March 2025 News & Updates

From the Classroom to the Boardroom:

AI for Lifelong Learning

My recent participation in the AACSB Business Deans Conference in February highlighted the rapid transformation that artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing to industries, business operations, and leadership skills. As a business school, we have a duty to prepare learners and professionals for this shift. Beyond imparting technical knowledge, our priority is to teach the responsible use of AI in both personal and professional contexts.

At Rutgers School of Business–Camden (RSBC), AI is becoming an integral part of our classrooms. Faculty are incorporating AI-driven tools and case studies across disciplines to help students engage with the technology shaping today’s industries.

Here are a few examples:

In FinTech and Financial Innovations, Dr. Andrei Nikiforov introduces students to AI applications in finance, including algorithmic trading and data-driven investment strategies.
In his Principles of Finance course, Dr. David Pedersen has students conduct a financial analysis of Coca-Cola using real data, then compare their findings with an analysis generated by Microsoft CoPilot.
Dr. Emmanuel Peters is experimenting with NotebookLM to develop podcast-style materials for his courses, making class content more accessible and engaging for students on the go.

As we expand our AI-focused initiatives, we invite you - business leaders, alumni, and community partners - to collaborate with us. Whether through executive programs, research, or experiential learning, RSBC remains committed to bridging the gap between the classroom and the boardroom with confidence and discernment.

The Dean's Corner

Rutgers Club Tampa Bay Hosts Dean Adya

The Rutgers Club hosted an incredible Mix and Mingle event in Tampa Bay on January 29! 🎉 It was a joy to connect with fellow Rutgers alumni and share stories of our journeys and achievements. The Club was honored to host Dr. Monica Adya, Dean of RSBC, for this special Happy Hour. The event provided a wonderful opportunity to reconnect, network, and enjoy an evening of drinks and appetizers together. We are excited for more chances to engage with the Rutgers community and support each other in our professional and personal endeavors.

A big shout out to the Rutgers Club of Tampa Bay for organizing such a memorable evening!

RSBC Launches New Real Estate Minor

In response to student demand, RSBC recently introduced an undergraduate minor in Real Estate. The program requires students to complete 12 credits, including three core courses and one elective. Through RSBC’s strong external partnerships, students will engage in signature experiential learning opportunities, participate in professional development activities, and gain access to valuable internships, preparing them for success in the real estate industry.

Three (3) Required Courses:

Real Estate Marketing Analysis and Fundamentals

Real Estate Capital Markets and Investments

Real Estate Development and Law

Plus Select One (1) Elective Course from the Following:

Entrepreneurship: New Venture Creation

Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship

Fundamentals of Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Pricing Strategies

Financial Modeling

Investments and Portfolio Management

Corporate Finance

Learn more here!

Student and Alumna Spotlights

Student Spotlight

Meet Nyree Oliver, a determined Finance major at Rutgers School of Business–Camden, on her journey toward an Accelerated Master’s degree. Coming from North Philly, Nyree has always dreamed of becoming the CEO and founder of her own company—and she’s well on her way! With a passion for coding and business, Nyree is dedicated to gaining the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in her future venture: opening her own coding firm within the next five years.

What’s next? Nyree is on track to graduate with her dual degree in Finance, continue excelling in her career, and, of course, achieve her dream of becoming a successful CEO.

Alumna Spotlight

From balancing work and school as a commuter student to studying abroad in South Africa, Brighid Tracy, BS in Management '14, made the most of her time at RSBC! Now an Employee Relations Manager at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, she applies the business writing skills she gained at RSBC to train her staff and interns.

Her advice? Find an organizational system that works for you and communicate openly with your support system.

Be a Part of Rutgers Giving Days on March 12 & 13

Rutgers Giving Days, an exciting 48-hour giving campaign, is coming soon. Join your Rutgers–Camden and School of Business community as we unite as one on two very special days, March 12 and 13. This year marks the 10th anniversary of this very important fundraising event. Together we’ll support values important to you and the Rutgers community: access to academic excellence, building community, and a commitment to the common good.

These days are about showing that Rutgers–Camden is more than just a place—it’s a resilient hub of innovation where people and ideas flourish. It’s a place where we strengthen and fortify the values you cherish. Together, We Are Rutgers University. Together, WE ARE YOU. Learn More or Give Now at:

Faculty and Research Highlights

Dr. Kristie McAlpine and Dr. David Dwertmann were Honored with NJ Bright Ideas Awards for Outstanding Research

Congratulations to our very own Dr. Kristie McAlpine and Dr. David Dwertmann on receiving NJ Bright Ideas Awards! This prestigious honor recognizes exceptional business teaching and research by New Jersey academics. Dr. McAlpine and Dr. Dwertmann were celebrated on Friday, December 6, at Seton Hall University for their innovative contributions.

Here’s a look at their award-winning research:

Bell, B., McAlpine, K., & Hill, N.S. (2023). Leading virtually. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10, 339-362. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-050115
Dwertmann et al. (2023). Receiving service from a person with a disability: Stereotypes, perceptions of corporate social responsibility, and the opportunity for increased corporate reputation. Academy of Management Journal, 66(10), 133-163. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2020.0084

Access both of these works through Rutgers Libraries! We’re so proud of our incredible faculty!

Working with the "Enemy:" Supervised Space, Free Space, and Cross-Border Collaboration amid Geopolitical Rivalry

By Thomas J. Fewer (Rutgers–Camden), Dali Ma (Drexel University), and Diego Coraiola (University of Victoria)

https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.15574

As global tensions rise and geopolitical competition intensifies, cross-border collaboration faces new challenges, particularly in critical fields like climate change, public health, and space exploration. Our study examines how such collaboration can transcend geopolitics, using the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) as a case study. Despite Cold War-era constraints, NASA and the Soviet Space Program found ways to collaborate effectively through informal "free spaces" that fostered trust and knowledge sharing. Key lessons for modern organizations include:

The Role of Free Space – Creating informal settings outside of structured, monitored environments allows for more open dialogue and trust-building. Whether through off-site meetings, social interactions, or informal exchanges, free space is essential for overcoming political barriers and biases.
Navigating Supervised Spaces – Official collaborations are often shaped by political and bureaucratic constraints, especially in science and technology. Understanding these limitations and working within them—while also supplementing them with informal exchanges—can enhance effectiveness of collaboration.
The Power of Personal Relationships – The astronauts and cosmonauts involved in the ASTP initially viewed each other with suspicion. Over time, through shared experiences and conversations, they developed mutual respect and understanding. Organizations today can benefit from building procedures that help establish personal connections among team members from different countries.

At Rutgers–Camden, we aim to apply these lessons by fostering trust, leveraging diversity, and promoting collaboration despite political divides.

The Policy Case for Designating EMS Teams for Vulnerable Patient Populations: Evidence from an Intervention in Boston

By Mark Brennan (Rutgers–Camden), Sophia Dyer (Boston Emergency Medical Services), Jonas Jonasson (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), James Salvia (Boston Emergency Medical Services), Laura Segal (Boston Emergency Medical Services), Erin Serino (Boston Emergency Medical Services), and Justin Steil (Boston Emergency Medical Services)

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10729-023-09635-6

This study documents more than five years of analysis that drove the policy case, deployment, and retrospective evaluation for an innovative service model that enables Boston Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to respond quickly and effectively to investigation incidents in an area of heavy need in Boston. These investigation incidents are typically calls for service from passers-by or other third-party callers requesting that Boston EMS check in on individuals, often those who may appear to have an altered mental status or to be unhoused. First, this study reports the pre-intervention analytics in 2017 that built the policy case for service segmentation, a new Community Assistance Team designated “Squad 80” that primarily responds to investigation incidents in one broad area of the city with high rates of substance abuse and homelessness, helping patients who often refuse ambulance transport connect to social services. Second, this study reports a post-intervention, observational evaluation of its operational advantages and trade-offs.

We observe that incidents involving the Community Assistance Team have significantly shorter response times and result in fewer transports to emergency departments than investigation incidents not involving the unit, leading to fewer ambulance unit-hours utilized across the system. This study documents the descriptive analytics that built the successful policy case for a substantive change in the healthcare-delivery supply chain in Boston and how this change offers operational advantages. It is written to be an accessible guide to the analysts and policy makers considering emergency services segmentation, an important frontier in equitable public-service delivery.

*This paper also was the runner-up for the MSOM Society Award for Responsible Research in Operations Management.

How Non-Technical Professionals Can Thrive in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

By Peter McAliney, Director, PEER

In the 21st century, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword; it’s a transformative force impacting almost every industry. As AI technologies advance, they’re shaping the future of work in profound ways, and their effects are not limited to technical fields. Non-technical professionals need to understand and leverage these changes to stay relevant in their careers. In this article, we’ll explore how non-technical professionals can adapt to the rise of AI, focusing on how AI will impact their work, the skills they need to develop, and the steps they can take to harness its potential. We will provide some concrete examples that not only exhibit how it is currently impacting specific job roles but can also spur thinking of how you can think about it in job roles relevant to your career beyond the examples provided.

The takeaway is the same for all professionals:

While GenAI is highly unlikely to take one's job, a person who knows how to use GenAI productively almost certainly will. Now is the time to get “AI Ready.”

Staff Highlights

Insights and Takeaways from the 2025 Carnegie Higher Ed Conference

By Rachel Ehrenberg, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communication

Attending the 2025 Carnegie Higher Ed Conference in Orlando, FL was an enriching experience, thanks to the Chancellor’s Staff Development Grant. I gained valuable insights into student engagement, data-driven marketing, and adapting to the evolving higher education landscape.

Key highlights included:

Eric Dawson’s keynote on Gen Z's influence and values-driven approach
Azeem Ahmad’s session on optimizing ad spend and leveraging multimedia storytelling
David Mannheim’s talk on focusing beyond conversion rates to long-term engagement
Paul LeBlanc and Shankar Prasad’s session on adapting to student expectations with faster, more personal marketing
Miracle Inameti-Archibong’s talk on the impact of search and AI on digital marketing, emphasizing accessibility

The conference emphasized that as marketers, we are memory makers, creating moments that resonate. The presenters also discussed best practices for Salesforce, tracking conversions, and optimizing landing pages with other professionals, which will directly impact our marketing strategies at Rutgers.

I am grateful to the Chancellor’s Office for this opportunity, which has expanded my knowledge and provided strategies to drive our institution's success. I look forward to implementing these ideas and continuing to connect with students in meaningful ways.