Early-Career SEBS Faculty Forge New Connections at Back-To-School Retreat

“My biggest takeaway was that your Rutgers experience is what you make of it.” 

This comment from Meishka Mitchell, a new lecturer in the Department of Human Ecology, came after attending the SEBS Early Career Faculty Retreat in late August. In this event coordinated by the SEBS Office of Research and hosted at Rutgers Gardens, more than 50 early-career SEBS researchers and faculty had the opportunity to connect on building a strong, cross-departmental research and impact community here at Rutgers.  

“Getting new faculty together to meet outside our silos helped to build community,” said RCEI affiliate James Shope, assistant extension specialist in climate services. “Collaborative research and meaningful research impact, both for our students and New Jersey communities, are strengthened in multi-department retreats like these.”  

Faculty from various SEBS departments—from Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics to Entomology—exchanged tips and tricks on navigating Rutgers, exchanged tips & tricks on navigating Rutgers, running a research lab, and connecting with students. They also used this opportunity to address the opportunities and challenges of living in New Jersey. Mitchell, who is also President and CEO of Emerald Cities Collaborative, added, “The retreat provided a great opportunity for networking, learning, and sharing. As a new lecturer I am interested in exploring how I can share my expertise and participate in meaningful ways in the school.” 

Attendees were also treated to an expert panel of tenured and/or long-standing university faculty who were happy to give advice on navigating Rutgers and life in New Jersey.  

“We want them to recognize that they are not in this by themselves,” explained RCEI affiliate Josh Kohut, SEBS Dean of Research/NJAES Director of Research. “You have experienced members of the community here to guide you and talk about the lessons they’ve learned over the years.” 

Panelists included Donald Schaffner (Department of Food Sciences), Anne Nielsen (Department of Entomology), and RCEI affiliates Thomas “Motz” Grothues (Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences), Doug Zemeckis (Rutgers Cooperative Extension), Max Häggblom (Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology), and RCEI Director Julie Lockwood (Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources). Faculty on the panel discussed cultivating a good work-life balance, keeping up with email and admin tasks, and fostering connections with other institutions and networks. They also emphasized the importance of both research and research impact at Rutgers, especially since Rutgers is New Jersey’s land grant institution. 

“Science has a large role in completing the land grant mission of this university,” reasoned Lockwood. Rutgers has a mission to connect Rutgers research and innovation with practical applications in the community.

To do this, all panelists emphasized leaning on the connections they have at Rutgers. SEBS and NJAES commonly work together to raise faculty and students to be both strong in their research and in their research impact with the community. Faculty also have access to on and off campus facilities, including the retreat host, Rutgers Gardens. In a tour of the gardens (led by its director, Lauren Errickson), emphasis was placed on how the gardens and departments could best collaborate to communicate Rutgers research and its impact with the public. “Rutgers Gardens is here for you”, she said. “We want to collaborate to enhance student learning and engagement around your research and outreach.” 

In concluding the retreat, Kohut spoke of the potential he saw. “I am inspired by the great work of our early career faculty community and look forward to the many ways they will extend their research impact to our students and communities across the state and around the world.” 

This article was originally published by SEBS/NJAES Newsroom.