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Credit: Addison Geary
Nyeema C. Watson
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Position: Associate director of the Center for Children
and Childhood Studies at Rutgers-Camden
Length of Service: Since December 2004
Residence: Camden
What she does: As associate director of the Center for Children and Childhood Studies, Watson oversees the center’s budget, works with faculty members to develop new projects and programs centered on youth, meets with community groups and looks for potential funders. She was previously a career counselor at the University of Pennsylvania and a program development specialist at the New Jersey Department of Education.
Home grown: Watson was born and raised in Camden and graduated from Camden High School. She received her bachelor’s degree from Rutgers-Camden in 2000. That, plus her experience working for the state Department of Education, made her a perfect appointee to the Camden School Board. Appointed by acting Gov. Richard J. Codey, Watson spends almost as much time working for the Camden school district as she does for Rutgers. “I work into the wee hours of the morning sometimes. It’s difficult because it’s like a second job; once I leave my job here, I’m going to a board meeting at 6 p.m. I live literally one block from the board building. I’m not here as someone the governor’s put in place. I’m there because I’m concerned about what’s going on in Camden.”
Working with children: Watson says she doesn’t work with children as much as she would like to. “But I know that what we’re doing directly impacts them. I love children, I love youth, but this is a good capacity to be in to effect some change in their lives.” She spent a lot of time around children growing up – she estimates her grandmother was foster mother to nearly 1,000 kids (yes, that’s three zeroes), and both Watson and her mother were adopted. “I come from a family of women who dedicated their lives to children,” Watson says.
Up and coming: This fall, the center will offer small grants to faculty members who do multidisciplinary, collaborative research projects in the area of childhood studies. This grant program will complement the new Ph.D. program in childhood studies launching at the same time. “The center is now in its fifth year working collaboratively on childhood studies,” Watson said.
Favorite part of the job: Working with academics. “The intellectual back and forth, and then taking that intellectual perspective and applying it to our programs and projects” is the most enjoyable part of Watson’s job. She said her work with center director Daniel Hart and former director Myra Bluebond-Langer has helped her learn how to look up research to complement center programs. Overall, “this is my first job where I enjoy almost every aspect of it.”
Hobbies: Reading and shopping. “I feel like I work so much that even my work turns into my recreation!”
Role models: “My grandmother and my mother. Both dedicated their lives to children and that is my inspiration and will be my life's work.”
Know someone who deserves to be in the spotlight? Contact Focus editor Carla Cantor at ccantor@ur.rutgers.edu.
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