Faces & Voices of Rutgers

Faces & Voices tells the Rutgers story through its greatest asset – the students, faculty, staff, and alumni who make it a dynamic place of discovery. Join President Jonathan Holloway as he learns about each individual through conversations illustrating the university's diversity, scope, and impact. On the heels of our return to campus, this series engages members of our beloved community and reminds us that this is what excellence looks like.

After a year of virtual meetings and isolation, I thought about the best way for me to discover Rutgers University. I knew it had to start with meeting its family.

- President Jonathan Holloway 

Episode 18:
Angelica Lopez

New Jersey Medical School student Angelica Lopez wanted to be a doctor from an early age, an ambition that grew while helping to bridge communication gaps in health care for her immigrant family. The South Bronx native’s personal mission is to support underserved communities and enact positive social change through medicine.

Medical Student Angelica Lopez stands in the courtyard outside Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Episode 17:
Dylan Saddiq

A 2022 Rutgers University-New Brunswick graduate with a degree in biomedical engineering and a first-generation college student, Dylan Sadiq used his education during the pandemic to become a self-taught artist who now works with the biggest brands and personalities in professional sports as “The College Cuber.”

Dylan Sadiq (SOE '22) sits outside the biomedical engineering building holding a Rubik's Cube.

Episode 16:
Tania Martinez

Arkansas native Tania Martinez came to Rutgers-Camden for a specific reason: to advance her work as an immigration advocate. Now graduating, the triple major is armed with both the education and civic engagement experiences that will help her achieve her goal. 

Rutgers–Camden senior Tania Martinez

Episode 15:
James Negri

The four years James Negri spent detonating explosives, sweeping for mines, and felling trees as a combat engineer with the U.S. Marine Corps exposed him to new cultures and perspectives. That unique worldview influences his work as a graphic design student at Rutgers-Newark, where he mentors fellow student veterans.

Rutgers–Newark student James Negri stands in the computer lab at the Form Design Studio, part of Express Newark

Episode 13:
Elise Boddie

A Harvard Law graduate and nationally recognized expert in civil rights, Elise C. Boddie is regularly courted by top law school recruiters. But the Henry Rutgers University Professor and Judge Robert L. Carter Scholar says she prefers to remain at Rutgers Law School where her diverse cohorts possess a fire in the belly and thirst for knowledge that inspire her.

Elise C. Boddie, Henry Rutgers University Professor and Judge Robert L. Carter Scholar, stands in front of the Rutgers–Newark arch.

Executive Director of Environmental Health and Safety and University Safety Officer Alejandro “Alex” Ruiz is a constant at Rutgers, directing the daily operation, program development, and health and safety staff on multiple campuses and research stations, while also serving as an adjunct professor in the School of Engineering.

University Safety Officer Alejandro Ruiz stands in front of a wall of neon signs in his office

Episode 11:
Debbie Walsh

Growing up in Manhattan’s West Village, Debbie Walsh’s childhood was steeped in politics and feminism. In the late ’70s, when she discovered the fledgling Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers-New Brunswick, she knew she needed to be a part of it. Forty years later, Walsh is still committed to the center and achieving parity for women in politics. 

Debbie Walsh is director of the Center for American Women and Politics