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The Loyal Sons & Daughters of Rutgers are comprised of individuals who have made a meaningful and long-standing contribution to the betterment of Rutgers by performing extraordinary volunteer service or by making a significant impact on university life and culture. Nominations are made by existing Loyal Sons & Daughters, and the finalists named by a special selection committee.
Michael Azzara RC ’69
Michael W. Azzara is a graduate of Rutgers College Class of 1969, has been an active and
dedicated alumnus for many years and a leader of fundraising efforts and activities that have
supported a wide array of programs and advancements at his alma mater. He currently serves
as a member of the Executive Committee of the Rutgers Board of Trustees as well as the Board
of Governors Health Affairs Committee. He began serving on the School of Arts and Sciences
Dean’s Advisory Council in 2003. He served as Chair of the Advisory Council for five years and
hosted many fundraising activities and events for the School of Arts and Sciences. Recently,
Azzara gave the keynote address at the Annual Scholarship luncheon.
James F. Dougherty RC ’74, GSNB ’75
James F. Dougherty is a graduate of Rutgers College Class of 1974, and the Graduate School,
New Brunswick (M.S. in Animal Science) 1975. He earned his doctorate in veterinary medicine
in 1980 from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Dougherty currently
serves as Vice Chair of the Rutgers University Board of Trustees and is a member of the
Rutgers University Board of Overseers. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the School of
Public Health as well as the Tyler Clementi Center Advisory Board. He is also a member of the
School of Arts and Sciences Executive Dean’s Advisory Council and serves as the Chair of the
Development Sub-Committee, supporting the school’s highest academic priorities.
John J. Healey GSNB ’70
A graduate of Manhattan College (BCE) and the University of Illinois (MS), John J. Healey
earned his doctorate from Rutgers Graduate School of New Brunswick in 1970 (PhD in
Engineering). With the background of a diverse career in research, consulting and executive
management, he has provided critical volunteer service to the School of Graduate Studies, the
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the School of Engineering. He has
been an active member of the School of Graduate Studies Dean’s Advisory Council since 2007,
serving as its Vice Chair and chairing its External Relations Committee. In this capacity, he is
playing an active role in a program to broaden career opportunities for doctoral students in the
humanities and social studies fields, particularly for those who desire to pursue a non-academic
career. John served as Chair of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Advisory Board from
2008 to 2015 and continues to be active as the Past Chair. He was a member of the School of
Engineering’s Industry Advisory Board from 2012 to 2015, working to foster industry and alumni
engagement in support of Rutgers’ engineering programs. John’s other passion has been to
establish a link between the Rutgers School of Engineering and St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark.
This will provide support for financially disadvantaged students who seek to pursue an
engineering career and strengthen the STEM Program at the high school. A further example of
his commitment to Rutgers is his membership in the Colonel Henry Rutgers Society.
James R. McRobbie ENG ’79
James R. McRobbie is a graduate of Rutgers School of Engineering Class of 1979. He began
his volunteer service with the Rutgers Engineering Society, where he initiated the highly
successful “Alternate Energy Symposium.” Upon rising to the presidency of the Rutgers
Engineering Society the following year, he developed two more successful symposiums that
offered exceptional education and networking opportunities for alumni. McRobbie served as co-
chair of the Rutgers Alumni Association’s Reunion Committee, and later, the expanded
Reunion/Homecoming Committee. Always up for a challenge, he came to the aid of the Alumni
Family Day Committee when they needed a family-friendly activity for their “Scarlet Harvest”
event. McRobbie designed and built an air-pressure corn cannon, dubbed “Kernel Rutgers.”
McRobbie currently serves on the RAA’s Long Range Planning committee.
Steven A. Miller RC ’79
Steven A. Miller, a graduate of Rutgers College Class of 1979, is the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Journalism and Media Studies at Rutgers School of Communication and Information. During his undergraduate years, he immersed himself in campus communications by working for The Daily Targum and WRSU radio. Miller went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Education from Boston University, but would come back to Rutgers in 1987 to run the SC&I (then SCILS) Audio/Visual lab. His role in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies began the following year and over the next decade he taught courses in Media and Television Reporting and was given the reigns to the department’s successful internship program. Miller helped start the Department’s Sports Journalism Specialization and currently teaches Critical Issues in Sports Media. He is an Academic Mentor for Softball, Women’s Lacrosse, and Women’s Volleyball. He has served on WRSU-FM’s Radio Council for over 25 years. Miller has placed students in internships at some of the biggest media organizations in New York City, but it’s his commitment to their success as professionals that sets him apart. He keeps up with them as alumni, helps them network with each other, and even brings them back to Rutgers as guest speakers and lecturers.
Thomas Struble CC ’81
Thomas Struble graduated from Cook College in 1981. His commitment to the Rutgers community began during his student years, culminating in his presidency of the Rutgers University Glee Club, under the direction of Dr. F. Austin ‘Soup’ Walter RC ‘32. Struble is a member of the Cook Community Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Rutgers University Senate. He currently serves the Rutgers Alumni Association as co-chair of its Undergraduate Committee, liaison to the Rutgers Glee Club Alumni Association, and as a member of its Community Service committee. Struble served as co-chair for the successful revival of the “Phantom of the Opera” screening at Kirkpatrick Chapel in October 2018. As an alumni volunteer for Rutgers’ 250th Anniversary, he was instrumental in researching and creating content for the “Today in Rutgers’ History” component of the Rutgers250 mobile app. Struble also volunteered as an event photographer and logistics coordinator for daily social media posts. In 2016, he was presented with a Rutgers University Alumni Association Excellence in Alumni Leadership award as their Volunteer of the Year.
The Rutgers Alumni Association’s Loyal Sons & Daughters Award is its highest recognition of service. Recipients are individuals who have made a meaningful and long-standing contribution to the betterment of Rutgers by performing extraordinary volunteer service or by making a significant impact on university life and culture. For more information about the award, click here.
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