At the 2025 Stepping Stone Dinner in New York City, Rutgers Continuing and Professional Studies (CPS) celebrated its expanding global network of students, instructors, and industry leaders shaping the future of professional learning.

CPS Celebrates Achievement and Community

The 2025 Rutgers CPS Stepping Stone Dinner celebrated achievement, progress, and connection, honoring a global community of professionals who completed one of the certificate programs offered by Rutgers Continuing and Professional Studies, including Digital Asset Management (DAM), DAM and Artificial Intelligence, DAM for Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums, and Performing Arts (DAM for GLAM PA), Advanced Creative Operations, and Media Asset Management (MAM).

Our certificate graduates are now prepared to shape the future of digital and creative operations through innovation and learning. The Stepping Stone Dinner, an annual tradition of Continuing and Professional Studies at Rutgers School of Communication and Information, recognizes milestones in each learner’s journey and celebrates the accomplishments of students, alumni, instructors, partners, and colleagues whose collective contributions advance professional learning and create lasting community impact.

An Evening of Reflection and Recognition

On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, members of the Continuing and Professional Studies community gathered in New York City for the fall Stepping Stone Dinner at Sarabeth’s overlooking Central Park. Following the spring event in Los Angeles, this East Coast gathering brought together nearly 60 participants from across the CPS community and industry. The crisp autumn air and warm glow of the city created a perfect setting to celebrate shared purpose within the Rutgers Digital Asset Management (DAM), Creative Operations, and Media Asset Management (MAM) programs.

Assistant Dean for Continuing and Professional Studies, Julie L. Johnson, Ed.D., and David H. Lipsey, one of the global founders of DAM and the Academic Director for Creative Operations and Digital Asset Management, welcomed guests with enthusiasm for the continuing growth of this global professional community. Together, they celebrated the accomplishments of students who have completed nearly 3,500 courses over the past six years. This milestone reflects the dedication of professionals from around the world and the enduring value of lifelong learning in an increasingly complex and connected digital landscape.

Celebrating a Thriving Learning Community

The dinner served as both a celebration and a reunion, bringing together graduates, instructors, and industry leaders whose shared commitment has shaped the program’s success. Throughout the evening, conversations reflected pride in achievement and excitement for what lies ahead, underscoring how the CPS community continues to grow through collaboration and connection.

A Vision That Started It All

The Digital Asset Management (DAM) program, co-founded by Lipsey and Yonah Levenson was envisioned through early conversations with Director of the Master of Information Program and Teaching Professor of Library and Information Science Lilia Pavlovsky Ph.D. Together, they recognized a need for professional learning in higher education that would connect academic insight with industry expertise, laying the groundwork for what has become a thriving global learning community within CPS.

Expanding to Meet Industry Needs

Over the past six years, the DAM program has grown from two annual sessions to a quarterly cohort model that now serves a global audience. The program continues to evolve, adding advanced certificates that deepen expertise in emerging areas such as DAM and Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Creative Operations, and DAM for Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums, and Performing Arts (DAM for GLAM PA). These programs reflect the shared goal of helping professionals apply the knowledge they've gained at Rutgers directly to their work as leaders in the field.

“The success of our graduates reflects the power of professional studies to meet the real needs of today’s industry,” said Johnson. “Each learner brings experience, insight, and determination to our programs, and together, they leave ready to lead with skill, innovation, and purpose.”

Leadership and Instructional Excellence

Johnson and Lipsey have worked in partnership to build a thriving instructional community within CPS, bringing together leaders in the fields of DAM, Creative Operations, and Media Asset Management who are dedicated to investing in the next generation of professionals. Their shared commitment to teaching excellence and collaboration has united more than twenty-five industry experts who share their insight and experience with students across CPS programs. In collaboration with CPS’s curriculum design team, these instructors create learning experiences that are dynamic, relevant, and grounded in real-world practice.

Program Leaders Share Insights and Innovation

During the dinner, several program leaders shared insights from the classroom and celebrated the growing community of learners. Clair Carter-Ginn spoke about the Advanced Creative Operations certificate, developed and led with Amy Strickland and Corey Dill, which helps professionals lead cross-functional teams, optimize creative workflows, and strengthen collaboration. Thomas Stilling highlighted the DAM and Artificial Intelligence certificate, co-taught with Santiago Gonzalez and Misti Voigt, which explores how AI is transforming asset management. Kara Van Malssen, who teaches the DAM for GLAM PA certificate with colleagues Michael McGinnis and Nicholas Krabbenhoft, described how the program connects DAM practice to cultural heritage and creative preservation. Meredith Reese and Christina Gibbs introduced the upcoming MAM in Practice certificate, launching in January 2026 with colleague Annie Erdmann, designed to help professionals manage video and rich media with confidence through AI-enabled systems, metadata design, and leadership practices.

Education and Industry in Partnership

Lipsey spoke about the importance of collaboration between academia and industry, crediting these partnerships for keeping Rutgers programs aligned with the current demands of professional practice. He emphasized how these collaborations ensure that Rutgers programs remain connected to the needs of professionals while advancing the global conversation around DAM.

“When knowledge, creativity, and collaboration come together, extraordinary things happen,” said Lipsey. “Rutgers programs stand as proof that when education and industry work in concert, we not only advance a profession but strengthen a global community of leaders shaping its future.”

The Pinning Ceremony: A Night to Remember

The highlight of the evening was the Pinning Ceremony of the graduates, which symbolized both achievement and belonging within the CPS community. It was a moment of recognition not only for professional accomplishment but for the relationships built throughout the learning journey. The event provided graduates, students, and instructors with time to share dinner, reflect on their experiences as CPS students, and reconnect with one another. For many, it was also an opportunity to network with professionals across the industry, exchange ideas, and celebrate the growth of a vibrant learning community shaped by care, collaboration, and shared purpose.

As conversations continued into the night and the lights of Central Park glimmered across the street, one message stood out. This is a community that not only responds to change but also drives it forward together. The 2025 Stepping Stone Dinner reflected the energy and purpose that define Rutgers Continuing and Professional Studies, a community where learning fuels progress and connection drives innovation.

Learn more about Rutgers Continuing and Professional Studies at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information on the website.