NEWS

MGSA receives largest-ever gift
The school has received the largest gift in its history—an anonymous $8.8 million gift that funds the school’s Arts in Health initiatives and endows a new faculty chair in Arts in Health.

Rutgers Theater Department ranked among The Hollywood Reporter’s “25 Best Drama Schools in the World” for 2025
“Rutgers’s location means that students are able to regularly work with industry professionals who come in as guest artists as well as access opportunities in New York,” The Hollywood Reporter says.

Nancy Yunhwa Rao named Board of Governors Professor of Music
The Rutgers Board of Governors acknowledged Rao’s “award-winning scholarship on a wide array of topics, including gender and music, sketch studies, musical modernism, cultural fusion and racial representation.”

Ellen Bredehoft named interim dean
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Ellen Bredehoft will assume the role of Interim Dean of Mason Gross School of the Arts, effective July 1, 2025, as the university continues the search for the school’s next permanent Dean.

Dance alum uses movement skills in her career as a social worker
“Dance is such a great outlet for emotions, and when I notice that a client is struggling with reconnecting with their body, I will use dancing mindfulness to help them,” says Maddy Zijdel (BFA’13), assistant director of clinical support at Rutgers’ Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance.

Best in Class: Five of Our Favorite Courses at MGSA
This spring, MGSA faculty gave us the inside scoop on the courses they’re teaching—from street style dance classes to closet-flipping DIY workshops, we’re highlighting one registration-worthy class from each department.