The Douglass Discovery Gender and Arts Program at Douglass Residential College is pleased to announce that artist, Amina Ross has been named the 2023-24 Estelle Lebowitz Artist-in-Residence at Rutgers University. The Gender and Arts Program provides offerings in the arts for Douglass students and brings to the University community the work and ideas of exceptional women and femme identifying artists through exhibitions and year-long campus residencies.
For over 100 years, commitment to innovative academic excellence has established Douglass as a leader in feminist education. Generations of Douglass students have benefitted from Douglass’ unique approach to the college experience—a strategy that prioritizes hands-on educational opportunities that empower students to own their voices, dreams, and talents.
This past summer, our community lost two feminist trailblazers who dedicated their lives to advancing gender equity. Throughout their lives, Dr. Lilli Vincenz DC’59 and NJ Lieutenant Governor Shelia Oliver modeled strength, leadership, and service to community. This month, we celebrate their legacies.
In March 2020, the Class of 2023 left Douglass in the middle of their first year of college due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For the next year and a half, they persisted through online learning, built community across computer screens, and adapted and re-adapted to evolving uncertainty in the wider world. On May 13, the College was thrilled to come together to honor this special graduating cohort at the 102nd Douglass Spring Convocation.
The College is honored to announce that five members of the Douglass community have been awarded Fulbright grants this year. Douglass students account for over a quarter of all Rutgers students awarded this prestigious recognition in the 2022-2023 school year. Douglass caught up with two of the awardees, Gabrielle Jacob DRC'20 and Aditi Kiron DRC'22, to learn more about their awards, the work they are doing as part of the program, and where they hope to take their future careers.
This past month, Douglass held the second annual Douglass Discovery Day, a student showcase celebrating Douglass excellence in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Student cohorts participating in experiential learning opportunities through Douglass Discovery programs and the Global Village gave presentations on their ongoing or completed projects, highlighting the student population's wide range of interests and talents.
* The following is a message from Chancellor-Provost Francine Conway to the Rutgers Community
Dear Rutgers–New Brunswick Community,
Please join me in congratulating Meghan Rehbein, whom I have appointed permanent Administrative Dean of Douglass Residential College. This appointment follows her distinguished service since last June as Interim Administrative Dean.
On Friday, March 3, the Douglass Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee presented the fourth annual Women's Day at Douglass. Over 200 students, staff, and community members gathered in the Kathleen W. Ludwig Global Village Living-Learning Center for an activity fair, student performances, spoken word artists, and lunch. Students also put on a fashion show, displaying and sharing cultural style from their heritages.
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, staff and students at Douglass gathered over zoom to share the experiences of Black women in America. The zoom call would be the first of many spaces created, both in person and virtual, in a pivotal new program series at Douglass known as Black Women’s Voices.
Outside the lab, Obade continued to explore the intersection of STEM and education. This year, Obade was one of several Douglass student mentors that connected with high school-aged students from a rural area of Migouri County in Kenya. In each session, the Douglass mentors worked with the girls on STEM projects, which included making chapstick and building solar-powered fans. Douglass partnered with RU Global and Rongo University in Kenya for the project.
This past month, Douglass students and staff traveled to Kuwait! While abroad, students took part in educational and service-learning experiences centered around the feminist topics they study and research as part of the Douglass Global Leaders program.
