Student News – Department of Public Policy and Administration

EMPA Alumni Named to Insider NJ’s 2025 Powerful Women List

Posted February 20, 2026February 20, 2026 in EMPA Student News, Featured News, News, Student News

Insider NJ has named two Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) alumni from Rutgers–Camden – Dena Mottola Jaborska and Jigna Rao – to its 2025 Powerful Women of NJ list. In a featured story introducing this year’s honorees, New Jersey Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter describes the list as a “carefully curated group of remarkable women” whose leadership across politics, business, education, and healthcare drives fairness, dignity, and opportunity statewide.

PhD Student with her research poster behind her at the annual Rutgers-Camden SPARK event

Women, Power, & Economic Change in Puerto Rico

Posted February 20, 2026 in Featured News, PHD Student News, Public Affairs/Community Development News, Student News

Mnguashima Valentina Soomiyol is a doctoral candidate in the Ph.D. program in Public Affairs. Her work was presented at the Graduate Poster Exhibition during the 2025 SPARK! (Showcase of Projects, Art, Research, and Knowledge), which highlights graduate research and creative work across disciplines.

Where Public Service Meets Practical Skills

Posted May 9, 2025May 9, 2025 in EMPA Student News, EMPA Testimonial, Featured News, Student News

Navigating the demands of public service and private operations requires a skill set that’s both broad and deeply practical. As an Operations Area Manager at Rutgers–Camden, Robert Brant found that balance through the Master of Public Administration program. In this piece, he reflects on how the MPA helped him think more strategically, lead more effectively, and translate… continue reading

Two MPA Students Head to Tanzania and Latvia

Posted May 6, 2025May 9, 2025 in Featured News, MPA Student News, Student News

This spring, two Master of Public Administration students from Rutgers Graduate School–Camden were named recipients of the Critical Language Scholarship, one of the U.S. Department of State’s most selective international education programs. Their awards were featured in Three Rutgers–Camden Students Receive State Department Scholarships by Caroline Brobeil.

Rutgers–Camden’s Urban Innovation Fund Fuels Transformative Community Projects

Posted December 17, 2024May 9, 2025 in Faculty News, Featured News, Student News

The interdisciplinary team behind the initiative also includes graduate student Athang Sanjeev Bhandarkar, who studied with Adam Okulicz-Kozaryn, assistant professor in the Department of Public Policy and Administration, and sought the professor’s guidance on this project. Morenike Alugo, a graduate student in the prevention science program, reviews existing research on Camden’s community health and is preparing a comprehensive… continue reading

A Rising Star in Local Government Leadership

Posted November 25, 2024May 9, 2025 in EMPA Student News, Featured News, Student News

Justin Riggs, MPA, SHRM-CP, an alumnus of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at Rutgers Graduate School-Camden, is making a meaningful impact in local government. Serving as Deputy Manager of the City of Cape May he exemplifies leadership and dedication in his field.