Image shows forest of trees with dried leaves.

Drought conditions worsen across NJ

Shriya Golugula2024

New Jersey State Climatologist and RCEI affiliate David Robinson discusses the current dry weather conditions and the heightened risk of wildfires. He emphasizes the state’s vulnerability as leaves fall and grasses continue to dry out. Read the full article published by NJ Spotlight News.

Plankton Manifesto Overview Image

Paul Falkowski Among International Academic Leaders to Unveil Plankton Manifesto to UN General Assembly

Shriya Golugula2024

RCEI affiliate Paul Falkowski, Distinguished Professor in the departments of Marine and Coastal Sciences and Earth and Planetary Sciences, was one of the specialists from a core international academic team to present to the United Nations General Assembly to officially launch the Plankton Manifesto–a call for immediate global recognition and action to protect one of Earth’s most crucial life forms–plankton. The …

Joe Gradone hopes his research can be used to help people understand the ocean’s role in our climate system.

Postdoc Wants to Help People Understand Hurricanes and Improve Prediction of Dangerous Storms

Shriya Golugula2024

Joe Gradone has been recognized for his ability to make science accessible and relevant to diverse audiences New Jersey native Joe Gradone grew up less than 40 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, but his fascination with oceanography first surged while studying geology as an undergraduate at the University of Colorado. “It took me going to a land-locked state to realize I …

Distinguished Professor Elisabeth Sikes Elected an AGU Fellow

Shriya Golugula2024

RCEI affiliate Elisabeth Sikes, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Marine and Coasts Sciences, was elected as an AGU Fellow, joining a select group of 54 individuals in the 2024 Class of Fellows. AGU, the world’s largest Earth and space science association, bestows this honor annually to a select number of individuals who have made exceptional contributions. Since its inception …

Rutgers Students Share STEM Learning through Science-in-Action Storytelling at Environmental Conference

Shriya Golugula2024

Rutgers science storytellers and their science-in-action videos took a road trip to share their work as featured guests of the Environmental Storytelling Series in Syracuse, NY, on September 26-27. This series was organized jointly by the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s (SUNY ESF) Writing, Rhetoric, and Communications Program and Syracuse University (SU)’s Engaged Humanities Network (EHN). Dr. Brice Nordquist, director of …

Victoria Ramenzoni

Announcing 2024 Excellence Award Winners

Shriya Golugula2024

The 2024 Excellence Awards celebrate exceptional contributions from individuals and teams at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers University. These awards highlight the creativity, innovation, engagement, and impact that exemplify our mission as a land-grant university. This year RCEI affiliate Victoria Ramenzoni, an assistant professor in the Department of Human …

Janice McDonnell, 4-H STEM Agent. Photo by John O’Boyle.

Rutgers Awarded $1.1 Million NSF Grant to Support Researchers in Advancing the Societal Impacts of Research

Shriya Golugula2024

Rutgers Associate Professor, 4-H Youth Development STEM Agent and RCEI affiliate Janice McDonnell is a collaborating partner of the Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) who was awarded $1.1 million of a $9.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to build capacity in supporting research impact.  While researchers around the world are working to bring their scientific discoveries …

The Earth’s rapidly warming climate combined with agricultural fertilizer runoff are causing serious environmental impacts by catalyzing the growth of Sargassum seaweed, which clumps on Atlantic Ocean beaches, such as this one in the Dominican Republic. A new study will address these issues by tapping the potential of Sargassum for food and energy.

Scientists Investigate Ways to Transform Seaweed Into Energy and Food

Shriya Golugula2024

A trio of Rutgers experts is leading the university effort with support from a science and technology philanthropy A trio of scientists from Rutgers University-New Brunswick is studying the potential of turning a species of seaweed into a source of energy and food. The researchers from the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute ̵ working with other institutions ̵ are looking …

Scientists are investigating how farmers can host a new type of vertical solar panel in their fields while cows can continue to graze.

Cows and Solar Panels? In a New Jersey First, Project Melds Farming With Electricity Generation

Shriya Golugula2024

Rutgers-New Brunswick inaugurates state-of-the-art agrivoltaics research and demonstration project for simultaneous production of food and solar energy Federal, state and university officials are inaugurating a research and demonstration project at Rutgers University-New Brunswick with the purpose of advancing a technology that could produce renewable energy while making farms more sustainable. The New Brunswick project, part of a $7.4 million effort, …

Summer School in Sustainability Governance students at Rutgers, August 2024

Rutgers Hosts First Ever Summer School In Sustainability Governance

Marjorie Kaplan2024

By Pam McElwee & Marjorie Kaplan Rutgers hosted the first ever Summer School in Sustainability Governance, led by RCEI Affiliates Pam McElwee and Rachael Shwom of Rutgers Department of Human Ecology as part of the RCEI signature initiative to build a Center for Sustainability and Governance in the Anthropocene (C-SAGA). Twenty-nine attendees from Rutgers plus 19 other institutions across the …