models for graduate education.

“There is a critical need to develop effective graduate STEM training models that are efficient, integrated with cutting-edge research, and able to be widely adopted,” Piccoli said.

C4L will bring together a diverse group of 25 Ph.D. students specializing in software engineering and artificial intelligence, with an additional 15 Ph.D. students and 15 graduate students expected to join later on. “A lot of my work involves methodology development,” explained Ezry St. Iago-McRae, a third-year Ph.D. student. “I am looking forward to expanding my computational toolbox.”

Students will also consider broad perspectives spanning modern developments in both genomics and protein structure and function. C4L will emphasize the development of strong communication skills to both scientific and non-expert audiences. The curriculum includes a mentorship program with industry professionals that will help students develop software that meets and exceeds industry standards. The Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs at Rutgers–Camden will also utilize its extensive experience assessing educational projects by evaluating the graduate training components of the program.

“The Codes4Life program would not be possible outside of the unique community at Rutgers–Camden and in the Center for Computational and Integrative Biology,” said John Griffin, incoming dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “This collaborative approach is what makes our University special, and this award from the National Science Foundation proves we are making a difference in the future of research and technology.”

This story originally appeared on the Rutgers–Camden site.

In the Public Interest

Posted on November 16, 2022November 29, 2022 by Tahjaun Clarke

By Debbie Meyers

Since 2015, the Maida Public Interest Fellowships Program has enabled more than 240 Rutgers Law School students to provide more than 90,000 hours of free legal services to public interest legal organizations. Maida Fellows have helped thousands of people experiencing poverty or living with illness and disability, as well as government agencies attempting to address the rights of victims, protect the public from fraud, and find the best solutions for families experiencing violence. The program also supports one post-graduate fellow each year for an intensive public interest law experience in preparation for a full-fledged public interest career. The program models an ideal blend of philanthropy, public interest, and community service.

You could say it all started with rock climbing.

“When our kids started school, their school needed a rock-climbing wall,” says Sharon Maida GSE’97, who along with her husband, James RLAW’90, funds the program. “That was one of our first philanthropic endeavors. When the school needed to cut field trips, we would quietly pay for them.”

That funding for school projects continued a family tradition of philanthropy that they learned from their parents and later instilled in their four children. The tradition grew into a philanthropic portfolio that includes blindness support projects, social justice, and pediatric and geriatric health care. At Rutgers, Sharon and James have turned their philanthropy into a visionary program for law students—with a significant multiplier effect.

“This program gives Rutgers Law pro bono and public interest work a national reach and allows students to give back to their communities before they leave law school,” says James. “Everyone deserves access to justice.”

This summer, I helped a non-English-speaking elderly disability recipient get his benefits reinstated after the Social Security Administration had stopped paying him. He’d been without any income for four months and was down to his last $15. While this case was the most personally rewarding, it’s also the most illustrative of how necessary this work is.

—Kate Doyle, J.D. Candidate, 2022, Community Legal Services

The multiplier effect

James says the idea for the program began with thinking about how over the summer, law students often faced the choice of taking an unpaid public interest internship or a paying job that offered no legal experience.

“We thought about how students needed money, and how could they learn to be lawyers—pro bono lawyers—and work for nonprofits,” James says, adding that supporting law students and nonprofits who need a supply of quality lawyers also benefits community members who don’t always have access to great legal services. “We wanted to figure out how to pay it further forward through a multiplier effect of thousands of people receiving hours and hours of free legal services.”

The solution came from Jill Friedman, associate dean of the Pro Bono and Public Interest Program at Rutgers Law School. With input from colleagues, she came up with the public service proposal to present to the Maidas in 2014. “[Sharon and James] loved that they could help create a program for both the Camden and Newark campuses, that it would directly support students, and that every dollar would be going to help people in the community,” says Friedman. “They had the vision that this was more than donating a room or piece of technology. What they’re doing truly changes lives and has changed our law school.”

Prior to law school, I spent nearly ten years working as a social worker, serving children and families with child welfare involvement as a family therapist. Skills I acquired this summer formed a solid foundation for me to continue to develop and ultimately become an effective public interest attorney.

— Andrew Da Silva, J.D. Candidate, 2023, New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, Parental Representation

Despite the pandemic and social upheaval that marked the past few years, the Maida Fellowships Program continues to be a source of hope and desperately needed help. Thanks to the Maidas, students can learn substantive law—often on the front lines of a disaster response—and develop human-to-human skills and sensitivities that they will carry with them into their careers.

“Last summer, 46 students served in summer internships at the ACLU, the law school’s mortgage foreclosure and veterans’ clinics, Kids in Need of Defense, South Jersey Legal Services, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, and many more,” says Kimberly Mutcherson, co-dean of Rutgers Law School. “These students, many of whom were still dealing with their own pandemic and related struggles, contributed at least 16,800 hours of free legal work.”

In recognition of their gift, the law school named the James and Sharon Maida Community Justice Suite where clinic students and faculty handle cases involving domestic violence, immigration, and children’s justice.

James and Sharon have committed to funding a five-year block at a time, then working with Friedman and her team to make sure they have what they need to run the program. Sharon notes that at launch, the number of interns was perfect, balancing the award amount with the number of students.

“If we’d had more students, everybody would’ve gotten a little less,” she says. “With our original gift we had 40.” But now that the program is seven years old, they are looking to raise the amount each student receives and increase the number of students from 40 to 60. “When you look at the number of hours of service, it’s incredible. Forty students, wow, that’s a lot. But then start doing the multiplier effect and you see the impact is so great,” she says. “Most people you interview say once you start and you’re able to see how it feels and see the impact, it’s so easy to want to give and do more.”

Immeasurable returns

As a trustee of Lehigh University and a former member of the Board of Directors at Rutgers, James says he has a unique insight into the real needs of a university and how philanthropy can help fill that need.

“I look at philanthropy also as an investment,” James says. “With most investments, you’re looking for a return. But with this program we are looking for an investment where the university gets the return. A good investor has quarterly or annual look-ins as to how their investment is doing. We try to take the philanthropy model and overlay an investment model. And it allows the university to have opportunity to come back to us and say, ‘We need more investment.’ It also allows us to understand what their needs are.”

The couple’s history provides them with unique experiences that play into the success of the program. James gained this investment philosophy through his work as founder, president, and CEO of Gaming Laboratories International, which provides professional services for casinos, land-based gaming, lotteries, and iGaming.

Having earned her doctorate in learning cognition and development from Rutgers, Sharon is a pioneer in orientation and mobility of blind and visually impaired individuals. Her private practice, Maida Mobility, provided mobility consulting services to children with visual impairment from months after they are born through their college years.

The couple met at Lehigh University, and after they married, Sharon started her doctoral program and James pursued a law degree, both at Rutgers.

“The plan was to go to school, get a degree that was pragmatic and useful, start a career in computer science, and then if I still wanted to go to law school I would go,” James explains. “And after two years, I wanted to make the commitment to go full time.”

Both have fond memories of Rutgers. As a large university, Rutgers embodied diverse thinking, particularly as it related to Sharon’s specialty of blindness and visual impairment. “I was surprised how so many different people—depending on what countries or states they came from—viewed blindness differently,” she says. “At Rutgers, I always felt like people were so receptive to different approaches and learning styles.”

James saw Rutgers as an outstanding value, teaching law students in a pragmatic and real-world way. “Sometimes law school teaches you in this theoretical realm where it’s like a big puzzle, but I really thought Rutgers prepared you for being an effective lawyer,” he says. “I would not be able to do what I do today had I not attended Rutgers Law.”

As grateful as James is to Rutgers Law, his alma mater is equally grateful to him and Sharon. Friedman says the Maida Public Interest Fellowships Program has bolstered the law school’s national reputation and enhanced recruitment efforts. The Law School’s Social Justice Scholars Program, a community within a community, nurtures students who want to pursue public interest careers by guaranteeing summer stipends, made possible by the Maidas.

Working at the SEC this summer allowed me to combine my passion for financial literacy and protecting minority communities with real-world legal experience. At the Division of Enforcement, I assisted brilliant attorneys in uncovering fraud and bringing enforcement actions against people and entities that financially devastated many individuals.

—Kayvon Paul, J.D. Candidate, 2023, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

“Many come here because they can’t get these paid public interest internships elsewhere. They’re getting experience they otherwise wouldn’t be able to get, launching their public service careers,” Friedman adds. “It’s a badge of honor now. Students will ask each other, ‘Are you a Maida?’”

The Maidas hope that beyond being a point of pride for students, their program also inspires these students to follow their philanthropic lead. James sums it up best: “We’re hoping that no matter where these students wind up, they think about either donating to this program, starting their own, or hiring interns from Rutgers Law School.”

For more information about the Maida Public Interest Fellowships Program, or ways you can contribute to the Pro Bono and Public Interest Program at Rutgers Law School, please contact Endia Decordova, vice chancellor for advancement, Rutgers University–Camden, at endia.decordova@rutgers.edu.