Congratulations from Our Chancellors

Dear Graduates,

Congratulations! Today, you join the generations of alumni who have helped shape this world-class 
institution. Excellence and access thrive here at the state’s flagship university. Ambition meets 
purpose. Discovery serves the common good.

As you leave Rutgers, I hope you carry forward not only what you have learned, but also how you 
have learned to think critically and reflect on ideas, challenges, and people. Reflection is an enduring 
practice. Take time to pause, make sense of your experiences, lean into complexity, and stay curious 
about your mind and others’. This skill helps us name what we feel, understand our own values, 
and appreciate that others may see things differently. It offers a strong foundation for leadership, 
collaboration, and citizenship.

Your Rutgers degree will open doors because of what it represents. It stands for rigorous learning 
and discoveries that address society’s grand challenges. It also represents public engagement that 
strengthens communities and powers innovation. The value of your degree will grow as we build on 
Rutgers’ reputation and impact. That momentum—our momentum—matters. You will carry it with you.

Wherever you go, keep moving forward with strength, kindness, and purpose. Be thoughtful. 
Keep asking good questions, especially of yourself. Try to understand others before seeking to be 
understood. By doing so, you will reach your goals and help create thriving communities.
Warmly

Sincerely,
Francine Conway
Chancellor and Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University–New Brunswick

Dear Rutgers Health Graduates,

Congratulations on this extraordinary achievement. Today is a moment to celebrate your years of hard work, 
perseverance, and growth. It is also a time to recognize the path you are now beginning as leaders in a 
world that needs you more than ever.

The world you are entering is not the one that existed when you first started your journey here at 
Rutgers. Health care, education, and research are changing rapidly. Technology is accelerating, divisions 
are deepening, and even the foundations of science and medicine are being questioned. 
And yet, what an extraordinary time to begin your careers.

You step forward not only as newly minted clinicians, researchers, and public health professionals, 
but as leaders, advocates, and healers. Rutgers has prepared you for this moment—teaching you to adapt, 
to question, to listen, and to lead with knowledge, character, and compassion.

We are immensely proud of you, and we wish you every success as you care for others and help shape 
the future of health for the communities we serve.

Sincerely,
Robert L. Johnson 
Interim Chancellor, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences 
The Sharon and Joseph L. Muscarelle Endowed Dean, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Professor of Pediatrics