Winter 2014 Stories

Headshot of Jimmy Palumbo
Features 

Best Supporting Actor

Alumnus Jimmy Palumbo has played countless roles—on TV, in the movies, on the radio—although he won't be a leading man anytime soon, and that's OK with him.

Safe Haven

Women scholars and activists under siege in their native countries are finding refuge at American universities, Rutgers among them.

The Return of Fast Eddie

Eddie Jordan has every intention of returning the Scarlet Knights to their former state of grace as they prepare to enter the Big Ten.

A New Time for Women

Since its founding in 1918 as the New Jersey College for Women, Douglass College has inspired women. The tradition lives on at Douglass Residential College.

Lester Brown
On the Banks 

The Tipping Point

Alumnus Lester Brown, one of the founders of the environmental movement, continues to influence policy prescriptions for addressing global challenges.

By the Numbers

Rutgers gets top marks for its students, scholars, and research and teaching efforts.

A Healthy Start

Wishing to one day serve as a presidential policy adviser, a Rutgers–Camden graduate interns at the White House. 

Pop Culture as Educational Tool

Two courses offered during the fall semester examine the lyrics of Bruce Springsteen and HBO’s The Wire and answer questions, big and small.

A Special Friend of Rutgers

The late Ralph W. Voorhees exemplified volunteerism and civic engagement, dedicating years of service to the university and the community.

Legacies for Tolerance

At one of the inaugural events for the Tyler Clementi Center, alumna and author Beth Loffreda remembers the trials and short life of a gay man, Matt Shepard.

They Have a Dream

The Rutgers Future Scholars program matriculates its first class of college students.

Dogs R Us

Alumnae Regina Benjamin and Jane Nagy are trainers for Canine Companions for Independence, which grooms dogs to assist people with disabilities.

Together Forever

Two esteemed Rutgers historians and friends, the late Henry R. Winkler and Richard P. McCormick, bask in the sun.

Amy Loughman, left, and Alyssa Agati
Scarlet Sports 

True Grit

The Lady Ice Knights club hockey team takes aim at winning its third straight championship.

The Comeback Kid

Following her first year of playing, Briyona Canty underwent open-heart surgery—and then a procedure on her knee. Now, she’s a big part of the Scarlet Knights.

Scarlet Sports Shorts

Tight fight in the Pinstripe Bowl; Rutgers–Camden soccer goes all the way—almost; record events.

Golf, All Year Long

As players anticipate spring, they can relive the game’s great moments at the USGA museum, where alumnus Robert Alvarez minds its collection.

Soldiering On

Despite having had a portion of her leg amputated, alumna Patricia Collins, a colonel in the U.S. Army, perseveres to become a champion in the grueling Ironman competition.

Robert Mortensen
The Arts 

Patron Saint of the Arts

Alumnus Robert E. Mortenson—CEO, humanitarian, and philanthropist—is the financial driving force behind the new Robert E. Mortensen Hall, which is benefiting aspiring artists at the Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Painting by Numbers

Alumna Olena Paslawsky, the top financial officer at the Met, oversees the books at the famous art museum and its $3 billion in assets.

The Secret to Victoria’s Secret?

Having the Rutgers University Marching Scarlet Knights perform.

The Making of an Oscar

A movie that becomes a hit is rarely an accident. Kevin Goetz, Hollywood’s go-to market researcher, measures audience reaction to a film before the producer’s final cut is made.

Ready for Their Close-Ups

Two exhibitions at the Zimmerli Art Museum take a look at the art of portraiture.

In Appreciation of Poetry

Robert Pinsky, former U.S. Poet Laureate and alumnus, reveals the secret to enjoying the best in verse.

Tomer Davidov, assistant professor of surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Health Matters 

Look, Ma, No Hands

Surgeon Tomer Davidov, of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is adept at using the latest technology in laparoscopic procedures that are minimally invasive for the patient.

Knee Deep in Holistic Alternatives

Rutgers researchers are investigating the feasibility of alternative approaches to improving function and decreasing pain in people with knee osteoarthritis.

Nurses Know Best

The FOCUS Wellness Center, a one-stop, nurse-managed clinic in Newark, delivers health care and better quality of life to the city’s neediest population.

A Doctor in Demand

A fellowship program at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey trains physicians to become skilled breast-cancer surgeons and oncological experts.

Concussions on His Mind

Neil Jasey, the director of Traumatic Brain Injury Services at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, is a leading expert on concussions.

Words to the Wise

Health services that are available through Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences and its clinics.

Frontal view of an elephant
Insights 

Fair Game?

Ronald Clarke, a professor at the School of Criminal Justice, has lent his expertise to a particular kind of crime: wildlife poaching.

Discoveries

Recent breakthroughs and findings in faculty research.

Death in the Jungle

Alumna Kristin Davis, who starred in HBO’s hit Sex and the City, is now in the role of a lifetime: advocating for threatened elephants.

Initiatives

New collaborations between Rutgers and funding agencies.

Bob Braun
Alumni Notes 

Enough Said

For close to half a century, alumnus Bob Braun was a fixture at the Star-Ledger, producing columns that had an impact on both the subjects and the readers of his stories.

A Secret History

A graduate student’s revealing dissertation about the role of women in the slave trade garners the top honor from a prestigious organization of American historians.

Spoken Like a True Pro

Toastmasters International honors Asha Mathai for her leadership—and for her public-speaking acumen, skills that she helps others develop, too.

No Place Like Home

The first Rutgers Alumni House opens on the Camden Campus.

A Student of Government

James Kern, New Jersey’s youngest mayor, applies the theoretical gleaned in the Rutgers classroom to the practical in running Pohatcong Township.

Robert Barchi
Letters 

President’s Message

An Honest Assessment and Bold Planning

From the Editor

The Hard Work of Entertainment

Eddie Jordan
The Big Picture 

Net Gain

Former Scarlet Knights basketball star Eddie Jordan