Announcing the 2026–27 Rutgers–New Brunswick Laureate

May 19, 2026

Dear Rutgers–New Brunswick Community,

I am pleased to announce that Professor Min Kwon has been named the 2026–27 Rutgers–New Brunswick Laureate. Professor Kwon will hold the Laureate position throughout the upcoming academic year, creating an interdisciplinary hub that connects music, dance, literature, history, film, and gender studies to explore topics surrounding democracy as a continually evolving practice through a project called America/Beautiful.

The Office of the Provost created the Rutgers–New Brunswick Laureate Program last year to elevate the arts and humanities across our institution and the broader community. Each year, the program will designate and empower a new laureate to foster deeper cross-disciplinary connections with the arts and humanities.

Professor Kwon is the Head of Piano and Professor of Music at Mason Gross School of the Arts and is a renowned soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, pedagogue, artistic director, and arts advocate. Building upon an initiative that asks conductors to re-imagine and compose their own versions of the popular patriotic song, America the Beautiful, Professor Kwon’s laureate project explores the theme of democracy through the question: “Who gets to define America, and how do the arts help us listen to voices that have shaped, and challenged, its ideals?” This central question will be probed through interdisciplinary collaborations across Rutgers–New Brunswick that involve students in archival research, historical and literary analysis, creative production, and public-facing performances and discussions. Professor Kwon’s proposal stood out for its innovative integration of the arts with public dialogue and its emphasis on performance and accessible programming.

Please join me in congratulating Professor Kwon and in thanking all of the faculty who submitted proposals for this year’s Laureate Program. We are excited to support Professor Kwon’s work in the year ahead and look forward to sharing more about her project as it develops.

Sincerely,​

Jason Geary, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Rutgers University–New Brunswick