A Visual Arts major who specializes in illustration and drawing, Danielle Cole’s DRC’27 love of art and passion for the Douglass community have contributed to fostering a lively and creative arts culture at Douglass.

During her time at Douglass, Danielle has been involved in a number of arts programs. As a first-year student, she worked with the Estelle Lebowitz and Ann Beneduce-Lebowitz Artist-in-Residence program under visual artist Amina Ross. She’s also been a member of the Global Village Africana House. Both programs have celebrated her creativity and perspective as a young artist and scholar.

Lily Barber DRC'28, a history major and student artist at Douglass, examined the intersection of photography, textile arts, and archival work through her piece, Douglass Ghosts. The photo book is an exploration and tribute to the history of Douglass campus, the intergenerational ties of our community, and its effect on current students’ sense of place and home here on campus.

Dear Douglass Community,

This is absolutely my favorite time of year. There’s a palpable sense of possibility in the air as students arrive on campus. For first-year and transfer students, it’s a brand-new beginning. For continuing students, it’s a return to their campus home, to that distinctive mix of routine and discovery that college life offers. And, as a lifelong Jersey Shore resident, I’ll admit I also love this season because it’s “local summer,” when the beaches are at their quietest and best.

This past month, Douglass welcomed 667 new students to our community! Watch highlights from Welcome Days 2025 below. 

Dear Douglass Students,

Welcome to Rutgers! I’m Megan Coyne, a proud Douglass alumna from the Class of 2019. After graduating with a degree in political science, I ran social media for Governor Murphy and later served in the White House Office of Digital Strategy under President Biden. None of this was on my radar when I first started at Rutgers – and none of it would have been possible without Douglass.

For Jaiden Radocyz DRC’26, Douglass is the ideal place at Rutgers to develop the leadership skills necessary for advancing personal, professional, and community futures. Whether they are curating an exhibit in the Douglass library through the Faculty Fellows program or serving as a peer mentor for their fellow Douglass students, they exemplify what effective feminist leadership looks like across campus.

“It is just so important to have spaces like Douglass,” she said. “It’s a community that’s open to discussion, where being passionate is encouraged, and your lived experience is celebrated. To be a leader, you need to know and learn about yourself as well as your community. Douglass is the place to do that.”