Announcement by RCEI affiliate Dr. Josh Kohut, SEBS Dean of Research and NJAES Director of Research. I am pleased to announce that RCEI affiliate Dr. Jim Simon, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant Biology, has been appointed Faculty Director of SEBS/NJAES Core Facilities, effective July 1. In this role, Dr. Simon will provide strategic oversight and coordination across our …
Tiny Soil Microbes May Hold Big Clues About a Warming Arctic
Beneath the frozen ground of Finland’s Arctic tundra and forests live bacteria that scientists are only now getting to know. A new study, published in MicrobiologyOpen, present two new species of bacteria, that seem perfectly built to survive in one of the coldest, harshest, and fastest changing places on Earth. Lee J. Kerkhof and Max M. Häggblom, RCEI Affiliates, are …
Willful Ignorance of the Global Impact of Nuclear War
An article from Physics Today, co-authored by RCEI affiliates Alan Robock and Lili Xia, examines the often-overlooked global consequences of nuclear war, arguing that current military strategies and policy discussions dangerously underestimate its full environmental and societal impacts. Drawing on decades of scientific research and recent reports, the authors emphasize that even a limited nuclear conflict could trigger catastrophic changes …
New Climatologist Tracks Heat Wave, Rainstorms
An article from The SandPaper reports on the appointment of a new New Jersey state climatologist and the climate challenges currently affecting the region, including extreme heat, heavy rainstorms, and ongoing drought conditions. The piece introduces RCEI Affiliate John Krasting, who recently assumed the role after a long-serving predecessor, and explains why his work is important as the state faces …
RCEI Groundwork Grants to Address Climate, Energy, and Sustainability Governance
RCEI has awarded six Groundwork Grants to faculty affiliates to support development of research proposals that advance scholarship at the intersection of climate, energy, and sustainability governance. Today’s sustainability challenges are defined by intertwined ecological and socio-economic systems, uncertainty, and the possibility of irreversible tipping points. Existing institutional frameworks, policy responses, and research agendas often struggle to keep pace with …
RCEI Hosts Convergence Café on Sustainability Governance
Focusing on Sustainability Governance, the arrangement of systems, processes, and formal and informal rules used to coordinate actions and make decisions on how to manage resources sustainability considering social, environmental and economic tradeoffs in order to serve future generations, represents a critical shift in how we approach planetary crises. To mobilize interdisciplinary teams for potential collaborations, and inform further development …
CHAMP Initiative Combines Climate Science and Storytelling to Address Urban Heat
As summer temperatures climb, so does the risk of extreme heat—now recognized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. In cities such as Camden, where buildings, pavement, and other infrastructure trap heat and create higher temperatures than surrounding areas, understanding the impacts of urban heat has become increasingly important. …
Announcement: New Leadership at the NJ Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH)
Announcement by Laura Lawson, SEBS Executive Dean and NJAES Executive Director I am pleased to announce new leadership for the Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH), positioning the institute to further advance Rutgers University’s commitment to excellence in food, nutrition, health, and community engagement. I would like to thank the faculty members whose contributions through working groups, the IFNH …
A Historic Ocean Observatory Off the Jersey Shore Returns to Service
A state, university and industry partnership will support marine research, workforce training and coastal technology innovation A compact offshore research platform has been deployed off the Jersey Shore, revitalizing the historic Long-Term Ecosystem Observatory (LEO) site and advancing a new era of ocean research, education and marine innovation in New Jersey. Anchored about three miles offshore of the Rutgers Marine …
CEE Professor is PI on NJBPU Report Offering a Path Forward for Marine Renewable Energy
RCEI affiliate Ruo-Qian (Roger) Wang, an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), is the Principal Investigator (PI) for an extensive multidisciplinary report recently published by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, or NJBPU, that explores the potential of wave and tidal energy along the state’s coastline. The NJBPU-funded report directly aligns with the state’s …