The Ingenuity of Alumni

Combat Ready
Lieutenant General Flora D. Darpino CLAW’86* is the 39th Judge Advocate General of the United States Army (JAG), the first woman to hold the position. She is the face of the Army’s military justice system. She also advises the Army’s secretary and chief of staff on legal matters and oversees the JAG’s staff of 10,000. Watch a video segment from Our Revoluntionary Spirit.

Splendor in the Grass
Dubbed “Rutgers’ living lawn legend” by the New York Times, C. Reed Funk GSNB’62* developed pest-resistant perennial ryegrasses that have become the variety of choice for fine lawns. More than half of all premium turfgrass seed sold in the United States originates from Rutgers, with varieties underfoot at Yankee Stadium, Baltusrol Golf Club, the White House—and maybe your own house.

Street Smarts
Carol-Lynn Parente CC’86, right, Sesame Street’s executive producer, and Rosemarie Truglio DC’83, Sesame Workshop education and research senior vice president, bring sunny days full of numbers, letters, and life lessons to 156 million children worldwide. Studies find that “preschoolers who watch the show do significantly better on a range of cognitive outcomes than those who don’t.”

Good Sports
Three alumni changed the face of sports presentation on television. David (Sonny) Werblin RC’31*, right, an owner of the New York Jets, signed and marketed Joe Namath, and the NFL took off. Bill Rasmussen RBS’60 founded ESPN. David Stern RC’63*, as NBA commissioner, leveraged the talents of superstars like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Kobe Bryant to make the league ever more popular.

“Today’s communications industry would not be what it is without Richard H. Frenkiel [GSNB’65] and Joel S. Engel.” — ideafinder.com
The AT&T labs researchers divided wireless communications into a series of cells so that each cell could be reused, making today’s mobile communications possible. 

*A member of the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni