Student Organizations

Participation in a SHP Student Organization provides opportunity to get involved outside the classroom and enhance the holistic and individual student experience. Students have the opportunity to create their own student organization, apply to become a student leader for a student organization, or join current student organization and be involved in fun/informative events, charitable fundraisers, and other student activities.

If you have any questions about student organizations or if you would like to get involved with the SHP Student Government Association, please email osa@shp.rutgers.edu.

Please visit our student organizations page often as we will be adding information about our current student organizations as soon as applications are completed.

Student Organizations Directory

Summaries and contact information student organizations will be posted as organizations are approved.

The Health Professions Christian Fellowship is a graduate student-led community at Rutgers School of Health Professions seeking to encourage one another in our Christian faith while growing as healthcare professionals committed to serving our communities.

Questions? Please contact hr484@shp.rutgers.edu

The Student Dietetic Association (SDA) works to promote the Rutgers School of Public Health Nutrition and Dietetics Programs and share nutrition concepts campus-wide and throughout the community through awareness and involvement.

The SDA aims to provide opportunities for professional development/ networking among members, promote evidence-based nutrition practices and recommendations, and provide a space for both distance nutrition students and local nutrition students to interact and engage.  The SDA hosts virtual guest speakers, participates in National Nutrition Month events, and is involved in local dietetics-related functions.

The Prideful Future of Healthcare (PFOH) is a student organization with the mission to provide visibility, advocacy, and education regarding LGBTQIA+ healthcare to Rutgers School of Health Professions (SHP). The student organization connects SHP students, staff, and faculty to the LGBTQIA+ community to highlight the role healthcare plays in the lives of those who identify under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella.

PFOH celebrates LGBTQIA+ healthcare professionals and patients through panel events, guest speakers, educational tabling from LGBTQIA+ nonprofits and organizations, and monthly SHP-wide events for all SHP community members.

Please visit our webpage for more information.

Multi-I.D.E.A is a student organization focused on prioritizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity initiatives (DEI). As the next generation of health professionals, we want to focus our goals upon the healthcare professions to amplify cultural competency in the workplace, and to create an inclusive, respectful, and equal environment. In addition, we hope to create a safer environment for all students to express hardships and seek out support. We will be collaborating with organizations within and outside of Rutgers to effectively spread our cause and assist all health professions with DEI initiatives.

Please visit our webpage for more information.

This organization works to provide mentorship and professional development for students in the doctor of physical therapy program interested in pelvic floor physical therapy. Members will be actively involved in pursuing the specialized practice through guest speakers, journal readings, pelvic floor physical therapy advocacy, and mentorship from RUDPT graduates practicing pelvic floor physical therapy. Students will have the opportunity to network and prepare themselves for the specialization practice, residencies, and clinical rotations for pelvic floor physical therapy.

The Rutgers SHP Sports Medicine Journal Club aims to cultivate and nurture the minds of fellow students who have the passion and curiosity to pursue a career in sports medicine. By discussing evidence in current literature, we aim to embody best practice to serve our patients at the highest capacity. Our goal is to educate, but also give rise to new questions that guide us in our search to learn more and fuel our curiosity. We hope to create a path that guides fellow students toward sports physical therapy and bring light to what that truly means.

Please visit our webpage for more information.

Advisor: Bianca Thompson-Owen, Associate Dean of Enrollment Management & Student Success

The Rutgers School of Health Professions Student Government Association (Rutgers SHP SGA) was created in 2017 with the objective of meeting students’ professional, social, and academic wants, needs, and concerns. We intend to improve student life by assisting and overseeing the development of student interest organizations, which can be of academic, social, athletic, cultural, or community service nature. Our goals include, but are not limited to creating student leaders, creating a united community for both our online and on-campus students, and assist in enhancing the student experience while enrolled in our academic programs.

Advisor: Frank R. Giannelli, MS, PA-C, Lecturer, Physician Assistant Program

The mission of RUPASS is to foster the personal and professional development of physician assistant students in the state of New Jersey, encourage educational excellence, and to advocate for students and professional issues. RUPASS is organized and shall be operated exclusively for education and scientific purposes which are beneficial to medical care. To represent physician assistant students so as to maximize the benefit of their services to the public as medical professionals.

Advisor: Ruth Perez, Clinical Coordinator, Lecturer for Medical Laboratory Sciences

The purpose of this organization is to educate prospective college students (High School students) as well as students who are attending a 4-year college or university on the exciting career path of Medical Laboratory Sciences. This organization will also allow current MLS students to be involved in a professional organization and encourage involvement in the Medical Laboratory Sciences community.

Advisor: Dr. Kirsch, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA, Professor & Program Director

The purpose of the organization is to provide a structured student-run organization for each Rutgers (SHP) Doctor of Physical Therapy North class that will serve as a representing body for each respective class. Each class council will serve as the primary liaison between students and faculty and will be responsible for relaying and communicating class matters, events, and scheduling to ultimately augment and enrich the student and faculty experience throughout the program. Please visit the Rutgers DPTNCC webpage for more information.

Advisor: Kelly Ann Pena, MS, CCC-SLP, TSSLD, CBIS, NSSHLA Faculty Co-Chair, Clinical Educator, Assistant Professor

The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) is a national student organization for students interested in  communication sciences and disorders (CSD). The Rutgers NSSLHA chapter focuses to encourage professional interest among university  students in the study of CSD. This chapter will provide continuity to the dissemination of expert information regarding the field of CSD/SLP in the community of Newark. It shall also provide a vehicle for a multicultural, gender diverse student representation in matters of professional concern, with an emphasis on social justice.

Advisor: Dr. Taylor Sivori, OTD, OTR/L

As the first Student Occupational Therapy Association at Rutgers University, it is our mission to understand and identify the needs in our community to aid in service opportunities; expand our professional and educational development to drive students to become international leaders in a holistic and dynamic health care system, and to provide a just and inclusive space for students to gather.

Student Organization Administration

SHP Student Organizations are managed by the Office of Student Success. Student organization members can utilize the documents linked below. If you have any questions about student organizations, the student government, or student life at Rutgers SHP, then please contact asc@shp.rutgers.edu.

Start an Official SHP Student Organization

The SHP New Student Organization Guide provides instructions and steps students need to complete to create their own official SHP Student Organization. The guide explains how to complete your statement of purpose and constitution, which includes the rules and procedures for your organization.

Please fully review the guide before starting or submitting the following to asc@shp.rutgers.edu:

  1. Your student organization constitution
  2. Your statement of purpose
  3. Your roster
  4. National Affiliation Approval Letter (If Applicable)

If your student organization will be tied to an official national or state-based organization, then you will need an approval letter from this parent organization confirming that you have permission to create a student organization with the same name or with an affiliation to their organization.

If you have questions about the guide or about the application, then please contact SHPSGA@shp.rutgers.edu.

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