Dear Supporters,

Reflecting on another remarkable year at the School of Communication and Information (SC&I), I am deeply grateful for your unwavering support. Your generosity has been the cornerstone of our success, enabling us to grow, innovate, and create a profound impact.

Empowering Students Through Scholarships
Thanks to you, SC&I scholarship recipients are pursuing their education without the burden of financial barriers. These scholarships empower students to focus on their academic and professional aspirations, knowing they have a supportive community behind them. Your contributions are truly life-changing—creating opportunities that will resonate for years to come.

This year, we were especially honored to collaborate with donors, foundations, and benefactors to establish a memorial scholarship in honor of the late father of one of our Ph.D. program graduates. This fund will support Ph.D. candidates at SC&I, with a preference for those focused on health studies and, specifically, health communication. This initiative exemplifies our dedication to supporting students’ diverse academic and career pursuits.

Celebrating Key Partnerships and Events
We continued to foster meaningful partnerships and host impactful events in 2024. Highlights include our collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) for the annual #BeCOMM campaign, which promotes the communication major at Rutgers and informs undeclared majors, transfer students, and prospective students about the exciting opportunities at SC&I.

We also welcomed new corporate sponsors who share our mission, including Manasquan Bank, while continuing our valued partnerships with SHI and Johnson & Johnson.

Connecting with Alumni
This fall, I had the privilege of reconnecting with accomplished alumni during a trip to Massachusetts. I met with Tony Maroulis ’94 (BA Journalism/English), executive director of community and strategic initiatives at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who shared how his SC&I experience laid the foundation for his career. I also had the honor of meeting Andrew Medlar MLIS ’96, president and director of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, to inform him of his well-deserved nomination for the SC&I Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

Looking Ahead to 2025
We’re excited for what lies ahead. In the coming year, we aim to:

• Expand our research on digital truth in an era of AI.
• Grow our scholarship fund to support even more students.
• Foster global collaborations to advance learning and innovation.

In January, I’ll be traveling to the Chicagoland area for a week to meet with alumni whose careers span diverse fields—from a senior editor at Ad Age to a former vice president at Valparaiso University. I look forward to learning from their experiences and sharing SC&I’s latest innovations and successes.

Your Continued Impact

Please take a moment to view our thank-you video. Your support equips students with opportunities to engage in innovative research, develop creative solutions to real-world challenges, and gain valuable, hands-on experience in their fields.

Stay Connected
We are honored to have your partnership in shaping the future of communication, information, and media. Together, we are making a meaningful difference in the lives of our students and the broader community.

We look forward to staying connected in 2025—whether it’s through upcoming events, our website, or continued collaboration.

A Final Note: Make an Impact Today
If you have not yet had the opportunity to contribute this year, there’s still time to make an impact. Your support, at any level, helps us provide scholarships, fund groundbreaking research, and create innovative programs that benefit students and the world they’ll serve.

Please consider making an end-of-year gift to SC&I. Together, we will continue shaping the future of communication, information, and media. Visit “Ways to Give” to make your contribution today.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Blain Bradley
Assistant Dean for Development
School of Communication and Information
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Caption: Blain Bradley enjoyed breathtaking views of the city of Pittsburgh during his downtime from visiting SC&I donors. 

Image: Blain Bradley