Information for Rutgers–Camden faculty, staff, and friends. Produced by the Rutgers–Camden Communications Office. Check out what’s new on campus at Rutgers–Camden NewsNow.

Strong Outcomes in National Rankings

Once again, Rutgers University–Camden has been recognized nationally as a research university that provides great value and opportunity for its students.

Washington Monthly magazine again ranks Rutgers University–Camden as a “Best Bang for the Buck” university, which recognizes those institutions that help nonwealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.

In Washington Monthly’s 2020 ranking for national universities, which emphasizes such factors as social mobility, research, and promoting public service, Rutgers–Camden is ranked 26 in terms of providing social mobility opportunities for its students.

Similarly, U.S. News and World Report gave strong marks to Rutgers University–Camden in its 2021 rankings. Among national universities, Rutgers–Camden posted higher rankings in the following categories: Top Performers on Social Mobility (26), Top Public Universities (71), Best Colleges for Veterans (108), Best Value (140), and Overall (153).

These new rankings represent Rutgers University–Camden’s second year in the category for national universities, a status shift that occurred when Rutgers–Camden’s Carnegie classification was upgraded to R-2 in 2018 based on the university’s impressive growth in research and doctoral education.

Civic Scholars Launch Statewide Voter Registration Initiative 

Every high school senior throughout New Jersey may soon be registered to vote, thanks to a new statewide, nonpartisan, virtual voter registration and education initiative launched by the Civic Scholars program at Rutgers University–Camden.

Project 555: Youth Voter Engagement aims to register high school seniors in every public high school – 500 in total – and 55 of the largest private high schools in the state.

“From day one, our Rutgers–Camden Civic Scholars created and implemented this ambitious initiative with the idea that it isn’t just about registering voters for this election, but creating lifelong voters,” says Simanti Lahiri, program coordinator for student civic engagement, who advises the project. “A principal focus of Rutgers–Camden and our Civic Scholars program is to enable students to have worthwhile experiences serving in the community while helping them to realize that engagement is something they can and should do for the rest of their lives.”

Project 555 is the brainchild of Nitan Shanas, a senior majoring in economics, urban studies, and psychology, who then invited his fellow Rutgers–Camden students to join the effort. “Young voters are among the largest demographics and yet not so likely to vote, due in part to disinterest, as well as suppression and disenfranchisement,” says Shanas. “I thought Project 555 would be a neat way to address youth voting in a meaningful way while connecting different parts of the state together and in one project.”

Rutgers–Camden Civic Scholars are aiming to work with up to 40 high school ambassadors from 20 schools to participate in the inaugural New Jersey Ballot Bowl, High School Division, a competition among schools to register the most student voters. Project 555 is partnering with the New Jersey Department of State on the competition, along with future projects. Learn more.

View a WTXF-TV (Fox29) news segment spotlighting Project 555.

Upcoming Activity

While there are no in-person activities happening on any Rutgers campus, Rutgers University–Camden continues to move forward with other forms of engagement. For example:

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences will hold the Fifth Annual Faculty Research Fellow Lecture/First Scarlet Scholars Lecture, featuring Dr. Charlotte Markey (professor, FASC-psychology), who will present her research into “Raising Body Positive Girls.” The event will begin at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29. The event is free.

The Community Leadership Center will host an online panel discussion, “Unlocking College Access: Minority Success in Unexpected Spaces,” at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14. The webinar will explore outcomes of the Rutgers CLC/LEAP Early College program as a national model for preparing minority students for success in higher education institutions. The role of higher education in supporting the CLC’s mission to enhance opportunities for the children and families of Camden also will be explored. The event is free.

The Writers House will host readings by and conversations with authors T Kira Madden and Emma Copley Eisenberg as part of the Writers in Camden series at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14. The event is free.

Is your unit offering opportunities for remote engagement? Send the details to Mike Sepanic, associate chancellor for external relations, so that we can share the information. 

Rutgers–Camden in the News

Prof. Michael Carrier (distinguished professor, RLAW) was cited for his legal insights in a news article about patent listability that appeared in The National Law Review. (Saturday, Sept. 19)

Mary Beth Daisey (vice chancellor for student affairs) discussed student voter registration efforts at Rutgers–Camden during an interview that appeared in a news story on InsiderNJ. (Tuesday, Sept. 22)

Dr. Nathan Fong (associate professor, SBC-marketing) shared research expertise during an interview that appeared on WalletHub. (Wednesday, Sept. 23) He also discussed national retail trends during an interview on NJ101.5. (Tuesday, Sept. 22)

Prof. Sally Goldfarb (professor, RLAW) discussed the legacy of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg during an interview that appeared on WACB-TV (ABC7NY). (Monday, Sept. 21)

Prof. Ellen Goodman (professor, RLAW and co-director, Rutgers Institute for Information Policy and Law) was cited for her research in an NPR news story regarding viral rumors. (Tuesday, Sept. 22)

Dr. Keith Green (associate professor, FASC-English) discussed social activism during an interview that appeared on “In Focus” on WPHL-TV. (Wednesday, Sept. 16)

Prof. Stacy Hawkins (professor, RLAW) discussed the legacy of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg during an interview that appeared on CBS Sunday Morning. (Sunday, Sept. 20)

Dr. Paul Jargowsky (professor, FASC-public policy and director, Center for Urban Research and Education) shared research insights into the U.S. Census during an interview that appeared on SNJ Today. (Tuesday, Sept. 15)

Dr. Nathan Link (assistant professor, FASC-criminal justice) shared research expertise into law enforcement matters during an interview that appeared during an “Eyewitness News” broadcast on CBS3.

Prof. Kimberly Mutcherson (co-dean, RLAW) discussed the legacy of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg during interviews with the following media outlets:

• Financial Times (Tuesday, Sept. 22) NOTE: Subscription access required.
• NJTV News (Monday, Sept. 21)
• TAPintoCamden (Monday, Sept. 21)
• ROI-NJ (Saturday, Sept. 19)

Dr. Laura Napolitano (assistant professor, FASC-sociology) shared her research insights into poverty during an interview that appeared in a Philadelphia Inquirer news story. (Thursday, Sept. 17)