Laura Lawson, SEBS Executive Dean and NAES Executive Director, addresses the 2025 New Jersey Agricultural Convention in Atlantic City, NJ. Credit: Chris Gutierrez, OPOC.

Rutgers Plays Vital Role at the 2025 New Jersey Agricultural Convention

Shriya Golugula2025

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 …

Scientists are analyzing approaches to decision-making on preserving coastal infrastructure over time to find optimal solutions.

The Most Cost-Effective Approaches to Protect Against Rising Seas Are Flexible, Adaptable

Shriya Golugula2025

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 …

Dunbar Birnie, Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Curiosity Cultivates Solar Solutions: Innovating Agrivoltaics for a Sustainable Future

Shriya Golugula2025, Affiliate Focus

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 …

183 students attended the New Jersey Youth Institute on March 7.

2025 New Jersey Youth Institute Attracts Record Turnout

Shriya Golugula2025

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 …

Alan Robock walking students through an EN-ROADS climate solutions interactive.

2025 Climate and Weather Day Students Learn From the Best

Shriya Golugula2025

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 …

Rutgers alumnus and renowned conservationist Peter Seligmann AG’72.

Global Conservation Leader, Peter Seligmann (AG’72), Credits Rutgers for Giving Him his Start

Shriya Golugula2025

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 …

Professor Falzon at the recent COP29 climate negotiations meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Who Decides the Future of a Warming Planet? On the Frontlines of Climate Justice

Shriya Golugula2025, Affiliate Focus

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

RCEI affiliate Onur Bilgen awarded a 2024-25 Provost Award for Faculty Excellence

Shriya Golugula2025

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.

Brian Schilling, Director of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, addresses attendees at the 2025 RCE Annual Conference. Credit: Chris Gutierrez, OPOC.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension 2025 Conference Focuses on “Building a Culture of Communication”

Shriya Golugula2025

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 …

RCEI affiliate David Robinson.

As Musk’s Team Sweeps Through Federal Agencies, Fears for Future of NOAA

Shriya Golugula2025

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 …