Rutgers SPAA Celebrates the Class of 2025
Rutgers SPAA is proud to honor our 2025 graduates!
On Thursday, May 22, School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) graduates were honored and recognized as part of Rutgers University–Newark’s 2025 Commencement held at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Former Rutgers-Newark student and award-winning creator Ramy Youssef was the keynote speaker and honorary degree recipient.
Rutgers SPAA Dean Kaifeng Yang delivered video remarks prior to the ceremony's start. SPAA Assistant Teaching Professor Dr. Michael Dillard (MPA'10) carried the gonfalon for the school in the faculty procession.
SPAA Master of Public Administration graduate Nasheeda Singleton served as the ceremony's graduate student speaker. "As graduates of Rutgers, we are not just stepping into careers," said Singleton, "we are stepping into roles that demand integrity, accountability, and the courage to create change."
BA graduate Odalys Rodriguez was featured as a graduating student of SPAA prior to the awarding of the school's degrees.
Preceding the university commencement ceremony, SPAA held a 2025 Graduation and Awards Celebration on May 14 and a PhD Hooding Ceremony was hosted by the RU-N Graduate School on May 21, both at the Paul Robeson Campus Center.
At SPAA's celebration, this year's 30 inductees into the national honor society for public administration, Pi Alpha Alpha, and the 2025 SPAA Award winners were honored. The keynote speaker was Michael Cerra (MPA'94), who serves as the executive director of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. He reflected on the differences between his journey of entering the workforce and working within public service and what recent graduates face now.
Rutgers SPAA Grads Share Their Experiences
As part of our celebration of our 2025 graduating students, we are pleased to share some of their personal stories.
