Student Success

Stories

Vedra Chandler with an installation of outdoor woven art in Camden, NJ.

Vedra Chandler has spent much of her life moving between worlds — from growing up in Camden to studying at Harvard, from performing on the road with the Broadway hit musical “Hairspray” to working in the city’s nonprofit and arts communities. Now, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in public affairs at Rutgers University–Camden, where she is examining how arts and culture can help cities thrive. 

Headshot of a smiling student against a white background

Graduate history student Tom DiGiovanni recently published an excerpt of his work on history, race, and class dynamics of New Jersey's surfing scene for Made by History, a partnership with The Philadelphia Inquirer in which scholars contribute essays on topics from politics to sports, offering historical context to many of today’s headlines and making the past more accessible to readers.