Rowan grads and two bustling campus centers built on decades of political experience work for public good through policy, lobbying and advocacy.

By Barbara Baals

Politics is the business of the people—as powerful as a single, decisive vote and as varied as the reasons that motivate people to join the fray.

An ironworker by trade, Steve Sweeney pursued public office to advocate for people with disabilities after his daughter was born with Down syndrome.

Drawn by a commitment to serve others, Chrissy Buteas ’04 wanted to work for the FBI or CIA. Brian Woods ’12 and Kyle Sullender ’17 both considered journalism, leaning in on their strength as communicators.
A first-generation student devoted to democratic ideals, Hafiza Kazi ’20 was certain she’d have a career assisting political campaigns.

And Ben Dworkin, Ph.D., continues the work he began 17 years ago that would earn him recognition as one of the 100 most powerful unelected people in New Jersey politics. At Rowan, he teaches and leads a thriving center serving students and the public.

Through experience, coalition-building and exceptionally hard work, all found their way to public service. They are among an impressive—and growing—number of Rowan University alumni, affiliates and educators who hold key leadership roles locally, statewide and nationally.

Public higher education for public service

While career choices that land people in politics may be unexpected, Rowan's public roots help direct a flourishing academic environment and outreach programs. Two University entities—the Rowan Institute for Public Policy & Citizenship (RIPPAC) and the Steve Sweeney Center for Public Policy—work to educate and engage students, faculty and the public in politics, policy and citizenship while addressing New Jersey’s most pressing issues through evidence-based research.

Both centers are housed in the College of Humanities & Social Sciences. So, too, is Rowan’s new Master of Public Policy program, which provides students with the skills and experiences necessary to be successful leaders and public servants.

Students in the program can specialize in a host of public policy areas—from criminal justice and emergency management to engineering and education, among others.

In concert, the centers and graduate program elevate Rowan’s role in educating students and the public on civic issues and engagement while offering research-based solutions that help move New Jersey forward.

Work ethic and grit

When it comes to moving the state forward, Buteas always is all in. As president and CEO of the Healthcare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ), she heads up the leading trade association for the state’s top research-based biopharmaceutical and medical technology companies. She has seen Rowan’s
growing impact firsthand.

“I’m running into more Rowan alumni every day, especially in Trenton,” said Buteas, who recently recruited Sullender, her former intern at the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), to join HINJ as its director of government relations.

“Our alumni have a certain work ethic and grit to them.”

Buteas’s ascension to the highest levels of public policy, lobbying and advocacy began with the undergraduate internship she didn’t land.

“I applied for an internship with the FBI, which I didn’t get. It was an honors program for approximately 50 students across the nation,” said Buteas, who earned her bachelor’s degree in law and justice studies.

“But then I got an internship with Sen. Jon Corzine when Professor (Bruce) Caswell offered to connect
me with a Rowan alum in Corzine’s Barrington office.”

Eventually, Buteas, who juggled five internships during her undergraduate years while also playing for the Profs’ 2002 national championship field hockey squad, completed a 40-hour-per-week unpaid internship with Corzine’s Newark office. Even before graduation from Rowan, she was offered a position
as a front desk clerk.

She learned about government and the importance of making—and keeping—connections.

“It was more about being in a place where I had room to grow,” she said. “The work really interested me­—learning how our government functions, learning about the work they do and how that impacts people’s lives.”

Buteas’s career includes, among other positions, serving as chief government affairs officer for the NJBIA, where she was chief lobbyist and political strategist for the nation’s largest statewide employer association; leading the Home Care & Hospice Association of New Jersey, where, as president and CEO, she advocated for the state’s home care and hospice agencies; and serving as executive director of NEW JOBS PAC, the largest business political action committee in the state.

“I enjoy interacting with policymakers and stakeholders,” said Buteas, a former council member in South Plainfield. “I’m in the people business. I tell people, ‘If you’re not uncomfortable when you walk into rooms, it’s time to expand your horizons.’ The growth never stops. “In this work, you’re always interacting, coalition-building.”

Just say yes

That’s how Brian Woods built his career. A former reporter, Woods is chief of staff to State Sen. Latham Tiver (R-8) and Assemblyman Michael Torrisi. Moreover, he is a councilman in Shamong and serves on the Burlington County Bridge Commission, which he covered as a reporter.

“I wasn’t expecting to transition into politics. I never had a plan for it. I just said yes to things,” Woods said, attributing his interest in politics to covering township and school board meetings.

“The chief of staff’s most important role is managing the schedule, the day-to-day minutia,” said Woods, who began his career as communications director for former Assemblyman Ryan Peters (R-8).

“In state politics, the things you think more about are the relationships,” Woods said. “That’s the crux of the job. You really see it on the lobbying side of things. In the beginning of your career, you go to all of the events, you talk to people and you say yes to everything after hours. You have to put in the work.”

Ask the right questions

Kyle Sullender earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism and philosophy—two areas that have helped him tremendously at both the NJBIA, where he was director of economic policy research, and now HINJ, he said. He also covered local governments as a freelance reporter.

“I gained the ability to ask the right questions and identify what the questions were,” said Sullender, who formerly was executive director of Focus NJ, an independent research nonprofit focused on economic and workforce research.

“The incredible part of my job is that I get to engage people with different views,” he continued. “At the end of the day, everyone is here because they are trying to make our state a better place to live, work and raise a family—even if we don’t always agree on how to get there. When I sit down, I try to understand not only what the law is, but where the support is and how we can move policy forward.”

A former editor for The Whit and a former resident assistant, Sullender said he connects easily with  alumni he encounters in his work.

“I see Rowan alumni constantly,” he said. “I feel like we are a little family. There’s so much camaraderie. In the Statehouse, the number of staffers that have come through RIPPAC is fantastic.”

Priorities on a very different level

Hafiza Kazi, who was involved with RIPPAC, is unabashedly pro-New Jersey and pro-Rowan, so
much so that she signs her emails to certain folks—even alumni from rival institutions­—with “Go Profs.”

At 26, the political science graduate is the scheduler for the Washington, D.C., office of first-year Democratic U.S. Sen. Andy Kim. Kazi’s high-profile position requires her to maintain the calendar for Kim, who serves on five Senate committees.

“It’s a very intense role,” Kazi said. “It’s generally an on-call job all the time. When I was a student, I didn’t realize how valuable a role like this is, the level of detail you need. I like being behind the scenes and knowing how things come about. Schedulers see everything. They deal with the most personal part of someone’s life, which is their time.”

Active with the Rowan Democrats—“They were a big part of my time at Rowan. The Rowan Dems gave me an incredible network,” she said—Kazi worked on political campaigns throughout her undergraduate years.  She interned with both the Gloucester County and state Democratic parties and worked on two congressional campaigns simultaneously, including Kim’s 2020 election.

“I never had a free summer,” said Kazi, the daughter of immigrants from Bangladesh.

“I fell in love with campaigning. If you asked me five years ago what I’d be doing today, I would have thought I would be helping people I believed in get into office.”

Right after graduation, Kazi joined Kim’s district staff working in constituent services. Eventually she took the scheduler position. When Kim won his Senate seat, she moved with him.

“I enjoy logistics, planning and operations. You’re in the room hearing reasoning from senior staff. You learn priorities on a very different level. It’s an enriching experience.

“I think I’m most proud of the relationships I’ve made on the Hill and in D.C.,” Kazi added. “Without the network I made, I wouldn’t be here.” 

Centered on straight talk and solutions, Steve Sweeney continues to connect leaders

New Jersey politics doesn’t often feature much nuance. But with his leadership amid hard lines and high stakes, former State Senate President Steve Sweeney showed his capacity to work for people and progress across political divides.

The Steve Sweeney Center for Public Policy at Rowan, founded in 2022, reflects the commitment to bipartisan policymaking that Sweeney modeled at the Statehouse and throughout New Jersey for his nearly 25 years in public office. Sweeney was chair of the center’s advisory board until he stepped down in 2024 to announce his candidacy for governor.

“The Sweeney Center brings together the best experts and rigorous researchers to develop pragmatic solutions to improve New Jersey’s competitiveness, grow our economy, enhance our quality of life and
make the state more affordable for all of us,” Sweeney said.

Since its inception, the Sweeney Center has assembled groups of the state’s most prominent policymakers and brightest minds to focus on myriad issues—from New Jersey’s fiscal outlook to emerging clean energy to housing challenges to education. The center focuses on clear, independent analysis, initiating reports and leading conferences to address issues in a collaborative, bipartisan way.

Since 2022, the center’s multiyear budget workgroup, comprised of a group of high-profile budget officials, including policy experts, academicians and economists, has provided a multiyear perspective to developing fiscal policy issues while working to find solutions.

The center has led two conferences on off-shore wind energy, as well as a conference on emerging energy, which brought leading CEOs and the president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to Glassboro for frank talk on developing a long-term approach to policy that addresses green energy while ensuring affordability and reliability for customers.

The center collaborated with the College of Education to create the Rowan School Regionalization Institute to host a conference and conduct regionalization studies for interested school districts.

Additionally, a conference on restructuring higher education last fall included Secretary of Higher Education Brian K. Bridges, Sen. Joseph Cryan, chair of the senate higher education committee and representatives from seven New Jersey colleges and universities, as well as the American Federation of Teachers.

In the spring, the Sweeney Center hosted two more conferences: “Artificial Intelligence: Challenges
and Opportunities for Government and Business” and “The Future of Journalism."

For more information, please visit: go.rowan.edu/sweeneycenter.

Centered on students, RIPPAC leads engagement in politics, policy

The Rowan Institute for Public Policy & Citizenship (RIPPAC) works to educate and engage students, faculty and the public in politics, policy and citizenship.

Established in 2018 and led by founding director Ben Dworkin, RIPPAC hosts politically prominent guest speakers for formal programming, as well as informal discussions with students.

Students involved with RIPPAC receive mentorship in career development, including landing internships and scholarships.

In 2024, nearly 300 Rowan students attended RIPPAC events. This academic year, every top-tier major party candidate for New Jersey governor visited Rowan, according to Dworkin.

Altogether, more than 50 students have received scholarships through the institute. The scholarships support students taking on summer internships in politics, government or issue advocacy. Because most internships in public service are unpaid, the financial assistance is key for students interested in the field, Dworkin noted.

Last year, RIPPAC awarded $38,500 in intern scholarships to students. This year, Dworkin expects that amount to increase to $62,500.

The RIPPAC Gala held this spring raised $185,000 for civic programming and student scholarships.

“Our scholarship funds will continue to ensure that no student is ever denied the opportunity to experience public service because of financial need,” Dworkin said.

Currently, Rowan alumni who were involved with RIPPAC are employed in eight state legislative district offices. Three work with members of Congress, according to Dworkin.

“In seven years, we’ve been able to train and support scores of young people, from both sides of the aisle, for public service,” Dworkin said.

“Through RIPPAC, students from all different majors learn new political skills, engage in critical networking and develop advanced leadership abilities. After graduation, they remain a part of our growing RIPPAC family of committed citizens eager to make a difference. “We are engaged in workforce development for democracy.”

For information, please visit go.rowan.edu/RIPPAC