On June 23, 2022, Rutgers School of Business–Camden (RSBC) successfully held its Inaugural Professional Development Conference. Attendees represented business, non-profit, and community leaders, high school educators, Camden residents, and colleagues across the Rutgers University community. The event is one of many new initiatives RSBC has launched to collaborate more with our community, non-profit, and corporate partners and demonstrate its commitment to being a regional leader in business education.
Dean Monica Adya kicked off the conference with an energizing welcome and highlighted a few of her strategic goals for the School. One attendee commented, “I really enjoyed how the conference began where everyone went around the room and introduced themselves; it was great to hear from everyone in the room and their connection to Rutgers and/or why they were attending. This level of collegiality set the tone as attendees went into topic-based breakout sessions.”
Dr. Oscar Holmes IV, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, led a very successful session on the Foundations of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Concurrently, David Vance, recently retired Clinical Assistant Professor, led a Leadership Development session. As the morning came to a close, Carla Mandell, Project and Data Manager for RSBC, led an interactive design thinking session, where attendees worked in small groups to identify a challenge they faced and how to reframe it into an opportunity. For those thinking of starting a business venture, Robert Palumbo, Director of the NJ Small Business Development Center at RSBC, facilitated a workshop entitled, Foundations of Entrepreneurship: Starting a Successful Business.
The day culminated with lunch and a lively panel discussion and Q&A with Dean Adya, Associate Dean Holmes, and Dr. Snehamay Banerjee, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, which was moderated by Kandace Diedrick, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs. An attendee remarked, “Absolutely loved the entire concept. This is a step in the right direction to help bridge the gap in our education system. My favorite was the open discussion session. It sparked some great ideas and strategies of how I can assist with solving some of these challenges.”
The 2nd Annual Professional Development Conference is scheduled for March 31, 2023, which promises to build on the success of this inaugural conference. For more information about the programs and opportunities at Rutgers School of Business–Camden, please visit www.business.camden.rutgers.edu.
