The Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences Class of 2022 is large, diverse, and talented.
Some 5,119 students graduated in May 2022, nearly half of whom maintained GPAs eligible for graduate honors. The graduates hailed from 21 countries besides the United States and 33 states in addition to New Jersey.
The seniors profiled below represent a small fraction of the graduates but reflect the excellence, drive, and concern for the greater good that characterizes the entire class.
They are aspiring doctors, authors, human rights advocates, computer scientists, astrophysicists, and much more.
Congratulations, Class of 2022!
Gloria Abbas-Zadeh
Hometown: Monroe, NJ
Major: Double major in Cell Biology & Neuroscience and French, (SAS Honors Program)
Plans: I am taking my MCAT in September and planning for medical school while continuing to work in the Rutgers lab of Victoria Abraira.
Memorable Rutgers Experience: Speaking at convocation was so exciting! In addition, I studied abroad my first year, and I don’t think I would have majored in French if hadn’t done that.
Role of SAS: Because the school is so broad, I had frequent opportunities to meet people who are in a different field than mine but are very passionate about what they are doing. It’s these differences that help us learn more about ourselves.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: My friends. And all the seemingly small things like going to the dining hall, taking the bus, walking into the library and seeing all the students studying.
Ashley Ozioma Anele
Hometown: Union, NJ
Major: Cell biology and neuroscience with a minor in psychology
Plans: I plan on going to nursing school. I hope to be a nurse practitioner in the psychiatric field.
Memorable Rutgers Experience: My time serving in the Residence Hall Association (RHA) and the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) was very important to me because we advocated for students’ wellbeing. Some of my biggest, beautiful memories were getting water fountains in dorms, wheelchair ramps for students with disabilities, and hosting many blood drives.
Role of SAS: It’s very easy to find clubs and like-minded people because the school is so large. You have such a wide variety of things, and that helped me navigate and join these organizations that I have become part of.
What I’ll miss most about Rutgers: The people. Being a part of the RHA and the NRHH helped me meet some amazing people that I am going to always miss.
Tarun Boddupalli
Hometown: Edison, NJ
Major: Computer science
Plans: I am pursuing jobs in software engineering.
Memorable Rutgers Experience: I met some friends at Rutgers and ended up starting a company with them. The startup, Aersys, is trying to bring Amazon warehouse-style robotic automation to smaller businesses.
Role of SAS: It gave me a good solid foundation. The classes I had to take gave me a great experience and made me a well-rounded individual.
What I will most about Rutgers: The camaraderie. It’s great to walk into the library after a long day of classes and study with friends and just relax.
Hatice Koroglu Cam
Hometown: Princeton, NJ
Major: Art history with a minor in history
Plans: In June, I will travel to Italy to see the works of art that I have studied for my honors thesis and internship. I will also apply for graduate school to continue my academic advancement.
Memorable Rutgers Experience: I am honored to study with Professor Sarah McHam and very proud to receive the Henry Rutgers Scholar Award for my thesis. The topic was Michelangelo Buonarroti’s presentation drawing the Punishment of Tityus, illustrating the artist’s visual declaration of his love for the Roman nobleman Tommaso de’ Cavalieri. I decoded Michelangelo's individual message, which he deliberately encoded to express his dilemma between his desperate love for Tommaso de' Cavalieri and the exclusionary rules of his society and religion against homosexuality.
Role of SAS: I studied so hard for two years to learn English so I could become a student at Rutgers. The School of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Art History are like my second home because of the kind behavior and encouragement of all my professors and all staff.
Ezije Efobi
Hometown: Long Branch, NJ
Major: Majored in political science and minored in economics and cultural anthropology
Plans: I would like to pursue a career as an author of adult and young adult novels or as a screenwriter for television and movies.
Memorable Rutgers Experience: Joining the Rutgers Tae Kwon Do team and finishing the year as a green belt. I love the team.
Role of SAS: It was crucial because while I had known I was going to major in political science, the anthropology minor really helped me solidify what my career interests would be.
What I will most about Rutgers: I am going to miss my friends and the opportunity to learn at a consistent level.
Julia Fuchs
Hometown: Middletown, NJ
Major: Double major in anthropology and history, with a minor in French
Plans: Pursuing an MA in Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies at Rutgers
Memorable Rutgers Experience: Completing my senior honors thesis focusing on the Egyptian artifacts at the Rutgers University Geology Museum, in addition to making Phi Beta Kappa.
Role of SAS: A robust set of courses that allowed me to explore my interests and refine what I want to focus on. The SAS Core has truly helped me to become more well rounded. Without it, I would not have had the idea to create my thesis website!
What I will miss most about Rutgers: Being an undergraduate. I feel old now!
Jonelsy Gonzalez
Hometown: Paterson, NJ
Major: Double major in Latino and Caribbean studies and criminal justice, with a minor in social justice
Plans: Seeking graduate school opportunities to study criminal justice.
Memorable Rutgers Experience: I was able to mentor new Latino students through the Manifestaciones retreat hosted by the Latino Student Council in partnership with the Center for Latino Arts and Culture. We spent a weekend with these first and second year students, making sure they felt seen and supported at Rutgers. It was a way to give back and leave our legacy. It was very big for me.
Role of SAS: The advisors helped me connect my interests with my passions and my academic goals. They were the ones who helped me add my first Latino and Caribbean studies course into my schedule. I didn't even know the department existed. They guided me to that department.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: I will miss the family aspect of it all. The family within the Latino and Caribbean studies department. The family within the Center for Latino Arts and Culture. We all have that connection, whether we know each other or not. It’s seeing Latinos or people of color in spaces we didn’t imagine seeing ourselves even just a few years ago.
Reid Luftig
Hometown:East Brunswick, NJ
Major: Communication, with a minor in digital communication, information, and media
Plans: Pursuing career in entertainment marketing
Memorable Rutgers Experience: Staying on as a Universal Pictures intern for three semesters.
Role of SAS: The School of Arts and Sciences was the GPS that allowed me to navigate Rutgers and view it on a much smaller scale. Finding what I wanted to do through SAS helped me open doors I thought would remain locked to me.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: The people I met along the way and those that have helped me along this journey. I had been in New Jersey most of my life and at Rutgers I met people with different perspectives and with different stories to tell.
Faustina Owoh
Hometown: Cream Ridge, NJ
Major: Double major in political science and women's, gender and sexuality studies with a minor in international and global studies
Plans: Masters program in the fall and getting my skydiving license.
Memorable Rutgers Experience: Becoming president of three organizations.
Role of SAS: Helping me discover my passion for human rights and encouraging my passion for languages. It also helped me become more confident in using my own voice.
What I'll miss most about Rutgers: The diverse classes.
Anirudh Patel
Hometown: Freehold, NJ
Major: Double major in physics and philosophy
Plans: Pursuing a PhD in physics at Columbia University, with a research concentration in high-energy astrophysics.
Memorable Rutgers Experience: Winning the Paul. L. Leath award from the Department of Physics and Astronomy and Henry Rutgers Scholar Award for my senior thesis.
Role of SAS: The physics courses and advising were great. The interactions and opportunities for research I had with professors in physics and the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences were the reason I decided to pursue a PhD.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: The undergraduate college life and social scene. I was able to push myself academically while also having a great social experience. New Brunswick is a fun town with some of my closest friends.
Michael Rangel
Hometown: Piscataway, NJ
Major: Double major in cell biology and neuroscience and political science
Plans: Medical school – Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine.
Memorable Rutgers Experience: During my last semester, I had the opportunity to defend my cell biology and neuroscience honors thesis. After two-and-a-half years of intensive lung cancer research at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, it felt so fulfilling to see my hard work come to fruition through this final departmental project. For excellence in my thesis work, I was honored to receive a Henry Rutgers Scholar award.
Role of SAS: From a very young age, I knew I wanted to become a physician. SAS not only helped solidify my love of neuroscience as my future field, but the school also granted me the ability to study political science and expose me to the implications of legal policy in the field of healthcare.
What I’ll miss most about Rutgers: MidKnight Breakfasts and Honors College Coffeehouses are just a couple that stand out. I will definitely miss the constant community here on the banks. From day one, it has been so easy to surround myself with peers and individuals who share similar goals and mindsets as me. Together, we have helped each other grow and reach heights we could’ve never possibly imagined!
Miguel Silva Ribau
Hometown: South River, NJ
Major: Majors in political science and history
Plan: I plan on committing my time towards work in the fields of government and advocacy, in particular through involvement in organizations such as Our Revolution, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and Garden State Equality. I also plan on applying for PhD programs with the goal of conducting research and teaching in the field of political science.
Memorable Rutgers Experience: I had the honor of serving as the opening speaker for a Get Out the Vote event for the re-election of Governor Phil Murphy, featuring Senator Bernie Sanders. I was proud to have represented RU Progressive, a campus organization that I have put my heart and soul into on a statewide level. I also sat in on the first Senate hearing for Medicare for All, led by Senator Sanders in his capacity as Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.
These opportunities helped provide me with a greater appreciation for the work that goes into government and politics, and I am incredibly excited for what is to come!
Role of SAS : When I began my time at Rutgers, I knew I would be pursuing political science, especially when considering my involvement in government and politics since the age of 17 and my interest in the subject since an even younger age. Through my pursuit of a degree in political science, however, I had also taken courses that were not required for the major, particularly in history. It was through these courses that I decided to take on a second major in history. Both majors have helped expand my knowledge, along with challenging preconceived views and assumptions that I had about the world. These majors have not only helped form me academically, they have helped me become a better person.
What I'll miss most about Rutgers: I will miss the work of campus organizing and activism. However, I fully intend on continuing much of the work that I have done on campus through my involvement in statewide and national organizations such as Our Revolution.
Read more articles below:
