Rutgers Edge Newsletter
Advancing Impact. Amplifying Innovation. Building the Edge.
June 22, 2026 Issue
The 250th anniversary of the United States gave me reason to reflect on the critical role that higher education plays in enabling individuals across the socioeconomic spectrum to pursue and achieve the American Dream. The following is my essay, published recently on NJ.com, on Rutgers’ strong and ongoing commitment to keep open the door to opportunity.
The American Dream, Opportunity, and the Power of Social Mobility at Rutgers
My personal collegiate journey offers one insight into the power of opportunity. Having attended an outstanding high school in Chicago, I arrived on campus fully prepared to tackle in-depth study in economics and mathematics. But at that moment, my family situation took a turn, and without financial support, my dream of a college education nearly became a nightmare.
Then leadership intervened.
I was very fortunate that my university’s advising professionals and financial aid staff invested time in my case to align my pursuit of a college education with the resources needed to complete my degree. With financial aid including National Defense Student Loans (NDSL) secured, I took the opportunity seriously and completed my studies in economics and mathematical sciences in three years. Since then, I have dedicated my professional life to creating educational opportunities and advancing social mobility. It is my contribution to helping others experience the American Dream as I have.
Like Rutgers University, founded in 1766 as Queen’s College, the American Dream’s ideas of opportunity, self-improvement, reason, moral responsibility, public service, and the advancement of the common good predate the Revolutionary War.
The 250th anniversary of our nation coinciding with the 260th anniversary of Rutgers’ founding is apt timing to reflect on this simple but powerful promise: that talent and effort, not circumstance, should determine how far someone can go.
Yet for that promise to endure, opportunity must be real, not rhetorical. Equal opportunity is the condition that makes the American Dream possible, and social mobility—the ability to achieve a better life for yourself and your family—measures whether that promise is fulfilled. As John Adams reminded us during the founding of our nation, “Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people.” Education, and access to it, are essential to preserving freedom and ensuring that each generation can rise.
As The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers embraces this responsibility. Our mission is not only to teach, but also to open a gateway to opportunity and ensure academically prepared students from all backgrounds can pursue a high-quality education with aligned financial and academic support and go on to successful careers.
Rutgers’ national recognition for social mobility reflects this mission in action. In the most recent U.S. News & World Report social mobility measures, Rutgers–Newark ranks fifth in the nation, Rutgers–Camden ranks ninth, and Rutgers–New Brunswick ranks second among Big Ten universities. U.S. News also ranks all three among the top 35 universities in the nation in the graduation rate for students receiving Pell grants, which are given to low-income undergraduates, demonstrating that our support extends from day one to graduation. These distinctions are not about prestige; they are measures of performance that underscore a commitment to advancing opportunity across all three campuses.
This commitment is not abstract. It is built through what I call intellectual architecture: the systems and tools that guide who we enroll, how we support students once they arrive, and how we measure the outcomes they achieve. To fulfill the promise of equal opportunity, we must provide the intellectual architecture that elevates all talented students who commit to working hard, persevere through the challenges of a demanding curriculum, and persist in attaining their degrees.
That architecture is realized through the programs we design and sustain. Pre-college programs such as Rutgers Future Scholars, academic advising and student retention programs on all campuses, and financial-assistance initiatives that keep college costs low—such as the Scarlet Guarantee, RU-N to the Top, and Bridging the Gap—exemplify this approach.
By reducing financial barriers, offering academic and mentoring support, and fostering a sense of purpose and a commitment to civic engagement, Rutgers does more than open doors. It helps students see that the door is open. Equal opportunity entails not only access to college but also the comprehensive support necessary for persistence, degree completion, and post-graduation success.
Decades ago, I walked onto a college campus with hopes and dreams. My experience, deeply rooted in the American Dream, has been realized. I now lead one of the finest academic institutions in the country. As such, I see it as our duty to ensure that opportunity is not an exception, but a system where talent can flourish, communities can rise, and the American Dream remains within reach.
Opportunity lives at Rutgers.
Past Newsletters
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"To better understand public perceptions, the university commissioned polling expert Patrick Murray to survey residents and businesses across New Jersey. The results reveal a very positive image of Rutgers and strong recognition that the university provides meaningful value to the state, warranting continued support."
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"Asking great questions fosters more informed decision-making, stronger trust and credibility, higher engagement and ownership, clearer problem-framing, continuous learning and adaptability, better talent development, and a healthier organizational culture."
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"Future generations will ask: Did we denounce threats, incitement of violence, physical intimidation, and the destruction or defacement of university property, and did we protect academic activities on campus from disruption? These acts cannot be tolerated. We must be vigilant to ensure we are on the right side of history."
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"We all have a responsibility to model how to engage in difficult arguments without resorting to silencing others, harassment, or threats of harm or violence. The university must remain a place where ideas—popular or unpopular—can be tested through reason, evidence, and debate. Truth emerges not from uniformity but from the contest of ideas."
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"Rutgers’ value is not simply in sentiment—it is measurable. Our university contributes more than $5 billion annually to New Jersey’s economy, sustains jobs in every corner of the state, and drives innovation with over 800 active technology licenses. This is the Rutgers Edge: the combination of research, innovation, education, and service that ripples across all 21 counties of New Jersey and beyond, pushing us to the edge of new possibilities."
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"Rutgers' Edge lies not just in what we do, but how we do it together. We battle. In these past two weeks, we’ve seen leaders fighting to reinstate federal grant funding; a new Athletic Director earning strong reviews for her past successes and a winning introductory press conference; Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care offering targeted mental health support to students and families in school districts across the state; and ScarletWell’s efforts to promote student well-being and health featured in national media."