An Alumni Sense of Belonging

New Rutgers University Alumni Association (RUAA) chair wants to ensure more than 600,000 Rutgers alumni feel connected to and welcome at their alma mater.

Talib Morgan didn’t speak to many people when he carried his bag stuffed with books across campus as a freshman at Rutgers University–Newark in 1991. “I was meek back then,” he says. “I was quiet and I kept my head down.”

Morgan, who majored in applied physics, a joint degree offered by Rutgers–Newark and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), had an intense interest in computer programming. “I was a geek,” he says. “I was a very proud geek.”

But as a sophomore, he connected with Earl Shaw, a groundbreaking Rutgers–Newark physics professor who had worked at Bell Labs and helped pilot inventions in laser technology before joining the faculty. Shaw asked Morgan to “write code for things in my lab.” With that offer, Morgan embarked on a meaningful mentorship under Shaw that helped him come out of his shell and build a foundation for graduate school and ultimately a successful career as a digital entrepreneur, innovator, and strategist.

“Having his support was critical to my success,” Morgan says. “That's just one of the things that made me fall in love with Rutgers.”

Morgan, who after earning his undergraduate degree in 1996 went on to earn an MBA from the Rutgers Business School in 1998, has stayed involved with the university since he graduated, including serving on Rutgers University Alumni Association (RUAA) board since 2021. On July 1, Morgan began a two-year term as RUAA chair.

“Rutgers has always been like family to me,” he says.

A Musical Background and a Rutgers Family

Morgan today is founder and president of Analegy, a digital strategy consulting firm, and founder and executive director of the Global Institute for the Advancement of Emerging Technology and Innovation, a newly created nonprofit organization committed to innovation and the ethical usage of emerging technologies.

He grew up in Roselle, New Jersey, where his late father, Herbert, was an accomplished jazz saxophonist who played with renowned musicians, but he also opted to work as a machinist in a factory to support his family and not be out on the road for lengthy periods.

“My father was a huge influence on me and he pushed me to make sure that I understood music,” says Morgan, who began playing the piano when he was 5 years old. “He was not a taskmaster, but he was a little rigid in his rules. He wanted to make sure that I was playing the music the way it was supposed to be played. That attention to detail serves you well, not just in music, but in life.”

Morgan still plays piano, and he often sings and writes songs. A self-described “extroverted introvert,” he says he often turns to his piano to decompress and relax.

His mother, Pamela, an educational administrator who served as an assistant to the superintendent of the Newark Public School District, also was a major influence. She currently serves as co-chair of NGO CSW/NY, a coalition of civil society organizations and individuals advocating for gender equality and the rights and empowerment of women and girls.

When Morgan was a student at Abraham Clark High School in Roselle, he applied and was accepted to the Rutgers School of Engineering in New Brunswick and to Rutgers–Newark. He decided to go to Newark when he was offered scholarship funding there. “That was an easy decision,” he says.

His two younger sisters, Zahrah NCAS’98, GSN’11, and Nafeesah NCAS’01, followed him to Rutgers–Newark. And, although they didn’t meet at Rutgers, his spouse, Dr. Ayanna Woltz RC’95, RWJMS’99, an obstetrician and gynecologist, holds undergraduate and medical degrees from Rutgers.

“My family is Scarlet through and through,” Morgan says. “Rutgers has a very special place in our hearts.”

Ensuring a Sense of Belonging

Morgan says his number one goal is to increase a sense of belonging for all Rutgers alumni. With the new class of 2025 graduates in the books, the alumni body numbers more than 600,000.

“It’s important that as we look at the Rutgers community and the Rutgers family, you should always feel like you belong as part of that Rutgers community,” he said. “I am excited about the idea of finding the right ways to get those more than 600,000 alumni galvanized around the idea of this community. I want our alumni to feel like they belong here so that they’re willing to give time and talent and then eventually treasure to this community that I love.”

He says the potential for deepening connections is particularly strong in the Garden State. “We have almost 400,000 alums here in New Jersey,” he says. “Whatever part of the state you’re in, we’re here. We have alums from the southern tip in Cape May all the way to the north in Mahwah and all points in between.”

He said the accomplishments and character of Rutgers alumni as exemplified by the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni inductees is exceptional.

“We have such an amazing alumni community,” he says. “I love the Hall of Distinguished Alumni dinner because you get to see these amazing people. You would think that they would show up with egos the size of the room, but they show up with humility. I think that is representative of the Rutgers spirit. They don't necessarily need to have the biggest egos. People come here and they go out into the world to get things done.”