Groundbreaking research, influential scholarship, and bold creative work took center stage as Rutgers University–Camden celebrated the 2026 Chancellor’s Awards for Research and Creative Activity. Drawn from both tenured and non-tenured faculty ranks and designed to recognize work that spans disciplines, methodologies, and forms of expression, this year’s recipients reflect the breadth and vitality of the university’s academic community.
Khamani Wade RSBC’26 has steadily transformed a lifelong passion for sports into a budding career in the industry, taking advantage of professional opportunities and building early experience in both basketball and the sports business. That trajectory led him last fall to the FIFA Rising Stars Academy, where he gained firsthand exposure to the global sports industry ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Philadelphia.
Against the backdrop of its Centennial year, Rutgers University–Camden celebrated the achievements, resilience, and ambitions of the Class of 2026 during a week of commencement ceremonies honoring more than 1700 undergraduate and graduate students.
Nyree Oliver overcame incredible odds to become a graduating senior who belongs to four honor societies. She shared her story with donors who helped to make her Rutgers education possible, telling them, “Thank you for being the reason lives like mine are forever changed.”
Fourteen years after first arriving at Rutgers University–Camden as a first-generation college student, Camden native and Army veteran Luis Colon is preparing to cross the commencement stage this May with a degree in management and a story defined by resilience, service, and determination.
Zauresh Kapisheva, a finance and marketing double major from Kazakhstan, has found community and opportunity at Rutgers University–Camden. Active in honors programs and student organizations, the first-year student is laying the groundwork for a future business career while embracing life in America.