January 28, 2022: Booster Requirement and Return to Campus
Spotlight
Booster Requirement
COVID-19 vaccine boosters are required of all employees who are eligible to receive them. Proof of the booster must be uploaded to the employee vaccine portal by Monday, January 31. Vaccine boosters are readily available throughout the region, including at all three Rutgers campuses. Information on scheduling a booster is available on the Rutgers COVID-19 Vaccination webpage. Those with approved exemptions from the vaccine mandate are also exempt from the booster requirement. Those who have recently tested positive for COVID-19 may extend the booster deadline by 90 days from the date of their positive COVID test. The application process can be found on the Return to Rutgers vaccine portal. OptumRx members are eligible for coverage of over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 diagnostic tests as per Senior Vice President for Human Resources Vivian Fernández's announcement. Lastly, don't forget to review the latest information and guidance for our return to campus, including the updated Guide to Returning to Rutgers.
From the Desk of...
Chancellor Brian L. Strom
Dear Colleagues,
For all of us, I am sure, the start of 2022 felt all too familiar. Fortunately, we have learned much in the past two years, and this understanding coupled with the support of our resilient community has enabled us to remain nimble in the face of this evolving virus and make necessary adjustments to continue our progress along our return to regular activity. The fastest path through this pandemic is to follow recommended health guidance: get boosted (and upload your record by 1/31), wear a mask, and stay home and contact your personal health care provider if you are not feeling well. To hear the latest updates from me and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Antonio Calcado, please join us live at 9 a.m. next Thursday, February 3, for another edition of the COVID-19 Health Briefing.
Announcements
Faces & Voices
In the ninth episode of the video interview series Faces & Voices, host President Jonathan Holloway joins Kristin Dana, venerated and oft-honored professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the School of Engineering, for a discussion of the impactful roles played by the deep learning process, technology in the garden state, post-graduation placement success, and interdisciplinary collaboration and research in fostering community and achieving shared goals locally and globally. Watch this and other recorded episodes of Faces & Voices, and check back later in the semester for brand new episodes!
2022 Health Briefings
Join RBHS Chancellor Brian Strom live via Zoom for COVID-19 Health Briefings at 9 a.m. on the first Thursday of each month through May for important details and updates on the pandemic, including campus and statewide statistics, and the latest public health safety guidelines and mandates. Submit your questions beforehand and join Chancellor Strom next week as he's joined by Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Antonio Calcado on Thursday, February 3!
From the Front Lines
Tune into “A Voice from the Battlefield,” the first episode of 2022 of the On the Pandemic podcast, where host Mary Marchetta O’Dowd is joined by Lewis S. Nelson, professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine and chief of the Division of Medical Toxicology at New Jersey Medical School. As a practicing physician, Nelson shares his firsthand account from the front lines from the start of the pandemic through Omicron and the recent surge, as well as the latest prevention guidance and anticipated developments for the days ahead.
More to Know
Policy Update
The Office of the Secretary of the University announces the recent addition of Policy 50.5.1: Membership and Organization of the Campus Faculty Councils (PDF) to the University Policy Library. View other recent policy updates, including previous versions of updated policies, available at Recent Policy Updates. For specific questions about policy interpretations, contact the responsible office listed on each policy. For general questions, please email the Office of the Secretary of the University.
Submit Rutgers Day Programs
Spread the word: Rutgers Day will return in-person on Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Members of Rutgers–New Brunswick and RBHS communities are invited to submit their programs by February 18. Visit the Rutgers Day website and log in with your NETID to submit your program, download marketing materials, and view a Rutgers Day webinar for programming tips. For questions or help planning your program, email rutgersday@rutgers.edu or call 848-445-1921.
Psychotherapy Insights
Next week, as part of the international series Live Legacy Interviews: Conversations with Luminaries in the Field of Child Psychotherapy, Rutgers–New Brunswick Chancellor-Provost Francine Conway, an award-winning clinician in child mental health, will share her insights and wealth of expertise on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children as well as how diversity, racial, and cultural issues affect the treatment of minority patients and their families. Cosponsored by MINDinMIND, American Psychological Association Division 39 Section II, The National Service Office for Nurse-Family Partnership and Child First, this virtual interview-based event will focus on means of removing the stigma of ADHD and driving social change as practitioners and will take place on Tuesday, February 1, 12 p.m.–2 p.m. Find out more about this event, pricing, and register for tickets today!
Athletic Compliance
The 2021-2022 Faculty and Staff Brochure (PDF) from the Office of Athletic Compliance details Rutgers University, B1G Conference, and NCAA regulations that all faculty and staff should know when interacting with prospective and current student-athletes. Compliance guidelines and details cover a variety of topics, including definitions, reminders, and policies. Contact the Office of Athletic Compliance with any questions or concerns.
Ask Us Anything
Are there any investment planning resources I can take advantage of?
As part of the Rutgers Employees First initiative several financial webinars have been scheduled this spring for employees universitywide. Hosted by AIG and Prudential through May and focusing on financial wellness, this free virtual series provides information and tools to introduce and encourage best practices in financial planning, management, decision making, and planning for the future. Employees are also encouraged to take advantage of additional wellness resources and previous wellness seminars via the Discover UHR Wellness website.
What's Happening
Geology Museum Open House
On Saturday, January 29, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., everyone is invited to join the Rutgers Geology Museum’s 54th Annual Open House online and help celebrate its 150th anniversary. This all-day lineup of virtual events includes lectures, children’s activities, and even an online fossil/mineral sale via a Facebook Auction. No registration required for this free, pubic event, so feel free to spread the word and share this event flyer (pdf) so all can help celebrate this momentous occasion!
NJ Film Festival
Starting today and running through February 20, all are invited to the Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center’s and the School of Arts and Sciences Cinema Studies program’s New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2022 program as it returns on select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the festival’s films will become available online for 24 hours on their show dates and select live screenings will take place in room 105 of Voorhees Hall on College Avenue Campus. Check out the upcoming film lineup and buy your tickets to join in the celebration!
Bildner Center Book Talk
On Tuesday, February 1, starting at 7:30 p.m., The Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life at the School of Arts and Sciences invites members of the Rutgers community and general public to join for The Toby and Herbert Stolzer Annual Lecture with special guest speaker Laura Arnold Leibman, author and professor of English and humanities at Reed College. During this free, virtual book talk, Leibman will discuss her new book, Once We Were Slaves: The Extraordinary Journey of a Multiracial Jewish Family. Advanced registration required, so view more details—including a brief video introduction to the book by the author—and register today!
INTERRUPTing Microaggressions
RBHS faculty members are invited to register to join INTERRUPTing Microaggressions, an interactive virtual workshop to learn about helping to cultivate an inclusive and supportive environment for all on Wednesday, February 9, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Sponsored by RBHS Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion Sangeeta Lamba, this workshop addresses microaggressions’ impact on learning and working environments as well as facilitates small learning groups for participants to learn how to use the INTERRUPT language-based toolkit to embrace the role of an “Upstander.” Additionally, RBHS staff members are invited to register for a second iteration of this virtual workshop on Wednesday, March 9.
Awards & Honors
Rutgers AAAS Fellows
Earlier this week, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) announced the election by the AAAS Council of 564 members as Fellows of AAAS, 12 of whom are Rutgers–New Brunswick or RBHS faculty members, in recognition of their “efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications in service to society hav(ing) distinguished them among their peers and colleagues.” Considered one of the scientific community’s most distinct honors, this unprecedented number of Rutgers inductees/honorees includes: Emanuel DiCicco-Bloom, professor of neuroscience and cell biology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Ying Fan Reinfelder, professor of earth and planetary sciences in the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS); Cecile A. Feldman, dean of and professor at the School of Dental Medicine; Patricia Fitzgerald-Bocarsly, provost of RBHS-Newark and professor of pathology laboratory medicine in New Jersey Medical School (NJMS); William C. Gause, director of the Center for Immunity and Inflammation and senior associate dean for research at NJMS; Alan Goldman, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and chemical biology at SAS; Max Häggblom, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS); Julie Lockwood, professor and chair of the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources at SEBS; Margaret Marsh, University Professor of History at Rutgers–Camden and core faculty member at RBHS’ Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research; Tara Matise, professor and chair of the Department of Genetics at SAS; Andrew Singson, professor of genetics at SAS and the Waksman Institute of Microbiology; and Renping Zhou, William and Myrle Garbe Chair in Cancer and Leukemia Research at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy. Please join us in congratulating our colleagues as the newest AAAS Fellows!
Nicholi Vorsa
Nicholi Vorsa, professor in the Department of Plant Biology and former director of New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station’s Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension at School of Environmental and Biological Sciences was honored as one of only two recipients of the 2022 Service to Industry Award from the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers’ Association (WSCGA) at the 2022 Wisconsin Cranberry School and Conference on January 19. Considered the WSCGA’s highest honor, this award recognizes, “outstanding service to the industry and WSCGA.”
On The Move
Danielle Dick
Danielle Dick has been appointed the inaugural director of the Rutgers Addiction Research Center at the Brain Health Institute and professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dick joins Rutgers after having served as distinguished commonwealth professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Ethan Halm
Ethan Halm has joined Rutgers as the inaugural vice chancellor of population health for RBHS and deputy chief population health officer at RWJBarnabas Health. Previously, Halm served as a professor of internal medicine and population and data sciences at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine, and director of the Program in Outcomes and Health Services Research.
Kareem S. Mumford
Kareem S. Mumford recently assumed his appointed position as the director of communications and marketing for the School of Arts and Sciences. Mumford joins Rutgers after serving as the manager of marketing and internal communications at the City University of New York’s School of Professional Studies and the director of marketing and communications for Baruch College in Manhattan.