SJM_One Last Thing_0423FINAL.qxp_OLT 4 / 25 / 23 4 : 08 PM Page 1 O N E L A S T T H I N G ers whenever I have the time . I’m hop - ing to take the opportunity to cook some of my favorite Brazilian dishes for our students , faculty and staff sometime A Man with a Plan soon ! I [ also ] admire and collect art from AS CHANCELLOR OF RUTGERS UNIVERSITY — CAMDEN , Brazil , Cuba , South Africa and many ANTONIO D . TILLIS WANTS TO ELEVATE THE otherplaces around the globe . I am a EDUCATIONAL STANDARD . BY PETER PROKO concertbaritone and had the pleasure of performing Handel’s Messiah as part incetaking over as chancel - awelcoming and inspiring place to of a choir in New York City this past hol - loror Rutgers University — work , live and study . Our faculty are ea - idayseason . SCamden in July of 2021 , ger to serve as mentors to everyone Antonio D . Tillis , Ph.D . , has led the from first - year students to Ph.D . candi - charge to help raise the bar . Within dates , which is why our students partic - THE FUTURE OF RUTGERS - CAMDEN … his first year as the school’s chief execu - ipate in hands - on research earlier and Since I arrived here in July 2021 , I have tive , he established his “ 15 in 5 ” initia - moreoften than they could at most oth - seenso much progress made possible tives , consisting of 15 strategic pro - eruniversities . Our staff is attuned to byso many brilliant and hardworking grams to be im - theunique needs of students at a Mi - individuals.The speed of transforma - plemented over a norityServing Institution like Rutgers – tioncan be dizzying at times , but the re - five - year span . Camden , making sure they have the sult is worth it . Tillis also oversaw academic , social and financial support Maintainingand elevating our Rutgers — Cam - needed to navigate collegiate life and CarnegieR2 research classification is den achieving earn their degrees . When I speak to folks paramount to our success , and our fac - status as a Minor - oncampus , I see that they are united by ultyproduced a remarkable quantity ity Serving Insti - adeep love for the Camden community andquality of research in 2022 . Looking tution , a note - and its residents , whether it is their atupcoming initiatives , I would like to worthy designa - hometownor — as in my case — their seeour students receive even more in - tion given by The adoptivehome . ternships and scholarships not just lo - Department of callyand nationally , but also interna - Education to help EVOLVING WITH THE WORLD OF tionally . Fulbright scholarships are an provide increased EDUCATION … important priority.The partnerships access to higher It goes without saying that technology withinternational universities that I learning for underserved students . haschanged the way we study , teach mentioned earlier will continue to grow Tillis , who most recently worked at andcommunicate . It has been fascinat - innumber and widen in scope . the University of Houston prior to join - ing to witness the evolution of the tools ing Rutgers — Camden , has a great pas - today’sstudents can access ; it gives me THE MOST REWARDING ASPECT OF THE sion for academics . A first - generation a lot of hope for what they will be able JOB … college student , he has been involved in toachieve in the future . I have dedicated my career to serving the world of education for decades , be - Asmy career has progressed , I have publicuniversities where a high per - ginning his career as an associate pro - beenable to meet and exchange ideas centage of students are individuals of fessor at Purdue University and working withmore and more scholars outside color or the first in their families to at - in various teaching and administrative theUnited States — part of that comes tendcollege . I see myself in those stu - roles at other schools like Dartmouth frominternational partnerships Rut - dentsbecause I was that student when I University and College of Charleston gers – Camdenhas forged with universi - startedmy journey in higher education . along the way . ties in Paraguay , Egypt and other coun - Themost rewarding aspect of my job is We spoke to Tillis about what he’s tries.This goes hand in hand with the seeingthose students succeed . I have learned during his time thus far at Rut - increasedemphasis we have seen on di - alsoencountered many students over gers — Camden as well as how he likes to versity , inclusion and multiculturalism , theyears who may look very different spend his free time when he’s not busy which I believe has transformed acade - fromme on paper , but who have shared trying to help shape today’s students for mia for the better . Our university is al - commonbonds or introduced me to lton theworld of tomorrow . e wayslooking to emphasize the comple - newperspectives that I so much appre - Sh s mentaryconcepts of “ local impact and ciate.One of the thrills of academia is ugla A GREAT PLACE TO BE … globalreach , ” both of which have been thesheer variety of people and situa - Do f It is difficult to choose just one aspect of easier for higher - ed institutions to tionsone is exposed to in daily life — dif - o sy RutgersUniversity in Camden that im - achieve as my career has gone on . ferent languages , races , ages , geography , urte pressesme most , but I would have to fields of study , etc . I thrive on the unpre - co ph saythe community environment is ex - UNWINDING OFF THE CLOCK … dictabilityof my work , and I look for - ogra ceptional.Everyone at the university I love to try new cuisines from around ward to transforming a new challenge Phot n plays a role in making Rutgers – Camden theworld , and I enjoy cooking for oth - into a new success each day . SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 20 issue 1 SouthJerseyMagazine.com 64 |