“SoE is where my heart is." – Ilene Rosen BA’82, MEd’87, EdD‘97
Ilene Rosen’s freshman year at Rutgers was the start of the first-generation student’s more than 40-year academic and professional relationship with the university. She joined the Rutgers School of Engineering (SoE) in 1987 as part of a retention initiative for the Education Opportunity Fund (EOF) program, eventually serving as its director. Her expanding SoE role culminated in her position as associate dean of Student Services. She founded TARGET (The Academy at Rutgers for Girls in Engineering and Technology) and Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology (GSET) initiatives – innovative summer engineering programs for students from elementary through high school. She is a dedicated advisor to student organizations, from the Society of Hispanic Engineers (SHE) and the Engineering Governing Council to the Society of Women in Engineering (SWE) and Rutgers Formula Racing. She is the recipient of the 2025 Medal of Excellence Dean’s Award for Service and Lifetime Achievement.
Congratulations on your School of Engineering Medal of Excellence Dean’s Award for Service and Lifetime Achievement. What does it mean to you?
SoE has been my home since March of 1987. It’s where my heart is, so it means a lot to get this recognition. I’ve been fortunate to have a career where my heart is fully present. Once, a former colleague said of me that I don’t just love my job, I live my job – and it’s true.
Why Rutgers?
Rutgers was the only school I applied to, and my only choice.
What do you most value about your Rutgers education?
I have three Rutgers degrees – a BA in English and master's and doctoral degrees in educational psychology. My BA gave me an opportunity to take a lot of different courses for a nice liberal arts education. I don’t think a day has gone by that the knowledge and experience I gained from my doctoral program, which included work in counseling psychology, hasn’t informed my work and positively impacted my career. While my intention was to go into private practice, by the time I finished my degree, I so loved what I was doing here, I didn’t want to leave.
What led you to found the TARGET program and Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology initiatives?
I have such space in my heart for them both. More than 20 years ago there was a lot of research about why more girls weren’t going into engineering. I’d heard someone speak at a conference who explained that up until around age 11 or 12, boys and girls did equally well in math and science. That’s when girls started to go underground with their math and science skills. We wanted to show girls that math and science were still cool. So, with TARGET, our first program was for sixth and seventh graders. It’s grown to include girls up through high school. Did we create the program to get students to come to Rutgers? Not necessarily, but we hoped some would – and they have.
With Governor’s School, we were given the opportunity to create something for high-achieving students where they learn about things they wouldn’t see in high school. We had 64 students this summer who are incredibly connected with each other and our student staff, who are enjoying the opportunity to learn for the sake of learning.
What have you most enjoyed about advising student organizations?
I think it’s the opportunity to be an advisor to students as they take on leadership roles – and get to see so much growth, humanity, and caring. What gives me hope for the future is the students I’ve gotten to know through student organizations, and to see how much they care.
It’s also an opportunity for students – who may find themselves in spaces working with top management – to get to know an administrator as part of their professional development. I tell students that life is your 24-hour-a-day job interview. You never know if the person you met at a party will be interviewing you someday soon.
Which of your many accomplishments during your Rutgers Engineering career are you most proud of?
One of the things I’m most proud of is the connection with alumni who’ve been through either EOF, SHE, EGC, or other organizations. Ten years could go by, and I’ll still recognize their voices if they call me. I really love the fact that the connection moves forward, so that I get to see more of the endgame. Staying in touch and getting to see what they’re doing makes me very happy.
What is your secret sauce for student success?
If I knew the answer, I could bottle the sauce and be rich. But what has worked for me is treating students with respect and honesty. That’s the foundation I start with that’s been appreciated. There have been times I’ve been a little embarrassed by how grateful students are for feeling heard or cared about. But I believe that should be a given.
What advice do you have for today’s engineering students?
One piece of advice I’d give: don’t pick your major on what is needed at the time as these things change. Base your decision on where your interests truly lie. Things have changed. People move a lot. Technology is changing. You won’t necessarily stay in the same job your entire career. You can’t be complacent – it’s important to stay up to date on technology and to be nimble. And along with that, it’s really important to pay as much attention to people skills as technical skills.
You’re about to retire. What are your plans?
I’m giving myself a gap year. If you can do that after high school or college, why not after a great big, beautiful career?
What will you miss the most?
The people – both the students and the people I work with. Many of them feel like family. I’ve been so fortunate, I don’t ever take them for granted.
If you were to take a vacation tomorrow, where would you go?
I’d take one of two kinds of vacations. One is a pure download relaxation vacation sitting on the beach in Anguilla. The other is seeing sights I’ve never seen before all around the world.
