RBS Staff Newsletter - May/June 2020

RBS Staff Newsletter Volume 1 | Issue 4 | May/June 2020

STAFF SPOTLIGHTS

DID YOU KNOW?

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

In This Issue...

• • • • • • • • • •

Staff Spotlights Program Spotlights RBS Donations Key Update Absence Reporting System Virtual Graduations Ida Angelone’s Retirement Foster Families Working From Home COVID-19 Challenges & Resources

RBS Staff Newsletter Table of Contents

03

05

08 12

19 21

Suggestions, item submissions, and/or feedback?

Interested in being a part of the Newsletter Committee, please contact us! This issue’s contributors: Brenda Anderson, Jennifer Diaz, Dana Harris, Nancy Kiley, Melissa Rivera, and Vibu Udayaraj.

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03

A Message from Dean Lei And the Winner Is...

04

Staff Spotlights Alfred Blake (MGB) Sabrina Kelley (AIS)

05

Program Spotlights B-Star Program Center for Real Estate

06 - 07

Did You Know?

LinkedIn Learning Snippet Tool

08 - 09 Facilities

RU Pantry Donation

RBS Generosity Eases Hardships

Surplus of Computer Equipment Key Project 10 - 15

Human Resources Virtual HR Meetings Finance & Administration Family Feud Absence Reporting System Compassionate Leave Program Recent Hires and Separations Ida Angelone’s Retirement Job Opportunities & Staff Promotions Virtual FMS Workshops Staff Council Elections Staff Awards Seeking Staff Committee Nominations

16 - 17 Professional Development &

Committee Updates

Mini-MBA Graduates

18 Commencement 2020

19 - 24 Staff News & Acknowledgments

Celebrating our Graduates

Positive Stories of COVID-19

Working from Home 24 - 26

Innovation Challenge COVID-19 Resources RBS Word Search

Volume 1 | Issue 4 | MAY/JUN 2020

A Message from Dean Lei When Rutgers Business School was closed in March, no one realized with certainty how long we would remain away from our usual offices and classrooms. As we continue our telecommuting arrangements and virtual work assignments, I would like to thank you and express my pride in how all of you have so capably demonstrated the 4 R’s that represent the RBS brand.

• • • •

Resilient: You have shown strength and perseverance through these tough times.

Resourceful: You have solved difficult problems and challenges as they developed.

Responsible: You can be counted on to get the job done.

Reinvent yourself for the digital era: You have kept up with changes and new information to keep moving forward in this new digital era.

It is a powerful example that we set for our students. Thank you for your commitment to RBS. I wish you all a safe and healthy summer.

And the Winner Is...

It gives us great pride to announce Ed Hubbard from the Management and Global Business Department-New Brunswick Campus for submitting the winning name “Inside RBS” for RBS Name Our Newsletter Contest. Not only will he have bragging rights for naming RBS Newsletter, but will be receiving an amazing collection of RBS swag. We received 10 entries for the contest and “Inside RBS” walked away the most votes. The new masthead for the newsletter will appear in the upcoming July/August issue. “Inside RBS” will serve as the platform for us to provide awareness, education, and insightful information about our school and university.

The RBS Newsletter Committee would like to thank everyone who submitted an entry for the naming of the newsletter. This is the first of many interactive opportunities (contests, challenges, raffles) for you to participate in the RBS Staff Newsletter and contribute to our digital community.

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RBS Staff Newsletter

Staff Spotlights Alfred Blake

Student Counselor/Assistant Director

Department: Entrepreneurship Programs (MGB) Years of Service: Six years at RBS Duties: Alfred helps promote entrepreneurship throughout the university through entrepreneurship courses/activities on both campuses (Newark and New Brunswick). Alfred is also a counselor for students and helps them with career goals as they matriculate through program while connecting them to entrepreneurial resources.

Hobbies: Alfred enjoys reading, urban farming, and basketball.

Favorite Quote or Words of Advice: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things that you did do. So sail away from the safe harbor. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

Sabrina Kelley

Administrative Assistant Department: Accounting & Information Systems Years of Service: 19 years at Rutgers, 6 months at RBS Duties: Sabrina helps the onboarding of new professors, and is the point of contact for department faculty and students on the Newark Campus. She is responsible for all payroll and organizational tasks necessary to keep the department running in an efficient, and organized way.

Hobbies: Sabrina enjoys exercising, running, gardening, attending dance workshops and planning new things to do with family and friends.

Favorite Quote or Words of Advice: “Always be true to yourself.” Peer pressure used to be people from our home and in our communities. Today, peer pressure has an international reach.

Now, more than ever, we have to be mindful of what we stand for.

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Volume 1 | Issue 4 | MAY/JUN 2020

Program Spotlights

B-Star Cohort Fall 2018

B-Star Program The B-STAR Program was established by Rutgers Business School’s Office of Diversity Programs to provide students from underrepresented minority backgrounds with academic and social supports essential to excelling within the rigorous Rutgers Business School curriculum and higher education environment. The introductory stage of the B-STAR program includes a competitive and demanding six-week summer academic and residential bridge experience. It allows incoming first-year students to enhance their math and writing skills, develop/improve critical and analytical thinking skills, engage in professional development and career awareness activities, enroll in two courses for full academic credit, explore issues around diversity, equity, inclusion and access, network with RBS faculty, staff, students, and corporate partners, etc.

Due to challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 RBS B-STAR program will be hosted using a virtual format rather than being held on campus. Despite this change in delivery, this program for highly motivated students will still emphasize academic preparedness, the development and enhancement of study and time management skills, and building meaningful relationships with faculty, staff, and fellow students. For more information about the Office of Diversity Programs, contact Charles Brown, Assistant Dean, or Yvette Del Valle, Program Coordinator.

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Volume 1 | Issue 4 | MAY/JUN 2020

Center for Real Estate Awards Over $300,000 to Students Thanks to the generosity of the Advisory Board and Emerging Leaders Council of the RBS Center for Real Estate, 55 students were awarded scholarships in the Fall 2019 semester and another 55 students recipients for Spring 2020 semester. In the 2019/2020 academic year, the Center for Real Estate awarded a total of $322,800.00 to these excellent students to support their academic careers. For more information on the Center for Real Estate, contact Lorri Layton, Program Development Specialist, or visit here.

Center for Real Estate Student scholarship recipients with Paul Profeta, December 2019.

Did You Know?

LinkedIn Learning Are you aware of your FREE access to LinkedIn Learning? As a Rutgers employee, you have the opportunity to learn in-demand skills right at your fingertips, with over 14,000 online courses taught by real-world professionals. With topics ranging from stress management, software development, and even databases, you can expand your knowledge ten fold! You can select topics you’re interested in like career development and watch videos like “Learning to be Assertive” or “Becoming a Thought Leader”.

With LinkedIn Learning, you can develop the co-curricular skills you need to advance your career with personalized course recommendations based on your interests, experience, and skills. You can also earn skill badges and certificates to display on your LinkedIn page. To access your free LinkedIn Learning account, visit here.

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Volume 1 | Issue 4 | MAY/JUN 2020

Have you ever tried to capture information on your screen?

Most versions of Windows include a handy screen capture/screenshot tool called Snipping Tool that allows users to select (“snip”) and capture a small region of the screen or grab and save full screenshots. Selected images can be copied (Ctrl-C) and pasted (Ctrl-V) into another document or simply saved as a PNG file for later use.

To access the Snipping Tool on your laptop or computer, start typing Snipping Tool in your search box (lower left of screen). The Snipping Tool application will appear as a best match. Simply click “Pin to Taskbar” and you are ready to go. You, like so many of your RBS coworkers, will be glad you did. Happy Snipping!

For more help loading the Windows Snipping Tool onto your desktop, please contact OTIS.

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RBS Staff Newsletter

Facilities RBS Donates to the RU Pantry

The Rutgers Student Food Pantry-New Brunswick and pantryRUN-Newark are dedicated to helping all Rutgers students in need, as growing evidence indicates that food insecurity among college students is increasing, both nationwide and at Rutgers. With the unforeseen, mid-semester, COVID-19 disruption to on-site classes and most on-campus living and dining options, RBS-Dean’s Office was able to make a generous donation to the Rutgers food pantries in Newark and New Brunswick, thanks to the large supply of snacks previously ordered for Dean Lei’s popular Snack Initiative. Combined, RBS donated over 2,000 snacks to the Newark and New Brunswick Rutgers food pantries.

If you are interested in making a donation to the Rutgers Student Food Pantry- New Brunswick, please visit this website. For more information on pantryRUN in Newark, please visit here.

RBS Generosity Eases COVID-19 Hardships for Students in Need This spring, the global coronavirus pandemic presented Rutgers Business School (and academic institutions worldwide) with numerous challenges. The response, at all levels of our learning community has been inspirational. OTIS and faculty members worked diligently to deliver remote instruction to our students. Our Staff members adjusted to telecommuting, while still providing faculty and students with outstanding support.

COVID-19 exposed inequities among the RBS student population; food insecurity, housing uncertainties, limited access to computer technology, and costly healthcare emergencies. Team RBS jumped into action and organized an emergency fund and hardware donation drive supplying students with computer hardware for online classes. RBS contributed a total of $110,000 in funding to RBS students financially impacted by COVID-19.

In the words of Dean Lei “Your inspiring effort and your dedication during this pandemic will create a long lasting and profound impact on the lives of our students, especially for many of them who are away from campus and who are facing a tough time during this COVID-19 pandemic.” Thank you.

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Volume 1 | Issue 4 | MAY/JUN 2020

Surplus of Computer Equipment To ensure accountability and proper disposal of University purchased equipment, effective immediately, OTIS will manage the disposal of PC related equipment. This includes monitors, fax machines, printers, laptops, and PCs. If you have equipment that needs to be disposed of, please send an email to helpdesk@business. rutgers.edu. OTIS will handle the submission to surplus property and removal of the equipment. Please do not move any of these items to the hallway. If you need help disposing of any other materials such as chairs, furniture, whiteboards, etc., please contact RBS-Facilities@business.rutgers.edu.

Key Project The Facilities Management Team in New Brunswick is verifying its Key Distribution Database and would like all RBS-NB faculty and staff to send a brief email (with subject line “Key Code”) to RBS-Facilities@business.rutgers.edu listing all the Rutgers key(s) in your possession, their key code(s), and version number(s).

The image on the right illustrates where to find that information on a typical key to 100 Rock.

The key code is ‘C4G16’ and this particular key is version # 8.

Keys to the Levin building are a bit older and slightly different, so please send whatever etchings are shown on keys to 94 Rockafeller Road. Also, if you recently supplied this information to your department administrator, please disregard this request.

RBS Facilities Management will notify Newark employees once they begin updating the key database at 1 Washington Park.

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RBS Staff Newsletter

HR News Virtual HR Meetings As we continue to telecommute, RBS-HR (Human Resources Manager, Dee White, and HR Coordinator, Shari Rynar) will continue to host weekly virtual office hours for staff members with any general questions or concerns.

If you have questions, feel free to add them on this shared Google document so that they can be addressed at the upcoming meeting.

Administration & Finance’s Family Feud At last month’s Administration & Finance meeting, team members from both campuses enjoyed a lively game of Virtual Family Feud, with Amy LaCorte acting as the host and Brenda Anderson, the controller.

After a lot of laughs, some questionable answers, and a little friendly competition, RBS Scarlets (New Brunswick) crushed the team representing Newark, RBS Brick City, by a score of 460 to 280. Thank you to Senior Associate Dean Melissa Rivera and all who participated for keeping us connected during these challenging times. If anyone would like to participate in future sessions, please email RBSStaffNews@business.rutgers.edu.

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Volume 1 | Issue 4 | MAY/JUN 2020

ARS Reporting and Absence Record Forms The RBS HR Department asks that you please keep your ARS reporting up to date and submit your fully executed Absence Recording Form to HR by June 30th. As demonstrated in the recent Virtual HR Meeting, the steps to completing this required process takes only a few moments. To access the ARS system, save your carry over details for required signatures, and complete this important ARS reporting process, please follow these steps: • • • • • • • •

• •

Go to my.rutgers.edu Go to your dashboard page In the My Benefits section, under the Fiscal Year Absences Summary, click the Absence Balances icon (the flip calendar) Your Fiscal Year Carryover will be displayed Can also see accrued totals on that page (to left) Summary information And further below, your detailed report (based on the days off you have recorded for this fiscal year) To save the summary details to a PDF file, right click the Print Absence Details button in the upper right and choose Print from the drop-down menu. (Simply clicking the onscreen button does not work.)

Save the PDF, double-check the file for accuracy, insert your electronic signature, and send to your supervisor for review and his or her execution, as well Once fully executed, please email RBS-HR@business.rutgers.edu.

If you need assistance with this task, please contact RBS-HR@business.rutgers.edu.

Compassionate Leave Program The Compassionate Leave Program is a donated-leave bank benefit for qualifying staff who are experiencing medical hardship, either personally or in their immediate families. Employees can choose to donate any available vacation and sick time. If you do not plan to use all of your accrued time, please consider donating it to the RU Compassionate Leave Program. A few RBS employees have benefited from this program in recent years and are very grateful for the support of their colleagues.

Eligibility requirements, donation restrictions, and additional details may be found on the Compassionate Leave page.

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RBS Staff Newsletter Best of luck and farewell to the following staff member who is no longer working at RBS:

Name

Title

Department

End Date

Fallon Secaur

Administrative Assistant

Undergraduate-NB

April 13

Ida ‘Ida-38’ Angelone’s Retirement As many of you know, Ida Angelone, Purchasing Newark will be retiring on June 30th after 38 wonderful years with Rutgers Newark. As an extension of the RBS family, she has shared the following thoughts.

Happy Retirement, Ida! Hello Everyone, When I stepped foot on the Newark Campus back in 1982 there was no turning back. I started working here in my junior year of high school. Throughout my career, I have worked in Student Health, the Registrar and Business Offices and for the last 28 years in Purchasing. The Rutgers Newark community has been good to me and I will never forget that. As my 38 years at Rutgers Newark comes to a close on June 30, 2020, I cannot dismiss the fact that through the years the support RBS - Newark has given to me and the Newark Purchasing office has been unwavering. I have made some great friends during my career here at RU - Newark.

I would like to thank Dean Lei, Yaw, Nicole and Melissa for their continued support along with the entire staff/faculty at both Rutgers Newark and New Brunswick. You are great colleagues and are going to be missed.

Lastly, I must say, we as professionals are able to disagree on issues, talk them through and move on to business as usual.

You don’t find that at a University this size very often, let alone one school. RU - Newark and RBS - Newark will always be a part of me.

Thank you, Ida

Staff Promotions Page 12

Stay tuned for more staff promotions!

Volume 1 | Issue 4 | MAY/JUN 2020

Financial Management System Virtual Training The University Controller’s Office has created a series of subject-specific classes for the Financial Management System. A detailed listing of all course offerings, including descriptions and dates, is available on the Cornerstone registration website. If you have any questions, please contact the support team.

RU - Newark Staff Council Elections On June 4th, The Rutgers University - Newark Staff Council (RU-NSC) announced ten newly elected representatives, of which included Dan Stoll, Director of Communications & Marketing.

RU-NSC’s primary responsibilities are communication, collaboration, advising, recognition, and professional development for all RU-N staff.

It is an independent structure supported by RU-N HR to help provide relevant insight and perspectives to more effectively strategize initiatives collaborative efforts, while also helping to mitigate potential risks that may otherwise be unclear. All members of the RU-NSC have to be nominated and elected to serve a two year term. Other RBS staff members who make up the Newark staff council include Lucy Foster, Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Programs - Newark, and Shy Hopkins, Program Coordinator, NJ-Small Business Development Center (NJ-SBDC).

For more information on the Newark Staff Council, please visit here.

Current RBS Job Opportunities • • • •

Student Counselor - Undergrad NWK (https://jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/115178) User Support Services Specialist - SBDC (https://jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/115185) Northwest Regional Director - SBDC (https://jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/115157) NJSBDC State Director for SBDC - (https://jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/115100)

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RBS Staff Newsletter RBS Staff Awards As part of Dean Lei’s continued effort to recognize the extraordinary efforts of our RBS staff, we would like to remind everyone of the six (6) awards available to our RBS Staff Members. Due to COVID-19, we have extended the deadline for all of the awards to July 10th. We encourage faculty and staff to use this as an opportunity to highlight the hard work and dedication of our staff members.

1. RBS Outstanding Performance Award: acknowledges a staff member who regularly demonstrates a willingness to help others. The recipient(s) must exhibit a strong commitment to their work, effectively manage change, maintain positive working relationships with others, and a collaborative partnership with colleagues. This award is available year-round.

2. RBS Staff Rising Star Award: acknowledges a staff member who demonstrates a passion for their work.

The recipient shows promise in their department and is making a large impact on the RBS community in a short time (six months to two years) that they have been a part of the RBS staff. One employee per year is honored at the annual Staff Retreat in this category.

3. RBS Staff Spirit Award: acknowledges a staff member who has consistently demonstrated a sense of pride in being a part of the RBS community. The recipient(s) supports staff, faculty & students, and promotes RBS in a positive manner. Up to two (2) employees per year will be selected in this category.

4. RBS Enhancing the Student Experience Award: acknowledges a staff member who directly and significantly contributes to the student development experience through student-focused initiatives. The recipient(s) interacts enthusiastically and effectively with students using opportunities productively to promote learning and growth. Nominees who exemplify extraordinary efforts to increase student success, are presented to individuals who demonstrates the most outstanding achievements in providing inspiration and innovation in enhancing the student experience. Up to two (2) employees per year will receive the award in this category.

5. RBS Unity Award: acknowledges the significant achievements of a staff member who takes positive steps to create a culture and climate of respect and inclusion, who values differences and finds innovative ways to improve opportunities for the diverse communities we serve. Up to two (2) employees per year will receive the award in this category.

6. RBS Staff Excellence Award: acknowledges the exemplary performance of an individual identified by their supervisor or peers as consistently excelling in their position, demonstrates quality outcomes, and exhibits a strong commitment to the mission and values of Rutgers Business School and Rutgers University as a whole. These individuals would be those who go above and beyond their regular duties, act with integrity and honesty, generate excellent creative ideas, promote teamwork within their workplaces and contribute exceptional innovation, time, commitment, and effort.

If you would like to nominate an RBS Staff member, please visit RBS Staff Nomination Form. Please note, if you submitted a Staff Nomination Form to rbs-nominate@business.rutgers.edu, you do not need to resubmit the nomination through the link above.

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Volume 1 | Issue 4 | MAY/JUN 2020

Seeking Staff Nominations Dean Lei seeks nominations from RBS staff to serve on the RBS Dean’s Staff Advisory Committee (previously known as the Staff Core Leadership Committee) and the RBS Professional Development Advisory Committee.

Serving on an RBS Dean’s Committee allows RBS staff members the opportunity to become involved in initiatives that directly impact staff at RBS. As a committee member, you will have a voice in changes that affect the future and growth at RBS. Nominations are open until June 26th, 5:00PM - Staff can submit a nomination or self-nomination using the online ballot.

Dean’s Staff Advisory Committee The Dean’s Staff Advisory Committee is an advisory body that serves in such a capacity to the Dean of Rutgers Business School—Newark and New Brunswick. The Committee’s primary responsibilities are to: • Provide RBS staff with a voice to senior RBS leadership • Work on improving the culture of Rutgers Business School through standardized communication • Serve as a resource to RBS Staff • Promote respect for diversity • Support development of professional growth • Create a centralized forum to bridge the gap between Newark and New Brunswick Professional Development Advisory Committee The purpose of the Professional Development Advisory Committee is to provide RBS Staff with opportunities to advance their personal and professional development goals.

Criteria to Serve on Either Committee • Be employed as a full-time staff member by the Rutgers Business School for at least six (6) months from the time of solicitation • Committee members are appointed for one (1) year, July – June. Leadership positions, such as Co-chairs and Secretary, will be limited to a two-year rotation.

• Attend monthly meetings • Representation across all major groups (administration, academic support services, student services, technology & centers) Employee Commitment Employees are expected to participate in committee meetings. Currently, the Committee is looking to further diversify, by including representation from different departments at RBS, both in Newark and New Brunswick. If you are passionate about Rutgers Business School and want to make a difference by enhancing our culture, one of these committees might be right for you.

Nominees will be contacted by the RBS Dean’s Office to confirm their willingness to serve, and to request additional information for the election. Nominees will be informed of the time commitment and affirm that this is a voluntary position with no additional compensation.

Questions? Email Senior Associate Dean, Melissa Rivera.

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RBS Staff Newsletter

Professional Development & Committee Updates

Mini-MBA Graduates Congratulations to Brenda Anderson (pictured) and our other Rutgers Business School colleagues on the completion of their Mini-MBA: Driving Innovative Business Solutions certificates! This semester, staff members from various departments learned how to develop and implement innovative ideas and new initiatives to help keep Rutgers Business School competitive. The staff’s commitment to completing the program with excellence during these uncertain times was admirable. In addition to expanding their skills sets and earning a certificate of completion, participants also had the opportunity to earn a digital badge from the program (to share on their LinkedIn profiles), as well as a 3-credit waiver towards an RBS graduate degree.

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Volume 1 | Issue 4 | MAY/JUN 2020

“I was thrilled to lead the learning experience for my colleagues and share their enthusiasm for creating a thriving and prosperous future for Rutgers Business School through reinvention and resilience,” says Vickie Anderson, Program Manager, Executive Education. Many thanks to Dean Lei, the Professional Development Committee, and the Executive Education staff for supporting the mission of lifelong learning.

For more information on our Mini-MBA programs, please click here.

Mini-MBA Participants:

Name

Title

Department

Ahn, Lisa

Student Counselor

Undergraduate - NWK

Alvarez, Miriam

Assistant Dean

MBA Student Services

Anderson, Brenda

Program Coordinator I

Office of the Dean

D’Rosario, Sofia

Unit Computing Specialist

OTIS

Flamengo, Deborah

Unit Administrator/Specialist

RICSI

Hopkins, Shy

Program Coordinator I

SBDC

Haurey, Dornell

Administrative Coordinator

Accounting & Info. Systems

Kiley, Nancy

Administrative Assistant

Facilities - NB

Kosar, Luz

Administrative Assistant

Management Sci. & Info Systems

Kwan, Ronald

Assistant Dean

Graduate Admissions

Layton, Lorri

Program Development Specialist

Center for Real Estate

Lydon, Sharon

Associate Dean

Alumni & Corporate Engagement

McClaine, Elaine

Regional Manager

SBDC

McKenzie, Sam

Director

Development

Minieri, Lisa

Career Management Specialist

OCM - Undergraduate NWK

Perkel-Joseph, Jacqueline

Administrative Assistant

Supply Chain Management

Privett, Rowland

Administrative Coordinator

OTIS

Risheg, Dalia

Research Project Coordinator II

OCM - NWK & NB

Roman, Irving

Unit Computing Specialist

OTIS

Scribner, Khalia

Administrative Assistant

Management Sci. & Info Systems

Torres, Maria

Accountant

SBDC

Udayaraj, Vibu

Program Coordinator I

Business Office - NB

Wicker, Jenean

Administrative Assistant

MBA Programs

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RBS Staff Newsletter

University Virtual Commencement 2020

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pany at the COMMEN CEMENT: AL CELEBR ATION Sunday, May 31, 2020 2:00 p.m .

View the celebration at commence ment.rutg ers.edu

254TH AN

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On Sunday, May 31st, Rutgers University did something unprecedented in its illustrious 254 year history. The largest institution of higher education in New Jersey held its first (and, hopefully, only) virtual commencement, celebrating the Class of 2020 remotely during a global pandemic. NJ Governor Phil Murphy, RU President Robert Barchi, RU Chancellor Christopher Molloy, and others inspired graduates to use the knowledge and experience gained at Rutgers to go forth and rebuild the US economy and work towards a better world. Respected NBC Nightly News anchor, Lester Holt (pictured left), delivered the commencement remarks and encouraged graduates, “You can be defined by the times or you can be defined by how you lived the times.” This certainly was not the graduation celebration any of us had imagined just a few short months ago, but it was a lovely tribute to the unique Rutgers University Class of 2020. To read more about the RU-New Brunswick Commencement 2020, or to watch the video, please visit here.

Rutgers University-Newark is also proud to honor and recognize all 2020 graduates! The video recognition includes video messages from Rutgers University – Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor, Commencement Speaker Angie Martinez (pictured right), undergraduate student speaker Esder Chong ’20, and guest public officials in addition to individual, personalized recognition of graduating students and a closing photo montage featuring images submitted by members of the Class of 2020.

The traditional Commencement ceremony is scheduled to be held at a later date.

(Picture source: Billboard.com)

RBS Undergraduate and Graduate Virtual Celebrations Rutgers Business School – Newark and New Brunswick would like to congratulate all the graduates on their hard work and accomplishments during their time at RBS. We sincerely regret that we are unable hold an in-person ceremonies at this time, but we invite everyone to join us and recognize the students’ amazing achievements. Congratulations RBS Class of 2020!

• •

RBS Undergraduate New Brunswick Convocation Celebration Video.

RBS Graduate Programs - Newark and New Brunswick Virtual Graduation Recognition Celebration, June 19th at 6 pm. pm

To view individual congratulatory messages from members of the RBS faculty, please click here.

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Staff News

Volume 1 | Issue 4 | MAY/JUN 2020

Celebrating our Graduates

The Class of 2020 was sorely disappointed that their hard work would not be recognized during traditional graduation ceremonies. Take away the cap and gown and what’s left... talented, dedicated students with bright futures! Join us as we celebrate all 2020 graduates, including those below: Dominique Brancato, daughter of Donna Brancato, Senior Program Coordinator, Undergraduate Programs-NB, graduates Cum Laude, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from Mason Gross School of Art. Rushil Desai, Dean’s Office NB Student Embassador, graduates from RBS with a double major in finance and supply chain management. “This upcoming summer I will be starting full-time at E-Trade, which I am very excited about.

Despite the coronavirus cancelling graduation, the one positive thing I’ve learned from this event is to stay resilient because in life anything can happen. We learn so much from these hard times and I think everyone will come out as a stronger person from this event.”

Paige Johnson, Dean’s Office NWK Student Assistant and B-Star Program graduate, says, “The next phase of my life will be an exciting journey no matter how severely COVID-19 has impacted what that will look like for me in the coming months.

Prior to our current pandemic situation, I had planned to start my full-time position at BASF in the Commercial and Sales Professional Development Program, where I would complete three eight-month rotations at BASF sites across the country in places like Houston, Texas, Charlotte, North Carolina and Southfield, Michigan. Now,

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RBS Staff Newsletter my first eight-month assignment at BASF, which I will start in mid-August, will almost certainly be virtual.

Although disappointed at first, I now see this as a financial positive for me. I will be able to live at home with my family, save my first few months of full-time pay and then prepare to move to a new city once this global health crisis subsides to some degree.” To read more about Paige’s story, visit our website.

Kwaku Agyemang, Dean’s Office NB Student Embassador, says, “I am extremely grateful to be apart of the RBS Student Ambassador family.

The staff has provided me with great support and mentorship throughout my college years. I graduated with a degree in Finance with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. After graduation, I started my role as a Customer Acquisition and Brand Analyst at Goldman Sachs in New York City.

I planned to continue to grow my sustainable fashion startup BrownMill Company and eventually get my MBA. The COVID-19 crisis has been unfortunate for everyone but one thing I learned during my time at RBS was perseverance during the tough times. We will come out of this stronger than ever!”

Ashley Acevedo, Dean’s Office NWK Student Assistant says, “The greatest piece of knowledge I can say I am walking away from Rutgers Business School with is something that I will hold onto forever; that each and every one of our differences makes us stronger. These past four years have given me the opportunity to study with the most diverse group of students, where our differences bring us together and make us more prepared for the future to come where we can battle issues with open hearts and a better understanding of one another. My goal has always been to be myself unapologetically and to always follow my heart, and Rutgers empowered me to do so ever since the beginning. I want to thank everyone at the Dean’s Office for the relationships I will hold onto forever and more than anything, for allowing me to be a part of something bigger than myself.”

Jordan Erin-Cherie McCullough, daughter of Tiffany McCullough, Administrative Assistant, Finance & Economics, is graduating from Piscataway High School this spring. Jordan, a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and an aspiring author and artist, will be attending college in the fall, but has yet to commit to a particular school.

Kamry Hines, niece of Brenda Anderson, Program Coordinator, Dean’s Office-Newark, graduates Rahway High School with a 4.0 grade point average. Kamry plans to attend Montclair State University in the fall semester where she will major in Biology. She loves reading, music, working out, and drawing.

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Volume 1 | Issue 4 | MAY/JUN 2020

The Seeing Eye The Schnatters are a dog family. Kerstin Schnatter, Assistant Dean, Undergraduate-NB and her family have their own 9-year-old rescue mutt, Ruby, and had recently relinquished Rainy, a beautiful Black Labrador Retriever that daughter Krista (SAS graduate 2020), as a member of the Rutgers Seeing Eye Puppy-Raising Club, had been raising for 15 months. Before the coronavirus disrupted virtually everything, Rainy was at formal training at The Seeing Eye in Morristown, well on her way to becoming full-fledged guide dog for the blind. But, as COVID-19 wreaked havoc, not only was Rainy returned to the Schnatters, but Seeing Eye pup #2 came into their lives: Krista is now also raising a Yellow Lab named Rose (Rosie!). They now have 3 doggies running around their home on a full-time basis, which makes for some interesting video conferences with RBS coworkers. Krista’s two puppies will soon bring a lot of joy, hope, guidance, and independence, to people coping with vision loss.

Please consider supporting The Seeing Eye, with your 2020 charitable contributions.

New RBS Family Members Congratulations to Jenean Wicker, Administrative Assistant, MBA Programs, on the birth of her grandson Kaden Bell, who turned two months old on June 1st.

Double congratulations to Geno Gentile, Director of Undergraduate Career Management, on the birth of his Grand-twins, Zac and Beau. The twins turned three months old on June 10th.

Isla Emma Daniels, granddaughter of Cheryl Daniels, Finance & Economics-NB, turns four months old on June 18th.

Santino Rafael Anderson, nephew of Brenda Anderson, Program Coordinator, RBS Dean’s Office, turns one month old on June 21st.

Clockwise from the top: Kaden Bell, Zach and Beau, Santino Rafael, and Isla Emma.

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RBS Staff Newsletter My COVID-19 Takeaway

By Dana Green Harris

I never had a cough. It started with cold hands and cold feet. Then my back began to hurt and, before I knew it, I had a high fever and COVID-induced double-pneumonia. COVID-19 silently invaded our home at the beginning of March, and it was as horrible as reported. However, even in the midst of our pain and suffering, I could not help but to think about how blessed I was -- blessed to be in a great hospital with devoted and caring healthcare providers, blessed that, even though I was gasping for air, I was never put on a ventilator, blessed to be able to see the sun and moon from my isolation room and blessed to have supportive family, friends and total strangers rally around us during the most unpredictable and frightening months of our lives.

This COVID-19 journey has been difficult, but it has further strengthened my belief that the good in the world outweighs the bad by leaps and bounds and that each of us has a light inside that wants the best, not only for ourselves, but for others. Continue to let your light shine!

Mask Makers In the times of COVID-19, being at home has given some of our talented staff members the chance to create fun face coverings. “A first birthday and a ten year anniversary celebrated while sewing masks for donation makes being quarantined much more manageable,” says Jenny Roberts, Manager of MBA Programs. Her son Ollie turned one in early May. “Getting the opportunity to work behind my sewing machine again and producing with my hands has been therapeutic during this crazy time,” says Jenn Diaz, Facilities Coordinator, Dean’s Office- Newark.

Anyone who has the means can contribute to www. njmasks.com. Labor, fabric or elastic is always welcomed.

Left: Jenny Roberts, her son Ollie, and masks.

Right: Jenn Diaz, and image of reversible face masks.

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Volume 1 | Issue 4 | MAY/JUN 2020

Foster Families Ben Lohmann, Assistant Dean, RBS Undergraduate Programs - Newark, and his wife, Maura, adopted a new member to their family at the beginning of quarantine. It is safe to say that Farrah has been a real blessing that resulted from this difficult time – even if she does not like wearing t-shirts and posing for pictures. Hannah Murphy, Assistant Director, Communications & Marketing, and family took in a foster dog in March to help free up some of the shelter spaces for dogs being abandoned during COVID-19. “We fell in love with her and decided to keep her.”

Working from Home During these challenging and uncertain times, most RBS staff and their families are, not only working from home, but spending more quality time together. Send your Work From Home photos to the Newsletter Committee to be featured in our next issue!

Amy Castillo, Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs - Newark, has been working from home with her husband, Tony; two children, Andrew (soonto-be freshman at Rutgers in Fall 2020) and Abby; and their cat, Freddy Figgler.

Kathleen Price, Student Counselor, MBA Programs, is enjoying her time with dog, Luna.

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RBS Staff Newsletter Working from Home (Continued) Robert Kurland, Senior Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs - Newark, has been enjoying time with his “quaranteam:” his wife Shelley, two daughters, Jillian and Amber, dog (Luna), and cat (Kali).

Armanda Cerqueira, Academic Advisor, Undergraduate Programs Newark, has been passing the time at home with her fiancé, Evan, and their two dogs Joely and Lambriar’s Dune Buddha Boddhisatva (Bodhi for short). They were also kind enough to invite Leonardo, from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, away from the sewers and into their home, as well.

COVID-19 Innovation Challenge The May/June 2020 RBS Innovation Challenge is: Adapting to Teaching or Serving Students Remotely. Please send in your best practices and ideas no later than June 30th so we can all learn from your innovations that can improve the satisfaction and learning experience of our students.

Process: 1. The RBS Innovation Challenges are open to all RBS faculty and staff.

2. Simply summarize your innovative idea in 1-2 paragraphs in an email. Reference materials may be attached; however, the body of the email should be self-sufficient to convey the idea. One idea per email, please.

3. Send your email to innovate@business.rutgers.edu 4. Please respect the innovation spirit, process, and our inboxes. Ideas broadcasted via mass email will not be eligible for recognition.

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Volume 1 | Issue 4 | MAY/JUN 2020

We Are All in This Together The world is different today than it was just a few months ago. COVID-19 has swept across our world, our nation, and our RBS campuses. Uncertainty is at an all-time high, as we experience disruptions to our work, our school, and our home lives. Just because we are social distancing, it does not mean that anyone has to go through this challenging time alone. Please check out the links below to help maintain both your physical mental health.

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Care For Your Coronavirus Anxiety: https://www.virusanxiety.com/?utm_source=Shine&utm_ medium=ShineWeekly

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Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty: https://afsp.org/taking-careof-your-mental-health-in-the-face-of-uncertainty/

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A resource by Russ Harris, who is one of the main Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) teachers and researchers at RU, has developed some practical steps for responding to coronavirus. For the file, click here.

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Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) has extended their volunteer network of mental health support for our community coping with COVID-19.

This network will offer phone and telepsychology services to support the members of the Rutgers community. For more information, please visit here.

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Other Resources: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide

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Rutgers Family Support Line. In response to the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC) launched a confidential staff, faculty, and family support line: Rutgers4U (1-855-652-6819).

This phone line offers emotional and therapeutic support during (and following) the COVID-19 pandemic and is available free of charge to all Rutgers staff, faculty members, and their families. The Rutgers4U support line is operational Monday through Friday from 8:00AM to 8:00PM, seven days a week, as staffing permits. During the off-hours a voicemail box enables callers to leave their contact information for a follow up the next morning. For more information, visit the UBHC website.

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Virtual Workshops by CAPS (Counseling, Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program & Psychiatric Services). No registration is necessary. These virtual workshops are NOT therapy or psychological treatment. The workshops are held via WebEx and led by CAPS staff. For virtual resources and a full list of our workshops, visit here.

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RBS Staff Newsletter Rutgers Business School Word Search By cultivating business knowledge, ethical judgment, and global perspectives in our students, promoting innovative research and teaching, and establishing robust business partnerships, RBS serves New Jersey, the communities we reside and work in, and the world.

Accredited

Faculty

Newark

Resilient

Talented

Challenging

Globalization

New Brunswick

Resourceful

Teaching

Commitment

Highly Ranked

Opportunities

Responsible

Transformation

Curriculum

Knowledge

Partnerships

Revolutionary

Undergraduates

Dedicated

Leaders

RBS

Services

Employability

MBA

Reinvent

Specialty masters

Ethics

Networking

Research

Strategic

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