U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester to Speak at Rutgers University

WHEN: Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Press Arrival: 6:30 PM

Lecture Start Time: 7:00 PM

Q&A: 7:40 PM

WHERE: Rutgers Academic Building

East Wing, Room 2400

College Avenue Campus, Rutgers-New Brunswick

15 Seminary Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

The 2025 Senator Wynona Lipman Chair in Women's Political Leadership Lecture will feature U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester for the event, “Citizen to Changemaker: Making Your Voice Matter.” Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester, who represents Delaware in the U.S. Senate, previously served four terms as Delaware’s at-large representative to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she was the first woman and the first Black person to represent Delaware in Congress. She made history again in 2024 as Delaware’s first woman and first Black person elected to the U.S. Senate. She also broke new ground in 2025 as one of the first two Black women to serve in the U.S. Senate at the same time — the first time this has occurred in the nation’s history.

A leader in workforce development, healthcare, and criminal justice reform, she co-founded and co-chaired the bipartisan Congressional Future of Work Caucus, helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act and Telehealth Modernization Act, championed the passage of the TRAIN Act, and introduced the Clean Slate Act. She has also led coastal resilience and climate initiatives. Born in Philadelphia and raised in Wilmington, she holds degrees from Fairleigh Dickinson University and the University of Delaware and is a proud mother and grandmother.

Senator Blunt Rochester will be joined in conversation by her sister Marla Blunt-Carter, associate professor of professional practice at the Rutgers School of Social Work.

About the Lipman Chair

Established in honor of the late state Senator Wynona Lipman, the Lipman Chair celebrates her legacy as the first Black woman to serve in the New Jersey State Senate. Senator Lipman (b. 1923-d. 1999) served for 27 years, earning the nickname “Steel Magnolia” for her unwavering advocacy for women's rights, education, and civil rights in the Garden State. Through prominent speakers and educational programs, the Lipman Chair aims to inspire women's leadership and honor Senator Lipman's groundbreaking contributions. The Lipman Chair is made possible by the support of the New Jersey Legislature.

Please RSVP if you plan to attend and provide notification if you intend to photograph or record the event.