Cindy Saladin-Muhammad holds several singular distinctions. She serves as deputy commanding general of the 807th Medical Command and was recently promoted to brigadier general in the U.S., one of only a handful of African American women to attain that rank in the medical field of the military.
Saladin-Muhammad NCAS’91, SHP’91, her husband, Sayyed Muhammad, who was in Army Special Operations, and her son, Air Force Tech Sergeant Reshard Saladin, have a combined 75 years of U.S. military service.
In addition, she is a Six Sigma master black belt and a resiliency coach and has held leadership positions in an international pharmaceutical corporation.
“Rutgers University had a significant impact on my career and my life,” she says. “The university’s diverse academic programs, emphasis on critical thinking, and commitment to community engagement gave me a strong foundation for pursuing my career goals in the private and military sectors.”
All these achievements began with her desire to be a toxicologist, a dream she realized after earning two Rutgers bachelor’s degrees—one in clinical laboratory sciences from Rutgers University–Newark and one in toxicology from Rutgers School of Health Professions (SHP).
After graduating from high school in Newark, New Jersey, she joined the Army in 1984, which gave her opportunities to travel and learn. She enlisted as a private, intending to complete her initial entry obligation of four years and perhaps be promoted once or twice.
“My goal was to obtain funding to further my studies after high school,” she says. “I never imagined a day I would be a brigadier general.”
Her four years in the Army positioned her with a “less than traditional start” to college life, but she was ready for the challenge. Rutgers offered her an affordable, close-to-home opportunity to earn a degree in toxicology while working and being near her family.
“I knew at quite a young age I wanted to be a toxicologist, and I knew Rutgers offered toxicology,” she says. “The added benefit was that this outstanding school was minutes from where I lived in New Jersey. I needed help from my family to complete school, so being close to home was critical.”
After traveling the globe to lead military operations, she sits at Rutgers, not in a classroom, but in a boardroom with her fellow Rutgers University Alumni Association (RUAA) board members, poised to offer her knowledge and expertise.
“I have not always been able to give back to Rutgers—my heart always wanted to, but life always got in the way,” Saladin-Muhammad says. “Serving on the board has allowed me to pay it forward.
Networking and mentoring have been instrumental to my career, and the networking, engagement, and mentorship opportunities available via my involvement with RUAA can be invaluable in shaping a successful career for others.”
