Announcing the Graduate School Commencement Speaker & Honorary Degree Recipient

To the Rutgers–Camden Campus Community:

I am pleased to report that the Rutgers Board of Governors has approved our recommendation to present the Honorable Dana Redd, former Mayor of the City of Camden, with an honorary doctor of letters at the Rutgers University–Camden and Graduate School Commencement at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 15. She will also deliver the keynote address for that ceremony.

Ms. Redd was confirmed at the meeting of the Board of Governors on Thursday, April 20. She is an inspired choice for this honor and for our campus. A change agent of the highest caliber, Ms. Redd has built a distinguished career of service. Her two full terms as mayor from 2010 to 2018 transformed Camden into the comeback story of America’s post-industrial urban centers. Our city continues to build on the foundation she put into place. 
 
Under Ms. Redd’s leadership, Camden transitioned to a new, community-based model of public safety—one that motivated President Obama to visit our city. She led a state intervention for the public school system to improve academic outcomes for the city’s children, and her financial management earned Camden its first investment grade rating from Standard and Poor’s in more than 15 years.
 
The arc of Ms. Redd’s entire career has been, and continues to be, dedicated to the people and communities of New Jersey. Prior to her election as mayor, she served on the Camden City Council and chaired the city’s housing authority, securing Camden’s third HOPE VI designation and an investment of $122 million for new public housing and support services. She then served as a New Jersey state senator, sponsoring and negotiating the passage of legislation that created the Homeless Trust Fund and brought $3.9 billion in new school construction funding to New Jersey Abbott Districts.
 
Upon the completion of her two terms as mayor, Ms. Redd served as CEO of the Rowan University/Rutgers–Camden Board of Governors, where she managed the construction and operations of the Joint Health Sciences Center, home to the research labs of many Rutgers–Camden scientists. She secured $4.5 million in state funding for new health initiatives, including population health research, workforce development, and STEM training programs for Camden youth.
 
Currently, Ms. Redd serves as CEO of Camden Community Partnership, where her work continues to elevate the City of Camden.
 
Ms. Redd is a daughter of Camden and of Rutgers. She is a 1996 graduate of the Rutgers School of Business–Camden, where she earned her bachelor’s degree, and she is a member of the Rutgers–Camden Finest, a distinction reserved for our most prominent alumni.
 
I have no doubt that Ms. Redd will, by example of her life and the words of her speech, encourage our graduates to leverage what they have learned at Rutgers–Camden for the improvement of their communities and the world. 

I would like to thank everyone who submitted a nomination for our 2023 honorary degree as well as the committee—chaired by Professor of Management Sam Rabinowitz—that reviewed the nominations and provided recommendations. The selection of Ms. Redd as our honorary degree recipient is an excellent way to commemorate the Class of 2023 and all that we have achieved during the past year.

I am proud to report that we have secured compelling speakers for each of our school-specific Commencement convocations on Tuesday, May 16, and Wednesday, May 17. More details about Commencement 2023 are available below. 

Sincerely,
 
Antonio D. Tillis
Chancellor, Rutgers University in Camden

Commencement 2023

Commencement Convocations will be held on Tuesday, May 16, and Wednesday, May 17.

• Arts and Sciences: The Honorable Victor Carstarphen, mayor of the City of Camden
• Business: Jeff Hartmann SBC’84, founder of Elm Tree Communities and former president/CEO of Mohegan Sun
• Law: Sundeep Iyer, director of the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights
• Nursing: Dr. Shannon Patel, assistant vice president of nursing quality practice and innovation at Cooper University Health Care