Filling the US Gap at Science-Policy Bodies

Edith Zhao2026, Affiliate News

Written by RCEI affiliate Pamela McElwee, a professor in the Department of Human Ecology, this article, published in Science, is a call to action for US scientists, organizations, and citizens to not let the gaping hole in climate science left by the Trump administration go unnoticed or untreated. Due to the administration pulling the United States out of 60 global …

Can Penguins Help Teach Kids About Climate Change? New Research Says Yes 

Edith Zhao2026, Affiliate Research

Penguins waddling across Antarctic ice might seem far removed from a classroom in New Jersey, but a new study shows that these charismatic birds can be a powerful hook for teaching young people about climate change — and inspiring them to see themselves as future scientists.  The study was led by researchers at Rutgers University, including Janice McDonnell, RCEI Affiliate, Associate Dean …

Graduate Students Help Professor Bring Plant Species Back to Life

Edith Zhao2026, Affiliate News

As the inaugural Rutgers-New Brunswick Laureate, Sue Huang is collaborating with designers and a software engineer for her “Bodies of Flora” project   RCEI affiliate Sue Huang is using speculative and critical design to bring long-dead plant species in New Jersey back to life in the collective human consciousness.   Her latest work is a collaborative effort founded in both science and …

New Model Shows How Plants Optimize Photosynthesis From Top to Bottom of Canopy 

Edith Zhao2026, Affiliate Research

Plants are remarkably good at adjusting how they capture sunlight and produce food through photosynthesis. A new computer model helps scientists better understand these adjustments by looking at what happens at different heights within a plant canopy, from the sun-drenched leaves at the top to the shaded leaves near the ground.  RCEI Affiliate Chi Chen, assistant professor in the Department …

Professor Siobain Duffy and International Team Receive Prestigious UK–US Breakthrough Award for Global Food Security Innovation

Edith Zhao2026, Affiliate News

At a reception hosted at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. on March 4, Professor and RCEI affiliate Siobain Duffy and her international research team were recognized with the Pioneering UK–US Breakthroughs (PUB) Award, a distinction honoring seven collaborative teams whose work is addressing some of the world’s most urgent challenges. Presented by His Majesty’s Ambassador to the United States, …

Does Framing Climate Change as a Racial Issue Backfire?

Edith Zhao2026, Affiliate Research

New research finds that news stories about who is most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change can have very different effects — depending on whether they focus on race or income.  Climate change doesn’t harm everyone equally. Flooding, heat waves, and other extreme weather events tend to hit lower-income communities and communities of color the hardest. But when news stories highlight those differences, do they actually help people understand …

LAB REPORT: Improving the Resilience and Sustainability of Urban and Coastal Water Systems

Edith Zhao2026, Affiliate News

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor and RCEI affiliate Qizhong (George) Guo, a leader in water resources engineering, is the director of the School of Engineering’s Urban and Coastal Water Systems Laboratory.  Since 2018 the lab, according to Guo, has integrated and expanded on earlier laboratory and research activities he developed at Rutgers—including the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory and the …

Rutgers—Newark professor explores how natural disasters shaped world history in new book

Edith Zhao2026, Affiliate News

Natural disasters have shaped the course of history in more ways than people can imagine. In his new book, “Wicked Weather: Natural Disasters that Changed History,” Rutgers—Newark Distinguished Service Professor and RCEI affiliate Alexander Gates examines how catastrophic natural events have influenced major historical events. As a professor in Rutgers—Newark’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and former department chair, Gates …