The 2025 New Jersey Agricultural Convention and Trade Show, a collaborative effort among the Vegetable Growers Association of NJ, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA), and Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE), was held from February 4 – 6 at Harrah’s Resort and Waterfront Conference Center in Atlantic City, NJ. Each year, RCE plays a leading role in developing and hosting …
The Most Cost-Effective Approaches to Protect Against Rising Seas Are Flexible, Adaptable
In an artificial intelligence study, Rutgers and Princeton scientists conclude that solutions with built-in flexibility are superior to one-shot tactics Public officials designing seawalls, levees and other safeguards against rising seas can save money if their solutions are flexible, adapting to sea-level increases over time, according to an analysis by scientists at Rutgers and Princeton universities. Such an approach is …
Curiosity Cultivates Solar Solutions: Innovating Agrivoltaics for a Sustainable Future
RCEI Affiliate Focus on Dunbar Birnie, Professor & Corning/Saint Gobain/Malcom G. McLaren Chair, Department of Materials Science and Engineering By Aleen Mirza Curiosity may have killed the cat, but for RCEI Affiliate Dunbar Birnie, it sparked a decades-long passion for solar energy and innovation. From collecting geodes and shiny rocks as a child to creating one of Rutgers’ first courses …
2025 New Jersey Youth Institute Attracts Record Turnout
A record turnout of high school students attended the 9th annual New Jersey Youth Institute on March 7 at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS). This event, a partnership with the World Food Prize Foundation engages students in considering critical issues of global food security. A 37 percent increase in attendance from last year, 183 students from across the …
2025 Climate and Weather Day Students Learn From the Best
Students in grades 9–11 from across NJ attended Climate and Weather Day 2025 with the Meteorology program at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences on March 1. The day included a schedule of talks, activities, and demonstrations designed to introduce students to the world of meteorology and atmospheric science. Speakers included Mike Lee, the lead meteorologist at the …
Global Conservation Leader, Peter Seligmann (AG’72), Credits Rutgers for Giving Him his Start
Rutgers alumnus Peter Seligmann (AG’72), who earned a bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology from the College of Agriculture (now School of Environmental and Biological Sciences), credits Rutgers with setting him on the path to almost 40 years of global environmental conservation. He went on to earn a master’s degree in forestry and environmental science from Yale University in 1974. Seligmann founded Conservation …
Who Decides the Future of a Warming Planet? On the Frontlines of Climate Justice
RCEI Affiliate Focus on Danielle Falzon, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology By Aleen Mirza Who decides the future of a warming planet? More importantly, who is excluded from those critical discussions? As climate change is an increasingly undeniable reality, these questions expose an uncomfortable truth, as explained by RCEI affiliate Danielle Falzon, Assistant Professor of Sociology. The truth is that …
RCEI affiliate Onur Bilgen awarded a 2024-25 Provost Award for Faculty Excellence
Congratulations to RCEI affiliate Onur Bilgen, an associate professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering, for being awarded The Provost Award for Excellence in Cross-Disciplinary Research. Onur Bilgen is also a co-leader in the Wind Energy Test (W.E.T.) Center Project, an RCEI Signature Initiative.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension 2025 Conference Focuses on “Building a Culture of Communication”
Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) convened its annual conference on January 14 at the Busch Student Center. Focused on the theme, “Cultivating Connection: Building a Culture of Communication,” the 2025 conference attracted more than 230 attendees from all NJAES units. RCE Director Brian Schilling welcomed conference participants and outlined the day’s goals for professional development, information sharing, networking, and collegiality. “Being …
As Musk’s Team Sweeps Through Federal Agencies, Fears for Future of NOAA
Representatives from Elon Musk’s task force accessed NOAA’s headquarters in Maryland this week, as part of the Trump administration’s removal of climate and weather data from the internet. The shutdown of NOAA, which plays a crucial role in climate science and weather forecasting, could have dire consequences, including increased risks to public safety. The agency operates satellites, ocean buoys and …













