Student Support Program

Rachel Davitt

The Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute supported my travel to the Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM) conference in Glasgow, Scotland from February 22nd–27th, 2026. OSM is a highly renowned international conference that hosts thousands of participants and hundreds of companies at its biennial meeting. This meeting provided me an opportunity to present my research and was an excellent opportunity for networking and professional development within the marine science community.

As a second-year PhD student, my research aims to assess the biological impact of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) on phytoplankton, which are photoautotrophic organisms that form the base of the marine food web and contribute to 50% of global primary production. OAE takes advantage of the natural buffering capacity of the ocean by temporarily raising the pH of the surface ocean and allowing increased drawdown of atmospheric CO2. Although the chemistry of OAE is well understood, much less is known about potential biological impacts of OAE on essential marine organisms such as phytoplankton, which I presented on through my poster titled “Assessing the Physiological Response of Phytoplankton Communities to Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Across Different Environmental Regimes”. It was extremely useful to share my data with other marine scientists, as receiving and incorporating feedback from the broader scientific community will be instrumental to advancing my research and guiding the direction of my dissertation work as I prepare my thesis proposal in the upcoming year.

At this meeting, marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR), and specifically OAE, constituted a large part of the meeting. Almost every day, an entire oral session, poster session, and town hall were dedicated to mCDR, and many people I have collaborated with on my OAE research were present at the meeting. Beyond my poster presentation, I was also given the opportunity to present at a press briefing regarding the LOC-NESS cruise, which was the first EPA-approved field trial of OAE that I was present on. There, I presented on the biological impact data we had collected from the cruise to date and was interviewed by reporters, and afterwards I was quoted in articles in the Boston Globe and The New Scientist. Additionally, I was invited to attend a workshop titled “How your research can inform responsible paths for marine carbon dioxide removal”, where I was able to brainstorm and share my research with top researchers in the mCDR field. All of these opportunities were extremely valuable, as I was able to network with leading scientists and industry professionals in the OAE field and receive feedback on my research. Additionally, being able to see a multitude of talks regarding OAE gave me important insight into current gaps in the field and gave me further guidance to the direction that my future dissertation research should take.

Thank you to the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute for financially supporting my travel to the 2026 Ocean Sciences Meeting!

Graduate student Rachel Davitt with her poster, “Assessing the Physiological Response of Phytoplankton Communities to Ocean Alkalinity Enhancemen Graduate student Rachel Davitt at a press briefing talking about the biological impact results from the LOC-NESS Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement field trial at the 2026 Ocean Sciences Meeting conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

Stephanie Sharo

I would like to thank Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute for funding the opportunity to share my research at the American Meteorological Society 2026 annual conference in Houston, January 24th - 30th. AMS annual meetings are large, national conferences that attract atmospheric science professionals from a huge range of backgrounds including atmospheric physicists and chemists, environmental health professionals, technology and machine learning specialists, teachers, industry professionals, and more. I was able to attend the entire conference, even though a historic snow storm that affected nearly 20 states was happening the same week!

What was originally a poster became an oral presentation that allowed me to share my research with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Atmospheric Science professionals. The research I presented was the preliminary findings that sets up my dissertation work focused on urban heating and the effects on human health. The feedback received after this presentation has been incredibly insightful and critical to the start of my PhD work because it introduced me to new datasets and models I can use. I was also able to attend many very interesting talks related to environmental health, AI and machine learning, and long term climate impacts that inspired different directions and applications for my work. Additionally, it was a great networking opportunity. I think this trip really strengthened my already existing Rutgers network, and expanded it to other universities.

I was also able to visit and learn a lot about Houston. With my research focused on the urban heat island, this city was especially unique to visit. Sadly, it’s rated one of the least walkable cities, which has a huge impact on the heat levels within the city. However, to combat that, Houston had some of the most interesting water features I’ve ever seen in a city. It was really exciting to see what possible long term actions could result from my current research. I look forward to attending future meetings and continuing to strengthen my networks across disciplines. Thank you again to the generous support of Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute for their support in sending me on this trip!

Steph Sharo at the podium at the beginning of her presentation.

Kinder Lake is a part of Discovery Green, a 12 acre park in downtown Houston.

The Cooper Industries Water Garden is a part of Discovery Green, a 12 acre park in downtown Houston.

Alex Corral

The Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute provided funding for my travel to the Organometallic Chemistry Gordon Research Conference in Newport Rhode Island from July 12^th to 18^th, 2025. The Organometallic Chemistry GRC is an international scientific conference that focuses on the presentation of unpublished scientific research and facilitates discussions among scientists in all career stages. The conference’s focus is on organometallic chemistry, which is an interdisciplinary field that combines inorganic and organic chemistry to synthesize complexes that are commonly used as catalysts. These catalysts facilitate various reactions ranging from the synthesis of pharmaceutical drugs or more sustainable energy practices given the consequences of climate change. My PhD focuses on the synthesis of these catalysts for renewable energy applications, and I am very passionate about applying these efforts to combat the threat of climate change. Upon learning about the content of this conference, I recognized its potential to significantly advance my research.

During my attendance, I had the opportunity to attend numerous presentations on novel research in this field and connect with many fellow scientists from around the globe. I also presented a poster entitled “NHC-Pincer Complexes for Electrochemical Alcohol Dehydrogenation” My presentation was focused on the synthesis of several NHC pincer complexes to be used for alcohol oxidation from biomass-derived alcohols in an electrochemical cell. This can be an attractive alternative to produce chemical fuels, while also producing value added products from alcohol oxidation reactions. This offers a more sustainable and economical method of renewable energy production. Through these presentations, I gained valuable feedback from others in the scientific community and acquired new ideas that I intend to incorporate into my own research. The RCEI Travel award enabled me to gain insights into my field and advance my doctoral work.

Alex Corral presenting her poster at the Organometallic GRC.

The view from the cliff walk behind the conference venue

Jules Garder

Concrete quietly structures much of contemporary life. It forms sidewalks, bridges, dams,
parking garages, and the foundations beneath buildings. It is so common that it often disappears
from attention, even as it organizes the physical landscape around us. Yet concrete is also one
of the most environmentally costly materials humans produce. Cement production alone
accounts for roughly 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, making it one of the largest
industrial contributors to climate change (Andrew, 2018; Habert et al., 2020).

With support from the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute (RCEI) Student Support Program, I
traveled to Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Colorado in August 2025 to
participate in the workshop Rock Solid: Concrete & Mixed Media Sculpture taught by artist
Sarah Tortora. The workshop brought together artists, educators, and masonry workers in a
multigenerational learning environment where practical techniques and material histories
circulated alongside experimental sculptural practices.

My research as an MFA sculptor at Rutgers incorporates elements of climate change
communication by examining how materials such as ceramics and concrete carry histories of
extraction, human non-linear progress and environmental transformation. Learning about
alternative concrete mixtures and construction methods directly supports this research and
allows me to critically engage with the environmental implications of the materials used in
contemporary sculpture.

One of the most compelling discussions during the workshop centered on ancient Roman
concrete. Unlike modern reinforced concrete, which often begins to degrade within decades as
steel rebar corrodes and expands, Roman concrete structures have survived for over two
thousand years. Recent research has suggested that the durability of these structures is partly
due to the presence of lime fragments within the material that allow cracks to self-heal through
ongoing mineral reactions (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2023).

Encountering this history was striking. The longevity of Roman concrete challenges the
assumption that technological knowledge always progresses in a simple, linear direction.
Recipes can be forgotten, rediscovered, and reinterpreted. In the context of contemporary
climate challenges, this reminder feels important. Older material traditions and slower building
techniques may still hold valuable insights for more sustainable futures.A significant portion of my time at Anderson Ranch focused on experimenting with alternative
aggregates and waste materials that could potentially offset the environmental footprint of
sculptural concrete. Structural concrete used in buildings must follow strict engineering ratios,
but sculptural concrete used in art allows greater flexibility. This opens the possibility of
incorporating materials that would otherwise enter waste streams.

While at Anderson Ranch I began collecting sawdust from the woodshop and using it as
aggregate in a series of experimental concrete forms. I also tested shredded cardboard and
yard clippings as additives. Watching these materials move from waste pile to sculptural object
created a small but meaningful shift in how the material circulates through the studio
environment.

These experiments suggest possibilities for rethinking waste within artist studios and university
workshops. Materials that accumulate in creative environments such as sawdust, cardboard, or
organic debris could potentially be redirected into sculptural concrete mixtures rather than
discarded. Even modest practices of reuse can help reduce reliance on newly mined aggregates
while encouraging broader conversations about resource use, circular material systems, and
environmental responsibility.

Since returning to Rutgers, I have continued testing these mixtures and have incorporated them
into my sculptural practice, including my installation “Lodge,” first exhibited at Nuisance Gallery
in New Brunswick (Daily Lazy, 2025). I have also shared these experiments with peers and
colleagues within the Rutgers community.

Support from the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute made it possible for me to pursue this
research and expand the ways my artistic practice engages with questions of climate, material
sustainability, and environmental responsibility.

Figure 1. Collecting sawdust from the Anderson Ranch woodshop to test as aggregate in
experimental concrete mixtures.

Figure 2. Concrete test forms (incorporating waste sawdust aggregate) being produced during
the workshop.

Figure 3. Demonstrations during the Rock Solid: Concrete & Mixed Media Sculpture workshop
at Anderson Ranch Arts Center.

Figure 4. Experimental sculptural concrete objects produced using waste-derived aggregates,
incorporated into ‘Lodge’ exhibition at Nuisance Gallery, October 2025. Photo by Andrew
Jarman.

Samantha Gigliotti

Thank you to the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute for supporting my attendance to the Forest Genetics Conference 2025. This conference was held at Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pennsylvania from June 23^rd – 27^th, 2025. This conference was a joint meeting between the Northern Forest Genetics Association, Western Forest Genetics Association, and the Southern Forest Tree Improvement Committee and the theme was Harnessing Genetic Diversity for Resilient Forests. This conference provided me with an opportunity to present my research, network with professionals and students from academia and public and private sectors, and gain insights into new approaches, technologies, and tools relevant in my field.

I was selected as one of five featured student presenters that followed a keynote speaker during a plenary session. My presentation was entitled “Utilizing Southern Oak Genotypes as a Restoration Strategy in Our Northeastern Forests” and you can find my abstract below. After my presentation I received great feedback and support of my research. I was also approached by several others looking to potentially collaborate and/or learn from my research to implement similar restoration experiments at their sites. I particularly enjoyed seeing how engaged and interested researchers were in my work occurring in the northeast with assisted migration.

While attending the conference I was afforded the opportunity to attend many contributed talks, a few panels, a field trip, and a post conference workshop. Talks provided me with many ideas that are applicable to my research. The panels such as the career panel was important for learning diverse perspectives on how to approach what is next after a PhD. The field trip I attended was to Penn Nursery which provided me a great connection to the forest geneticist. And lastly, I attended the oak pangenome workshop which allowed me to provide my opinions to this important collaborative project and allowed me to be part of this larger team focused on moving oak restoration work towards climate resilient driven science.

Photo of attendance at the Forest Genetics Conference at PSU.

Image of Samantha Gigliotti in the forest with a shovel.

Photo of a planted seedling in Hutcheson Memorial Forest part of the experimental restoration work I presented at the Forest Genetics Conference at PSU.

Andrew Jarman

Thanks to the generous support of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute I was able to travel
to various locations within California and Oregon in support of my artistic practice. My two
primary objectives were to generate new photographs and to conduct research in support of my
upcoming thesis for my MFA in Visual Art. The first destination of interest was Palm Springs,
California, where I performed a site visit to the Prescott Preserve, a decommissioned golf
course now functioning as a nature preserve. Walking the 2.4 mile trail loop through the
preserve, I photographed views that juxtaposed the former landscape architecture of the golf
course and the surrounding condominium residences to the current arid climate natural to the
desert setting. I was drawn to the Prescott Preserve because of the unique vision it proposes for
the future of land use in an area susceptible to drought and water shortages. As a resort
destination, Palm Springs is known for many of its golf courses and acres of bright green lawns
non-native to the region that require extensive irrigation and large volumes of water on a daily
basis. In recent years the water politics of the region have become increasingly fraught and
complex, thrusting the existence of these golf courses into heightened scrutiny.

In addition to photographing throughout the Prescott Preserve, I dedicated numerous mornings
to photographing around the city of Palm Springs, documenting various buildings and
establishments of cultural and historical significance. One day of travel was dedicated to
attending various art installations located in Joshua Tree. I had the opportunity to connect with
the people working at the artist residency program overseen by High Desert Test Sites and
toured their facilities while also having the chance to speak with current artists in residence.
Following my time in the desert I went to Los Angeles, California, where I conducted research
through visits to the UCLA Film & Television Archive, The Museum of Jurassic Technology, and
The Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI, or more vernacularly known as “The Center”).
While at The Center I spoke with an employee and learned about the recently catalogued library
and future opportunities to engage with their archives.

The last destination of my travels made possible by the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute
was Portland, Oregon. While in Portland, I gained access to join a four day fisherman’s trip
along the Deschutes River just south of Maupin, Oregon. It was on this excursion that I had the
opportunity to photograph the likes of fifteen different fishermen in various portrait groupings as
a way to contend with the surrounding landscape. A significant volume of new photographs
were produced using my analog large format field camera, which will inevitably inform and/or be
directly incorporated into my upcoming thesis project for Spring 2026. The support of the
Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute was instrumental in making possible the new directions in
my artistic practice, for which I extend my sincerest gratitude.

Image of palm trees over a house in Palm Springs.

View from within the Prescott Preserve, Palm Springs, California, 2025.

Aerial move of a golf spring above Palm Springs.

Aerial view of a golf course seen while flying into Palm Springs, California.

Image of installation, a blue wooden structure, in Joshua Tree.

Installation located in Joshua Tree by Rutgers Faculty Halsey Rodman.

Image of Andrew Jarman near a camera along the Deschutes River.

Andrew Jarman seen photographing along the Deschutes River.

Afrooz Mosallaeipour

I am grateful to the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute (RCEI) for providing funding to support my travel to the National Communication Association (NCA) 111th Annual Convention, held in Denver, Colorado from November 20-23, 2025. The NCA is the leading scholarly organization in communication studies and plays a vital role in advancing the discipline by providing major platforms for research exchange, supporting ethical and professional standards, and strengthening the field’s relevance to urgent societal issues. Attending NCA offered an important opportunity to engage with cutting-edge scholarship, build professional connections, and strengthen the visibility and impact of my work within the broader communication research community.

I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at the School of Communication and Information, and my research examines how visual communication in digital media shapes public understanding of pressing social and environmental issues, including climate change. My work focuses on how images circulate within fast-moving, algorithmically curated social media environments and how these visuals influence public attitudes, emotions, knowledge, and behaviors. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives across communication, media studies, and information science, I use a mixed-methods approach combining computational analysis, content analysis, and survey experiments to investigate the relationship between media, environmental risk perception, and public opinion.

During the conference, I attended multiple panels and research sessions related to environmental communication, visual framing, and digital news use, and I participated in networking opportunities with scholars across academic and applied settings. A key contribution of this trip was my participation as a presenter on a well-attended panel focused on climate change communication. I presented a research paper written in collaboration with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC), which received the Third Place Top Student Paper Award from the Environmental Communication Division. My presentation, titled “Positive images of heat waves reduce the effects of messages about extreme heat among U.S. adults,” addresses the growing importance of communicating extreme heat as climate change intensifies and heat events become more frequent and severe.

This conference contributed to my scholarship in several direct ways. I received valuable feedback on how to strengthen the methodological framing of the project, including suggestions for sharpening the conceptualization of visual valence. I also benefited from seeing how a wide range of scholars, both academic and non-academic, are approaching similar questions about heat-wave communication and environmental visual framing, which helped me better situate my work within current debates in the field.

In sum, the support from RCEI enabled me to present award-recognized research, deepen my engagement with the field of environmental communication, and take meaningful steps toward future scholarly collaborations and career development.

Javiera Madrid-Salazar

Climate change, competing geopolitical interests, and dreams of sovereignty and self-determination are converging in Greenland, transforming this territory into one of the epicenters of the global scramble for so-called critical minerals. With temperatures consistently rising since the mid-20th century, the melting of Greenland's ice sheet has exposed rich mineral deposits, including some with strategic relevance for renewable energy and other technologies (e.g. rare earths). Despite some of these deposits also containing radioactive elements such as uranium, these minerals have also fueled visions of a resource-based path towards economic sovereignty and independence from Denmark in a nation where over 80% of the population identifies as Inuit. With this background, Greenland finds itself in a paradoxical position: global warming—alongside other geopolitical and social processes—have transformed this territory into a new resource "frontier" in the context of the energy transition, a key strategy for addressing climate change.

Thanks to RCEI's generous support, last November I was able to travel to Nuuk, Greenland, to attend the biannual Greenland Science Week Conference and conduct preliminary research around some of these questions. This internationally recognized, multidisciplinary conference brought together Arctic researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to discuss and develop a roadmap for achieving a sustainable future in Greenland.

View of the bay from Qaanniviit

A sunset in Nuuk

RCEI's support helped me cover lodging, local transportation, and food expenses for a 14-day research trip to Nuuk, during which I attended the conference and established a strong network of interlocutors that I will continue to work with in subsequent stages of this project. While in Greenland, I conducted various research activities, including “event ethnography,” participant observation, interviews with relevant stakeholders, and archival research. The qualitative data I gathered on this trip will be used in a collaborative research paper with two professors in the Department of Geography and may also inform the development of a future grant proposal.

Greenland Science Week

During my trip, I was even lucky enough to see the Northern Lights in full force.

Northern Lights in Nuuk

Thank you once again, RCEI, for your generous support!

[1] Klinger, Julie M. Rare earth frontiers: From terrestrial subsoils to lunar landscapes. Cornell University Press, 2018.

[2] International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), “Indigenous peoples in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland),” IWGIA, accessed October 14, 2025. https://iwgia.org/en/kalaallit-nunaat-greenland.html.

[3] Lisa M. Campbell, Catherine Corson, Noella J. Gray, Kenneth I. MacDonald, J. Peter Brosius. “Studying Global Environmental Meetings to Understand Global Environmental Governance: Collaborative Event Ethnography at the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.” Global Environmental Politics 14 no. 3 (2014): 1–20. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/GLEP_e_00236. See also

Koch, Natalie. "Event ethnography: Studying power and politics through events." Geography Compass 17, no. 12 (2023): e12729, doi https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12729.

Daniela Mosquera

Unas notas sobre la omnipresencia de la minería de carbón en el Cesar, Colombia.

“El carbón llegó para quedarse”, rezaba un titular del periódico El Diario Vallenato a comienzos de los años ochenta anunciando que una etapa de transformaciones económicas llegaba al noreste del Caribe colombiano. Ahora, cuarenta años después, el Cesar es el segundo departamento con mayor extracción de carbón en Colombia. Carbón que, a través del ferrocarril controlado por Drummond, sale por el puerto de Santa Marta —a 192 km de las minas— para ser procesado en países como Estados Unidos, Israel (antes de que el gobierno colombiano decidiera suspender la venta a este país por su participación en el genocidio palestino) o Turquía.

En Colombia y América Latina ya se han explorado las resistencias de comunidades afectadas por la minería de carbón a cielo abierto (CNMH, 2016; González y Melo, 2015; Montoya Domínguez, 2018; Corral et al, 2021; Mosquera-Camacho y Marston, 2021; de la Hoz Quintero, 2023). Sin duda, este trabajo sigue siendo esencial para la búsqueda de futuros justos más allá de los combustibles fósiles, así como para exigir reparaciones y garantías de no repetición frente a los pasivos ambientales y sociales generados por estas actividades y por las empresas que las conducen.

Sin embargo, algo que me ha llamado la atención en mis múltiples salidas de campo durante el doctorado ha sido escuchar a grupos de ciudadanos que habitan zonas aledañas a las minas de carbón clamar porque la minería no se vaya del territorio. Hace apenas un mes circulaba por un grupo de WhatsApp local un video de una reunión de ciudadanos pro minería con políticos locales para discutir este tema, mientras que, al otro extremo, una universidad regional realizaba una actividad sobre transición energética justa (ver Beleño Crespo, 2025). En ese sentido, me pregunto: ¿por qué, si son tan evidentes las afectaciones del carbón en la vida de las comunidades —las altas temperaturas, el polvillo del carbón, el desplazamiento forzado bajo las alianzas entre empresas y paramilitares en los 2000—, hay personas que quieren que la minería siga siendo el pilar principal del territorio y que las multinacionales extranjeras no se vayan de allí?

Durante mi trabajo de campo, donde me muevo en círculos de activistas contra el fracking y el carbón, pensaba en lo contraintuitivo que resulta esto. Entonces empecé a considerar que quizá necesitaba mirar más allá de los lentes y de la posición política desde los cuales observo, para intentar entender qué hay detrás de estos grupos. Por un lado, hay un factor claro: la minería ha generado miles de empleos en la región, incluso si durante la pandemia muchos de estos trabajos directos e indirectos desaparecieron. Por otro lado —y quizá aún más interesante—, están los patrones culturales que han hecho que la minería se instale en el habitus de la gente.

Quiero mencionar dos cosas aquí. Primero, desde la mirada etnográfica, me llamó la atención la cantidad de elementos asociados con la minería que están presentes en la vida cotidiana. Ya fuera sentada en un café observando a la gente pasar, trabajando en la biblioteca o caminando por un pueblo, siempre aparecía algún símbolo de Drummond. Esto lo discutía con Emma Gómez, antropóloga y abogada de la Universidad Javeriana mientras tomábamos agua helada en una cafetería de La Paz, Cesar. Se siente como algo omnipresente: aunque no lo nombres, aunque no lo busques, la minería siempre está ahí. Ese rechazo que creía tan evidente cada vez lo cuestiono más, pues su presencia es tan obvia que a veces cuesta verla de frente.

Segundo, y en ese sentido, decidí explorar uno de los periódicos locales —el mismo que mencioné al inicio, El Diario Vallenato— para entender cómo se fue introduciendo la minería y las narrativas sobre el carbón como la actividad ideal para la “vocación” del suelo del Cesar. Decidí explorar esto porque creo firmemente que una explicación puramente estructural no es suficiente, siguiendo a Fernando Coronil en El Estado Mágico. La minería —y sobre todo la promesa minera, que a veces se cumple, otras no y otras a medias— se mantiene a pesar de los problemas ocasionados y de los incumplimientos durante la pandemia, no solo por el dinero que circula y por los cambios económicos que ha traído a muchas familias, sino por su omnipresencia en todas las esferas de la vida del Cesar desde los años ochenta, incluso antes de materializarse plenamente. Esa omnipresencia fue posible, en gran medida, gracias a los discursos que se instalaron en los medios, en los festivales y en la vida cultural del departamento. Y eso es precisamente lo que estoy tratando de comprender en una parte de mi disertación.

Agradezco al Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute por este primer impulso para hacer revisión de prensa en el departamento del Cesar durante el verano de 2025, con el fin de entender los desafíos que enfrenta la transición energética, el cambio climático y la construcción de un Cesar más justo, a partir de los cambios históricos en la región y en su relación con el mundo globalizado en el que vivimos.

Some Notes on the Omnipresence of Coal Mining in Cesar, Colombia.

“Coal is here to stay,” read a headline in El Diario Vallenato in the early 1980s, announcing that a new phase of economic transformation had reached the northeastern Caribbean region of Colombia. Now, forty years later, Cesar is the second department1 with the highest coal extraction in the country. Coal that, through the railway controlled by Drummond, travels to the port of Santa Marta —192 km away from the mines— to be processed in countries such as the United States, Israel (before the Colombian government decided to suspend sales to that country due to its participation in the Palestinian genocide), or Turkey.

In Colombia and Latin America, scholars and activists have already explored the forms of resistance developed by communities affected by open-pit coal mining (CNMH, 2016; González y Melo, 2015; Montoya Domínguez, 2018; Corral et al, 2021; Mosquera-Camacho y Marston, 2021; de la Hoz Quintero, 2023). Without a doubt, this work remains essential for envisioning just futures beyond fossil fuels, as well as for demanding reparations and guarantees of non-repetition for the environmental and social damages caused by these activities and the companies that carry them out.

However, something that has caught my attention during my multiple field visits throughout the PhD has been hearing groups of local residents living near coal mines call for mining to remain in the territory. Just a month ago, a video circulated in a local WhatsApp group showing a meeting between pro-mining citizens and local politicians discussing this issue, while at the same time, a nearby regional university was holding an event on just energy transition (see Beleño Crespo, 2025). This made me wonder: if the impacts of coal on community life are so evident —the rising temperatures, the coal dust, the forced displacement under alliances between companies and paramilitary groups in the 2000s—, why are there people who want mining to remain the main pillar of the region, and who do not want foreign multinationals to leave?

During my fieldwork, where I usually move within circles of activists opposing fracking and coal extraction, I found this counterintuitive. So, I began to consider that perhaps I needed to look beyond my own lenses and political position, to try to understand what lies behind these groups. On the one hand, there is a clear factor: mining has generated thousands of jobs in the region, even if many of these direct and indirect jobs disappeared during the pandemic. On the other hand —and perhaps even more interestingly— are the cultural patterns that have made mining part of people’s habitus.

I want to mention two things here. First, from an ethnographic perspective, I was struck by the number of elements associated with mining that permeate everyday life. Whether sitting in a café watching people pass by, working in the library, or walking through a town, a Drummond symbol would always appear. I found myself discussing this with Emma Gómez, an anthropologist and lawyer from Javeriana University, who had made similar observations during her fieldwork, while we drank a sip of cold water in the heat of a cafeteria in La Paz, Cesar. It feels omnipresent: even if you don’t name it, even if you’re not looking for it, mining is always there. That rejection I once assumed to be so evident, I now question more and more —its presence is so obvious that sometimes it becomes hard to see directly.

Second, in that sense, I decided to explore one of the local newspapers —the same one I mentioned earlier, El Diario Vallenato— to understand how mining and the narratives around coal were introduced as the ideal activity for Cesar’s “productive vocation.” I chose to investigate this because I firmly believe that a purely structural explanation is not enough, following Fernando Coronil’s The Magical State. Mining —and especially the mining promise, which sometimes is fulfilled, sometimes not, and sometimes only halfway— endures despite the problems it has caused and the unfulfilled commitments during the pandemic, not only because of the money it circulates or the economic changes it has brought to many families, but because of its omnipresence in all spheres of life in Cesar since the 1980s, even before it fully materialized. That omnipresence was made possible, to a large extent, through the discourses that took hold in the media, in festivals, and in the cultural life of the department. And that is precisely what I am trying to understand in the third chapter of my dissertation.

I thank the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute for this first opportunity to carry out a press review in the department of Cesar during the summer of 2025, in order to better understand the challenges of energy transition, climate change, and the construction of a more just Cesar, through the lens of the region’s historical transformations and its relationship with the globalized world we live in.

lustración 1.Diario El Vallenato, tomo 1, agosto de 1981. Noticia sobre una conferencia en la que se anunciaba la apertura de una mina de Carbón en la región. News about the potential of coal mining, and the opening of a coal mine in the region.

Ilustración 1. La UPC entra lenta a era de carbón. Ilustration 2. The Public University of Cesar (Universidad Popular del Cesar) enters the coal era slowly. Tomo 6.Año III, Edición 601. Miércoles, 4 de mayo de 1983,p.3

Ilustración 3 En camino a una vereda en 2022 con una amiga campesina, quien no tiene relación con las mineras, pero carga una maleta con el símbolo de Drummond, lo cual es muy común en la región. Illustration 1. On the way to a rural village in 2022 with a peasant friend who has no connection to the mining companies but carries a backpack with the Drummond logo — something very common in the region. Photo by the author.

Ilustración 2. Verano de 2021, en medio de la pandemia y del cierre de las minas de Prodeco, la filial de Glencore. Foto enviada a través de un grupo de Whatsapp por un ciudadano cesarense en la Jagua de Ibirico, Cesar. Illustration 2. Summer 2021, In the midst of the pandemic and the closure of Prodeco’s mines, the Glencore subsidiary. Photo sent via a WhatsApp group by a resident of La Jagua de Ibirico, Cesar.

Yingning Xie

I sincerely appreciate the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute for supporting my travel to the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) 65th Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN, from October 22 to 25, 2025. This conference brings together scholars and professionals across various fields in urban planning, allowing us to present our work, learn from our peers, connect with one another, and explore potential collaborations.

At the conference, I presented my dissertation research, E-Cycling for Well-Being, in which I surveyed more than 500 e-bike users in the United States. The study explores who e-bike users are in today’s United States, how they use e-bikes, how e-bike use affects their use of cars and other transportation modes, and how using an e-bike influences their perceived accessibility and life satisfaction. My research shows that the demographics of e-bike users have shifted from early adopters – mainly older adults – to younger groups, with a growing share of middle- and lower-income users. This shift is influenced by e-bike incentive programs launched across the country in recent years, as well as the increasing number of immigrant delivery workers using e-bikes. One key finding is that although individuals who primarily use cars may be less likely to fully switch to e-bikes, former car users still make up the largest share of current e-bike users due to the large base of car dependence. While participants commonly identified the lack of bike lanes as the primary barrier to more frequent e-bike use, they also emphasized the benefits of e-bikes, including fun, health, cost savings, and, for some, concern for the environment. My work, situated at the intersection of transportation, health, and sustainable development, contributes to understanding the potential of e-bikes to mitigate climate change by reducing car travel — one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

A particularly valuable part of the conference was the opportunity not only to share my work and receive feedback on future research directions, but also to engage with scholars from related fields such as environmental studies, housing, and community development. To broaden my audience, I distributed letter-sized research flyers throughout the conference venue, using the space as a platform to expand visibility and dialogue. This travel experience allowed me to refine my dissertation research while also seeing how interdisciplinary exchange can strengthen our shared commitment to sustainable development.

Yingning shares his research at the ACSP 65th Annual Conference.

Samantha Alaimo

In January 2025, the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute (RCEI) supported my travel to the 2025 Northeast Cooperative Research Summit hosted in Portland, Maine by the Cooperative Research Branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The activities started with tours of the Portland Seafood Exchange and Ready Seafood. The Portland Seafood Exchange is a fresh seafood auction that opened in 1986. We learned about how the exchange buys fish from fishers and the mechanisms for how auction prices are set. This non-profit sells primarily groundfish (cod, pollock, monkfish, haddock) to New York, Canada, and other distributers. We then toured Ready Seafood, a family-run lobster processer/dealer. Ready Seafood is one of the largest lobster processors in the United States. They buy lobster right from lobstermen and ship worldwide. We saw their live-lobster facility that holds essentially a 200,000-gallon fish tank (recirculating seawater system) for maintaining live lobsters. The scale at which these facilities operate is remarkable. Later that evening, conference goers met at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) for a welcome networking event. This was a great opportunity to not only explore GMRI’s facilities but also network with some of the scientists that work there and gain insights to their careers and research.

The next day began the main conference, which began with opening remarks from Dr. Jon Hare (Northeast Fisheries Science Center Science and Research Director) describing the “wicked problems” that fisheries science faces. We heard talks from scientists, academics and fishers describing the current research surrounding the regional fisheries and concerns about the future of these fisheries. We got “comfortable with the uncomfortable” as there were many tough conversations about the state of fisheries management and science and the future of the industry. Fisheries are highly complex and have a wide array of dynamics that influence the sheer amount of fish that fishermen can catch and oftentimes with slim profit margins. One key takeaway from the meeting was that we need to listen to the fishing community and EAT LOCAL—know where your fish is coming from and support your local fishing communities.

While initial abstract for the summit was not accepted, Lauren Cook (fellow Oceanography graduate student) and I presented a poster on the results of an interdisciplinary side meting we co-organized and co-hosted in 2024 and sought feedback from the fishing industry. These species serve at a link between the base of the food chain and higher trophic level species that contribute to the lucrative fisheries of the United States. Despite their ecological importance, there is an overwhelming lack of data on these species. The side meeting that sought to gain stakeholder input on the state of forage taxa (fish, invertebrates, and zooplankton) in regard to climate and offshore wind impacts.

Portland, like many other coastal economies, has an extremely valuable working waterfront with a wealth of generational knowledge. For me, one of the most valuable parts of this conference was talking with the fishing community and learning about their years of experience on the water. I connected with fishermen that I met at the previous year’s conference and met more from the New England region. Additionally, I was able to establish scientific connections within the cooperative research community that were able to provide career advice. In my future career, I strive to collaborate with fishing industry stakeholders and incorporate fisher’s firsthand knowledge into research that will aid in the sustainable management of commercial species.

Thank you RCEI for the funds to travel to this amazing conference!

Lauren Cook (left), Samantha Alaimo (me! middle), and Jessica Blaylock (NOAA Fish Biologist) at the Cooperative Summit’s networking evening.

Inviting Industry Input on Forage Species Research Gaps and Priorities on the US Northeast Shelf poster presented by myself and Lauren Cook.

Inviting Industry Input on Forage Species Research Gaps and Priorities on the US Northeast Shelf poster presented by myself and Samantha Alaimo.

“The Fish that Changed the World” aka Atlantic Cod at the Portland Seafood Exchange.

Portland’s Working Waterfront outside the Portland Fish Exchange.

Ready Seafood’s 200,000-gallon recirculating live lobster holding system. Through scientific research, they found the ideal temperature to keep lobsters at is 38°F before shipping.

When in Maine…live American lobster at Ready Seafood ready to ship.

Live Lobsters packed and ready to ship! This pallet was being shipped to Thailand.

Lobsters are packed in their own individual slots in the box tail down. We learned that as long as the lobsters are cold and moist they can be live shipped as far as China!

Alexandria Ambrose

Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute supported my attendance to Aquaculture 2025, one of the largest international aquaculture meetings, which brought together researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers. Organized by the National Shellfisheries Association, the Fish Culture Section of the American Fisheries Society, the World Aquaculture Society, and the National Aquaculture Association, this triennial conference focused on the theme "Innovation Through Technology." The meeting provided an opportunity to present my research, connect with experts in the field, and gain insights into the latest advancements in aquaculture science.

I gave a presentation titled "Video Documentation of the Marine Community Using an Oyster and Clam Farm as Habitat in Barnegat Bay, NJ," where I shared findings from my recent publication and additional data on habitat provisioning in shellfish farms. Shellfish farms have the potential to mitigate certain climate change impacts through different mechanisms. My research primarily focuses on the habitat aspects of shellfish farms, particularly how they function as structured environments for marine life. By deploying 3-D structures in coastal waters, shellfish farms create complex habitats that support various nekton communities. This added structural complexity offers shelter, feeding grounds, and breeding sites in areas where historic natural habitats are declining due to climate change. Presenting this work to a diverse audience led to engaging discussions and constructive feedback that will help my research moving forward.

Beyond my presentation, I attended a variety of sessions relevant to my research interests, including discussions on habitat restoration, shellfish ecology, aquaculture sustainability, and education. A highlight of the conference was participating in a mentor-mentee breakfast, where I connected with an experienced mentor who provided guidance on career development and navigating academia. I also had the chance to network with fellow students and professionals, including those working in sustainable aquaculture initiatives. These conversations deepened my understanding of how aquaculture can support both food production and ecosystem services, reinforcing the broader impact of my research. Attending this conference broadened my perspective on the role of shellfish aquaculture in marine ecosystems and highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary approaches. The experience has been instrumental in supporting my academic and professional trajectory, and I appreciate Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute for the travel award that made this opportunity possible.

Alexandria Ambrose giving a presentation at Aquaculture 2025.

Lauren Cook

The Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute (RCEI) supported my travel to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Northeast Cooperative Research Summit in Portland, Maine. This meeting brings together fishermen, scientists, and managers to discuss cooperative opportunities in fisheries research, and creates meaningful outcomes for fisheries science, management, and the economic/cultural livelihoods of the fishing community. My work focuses on the ecology and physiology of forage fish, particularly heavily fished species. These small, schooling fish have a dual role in our coastal ecosystem: they serve as a critical prey base for marine birds, mammals, and large fishes, and as an economic basis for both commercial-scale and local fisheries. Yet, there is an overwhelming lack of basic data for these “middle men” in our coastal ecosystem. The combination of a lack of data, rapid warming on the US Northeast Shelf, and the development of offshore wind in our region means there are unknown consequences on these fished populations, all of which ripple throughout the biological system and consequentially impacts the human-based livelihoods they support.

To shed light on these data gaps, my peer in the Oceanography program, Samantha Alaimo, and I co-organized and co-led a workshop at a separate conference in 2024 to address research gaps and priorities for forage species. However, we sought more input from fishermen – the oceanographers that know the pulse of the ocean every day as part of their livelihoods. At the Summit, we were able to present our poster to scientists and commercial fishermen alike, and gained valuable insight for next steps for soliciting more input from fishermen across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Perhaps the most valuable part of this conference was through attending seafood processing plant tours on Portland’s working waterfront. We toured Portland Fish Exchange, a non-profit that represents the local fishing community, and auctions harvest from small fleets that land local cod, haddock, monkfish, pollock, and other groundfish. We also toured Ready Seafood, a company that aggregates and supplies live lobster to buyers across the world. Many challenges face local working waterfronts today, especially those like Portland Fish Exchange that face market competition and pressure to be removed in favor of coastline development (hotels, condominiums). Furthermore, we learned about fishermen’s concerns with the survival of the fishing community in the future – from the financial barriers to entry for young fishermen, to the narrowing margins due to rising fuel costs, market dynamics, and loss of local community connection with local fleets, cooperative research is critical to ensuring the persistence of the community that feeds us, both locally and beyond. As a fisheries scientist, gaining insight into the barriers and challenges from boat-to-table was extremely valuable, and informs not only the science I currently conduct, but will inform what I will teach my future undergraduate students in their fish and fisheries courses. Thank you to RCEI for supporting my travel!

Lauren Cook (left), Samantha Alaimo (middle), and Jessica Blaylock (NOAA fish biologist) at the Cooperative Summit’s networking evening.

Inviting Industry Input on Forage Species Research Gaps and Priorities on the US Northeast Shelf poster presented by myself and Samantha Alaimo.

Leah Hopson

The Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute student support program financially supported my attendance to the 2025 American Meteorological Society (AMS) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. The overall theme for this conference was “Towards a Thriving Planet: Charting the Course Across Scales”. This was a 5-day conference where the meteorological, atmospheric and ocean science communities would come together to discuss and provide expertise on an actionable science for the society at large to chart a future course for a more hopeful and thriving planet. Issues such as damage to infrastructure from extreme weather events, increased healthcare costs, and reduced agricultural productivity need to be addressed with collaborative efforts across local and global scales. Therefore, the mission of this conference was aimed at addressing these concerns, from research-based learning to applications and service!

As a third-year PhD student in Earth system science, I am cognizant of these ongoing environmental issues. I am in this everchanging space of both physical oceanography and atmospheric science, to study the interplay between tropical cyclones and upper ocean dynamics. I am using both atmospheric and ocean models to examine the relationship between changing tropical cyclone characteristics like translation speed and the subsequent ocean column responses, like sea surface cooling or warming. I am also using ocean-observing technologies like underwater robots or gliders to study this interaction. Because of my research directions and interests, I participated and gave an oral presentation in the Joint session on Tropical Cyclone-Ocean Interactions II & Discussion on Air-Sea Interactions Part II. With the knowledge I have developed in my graduate program, I was able to share that with the AMS community. I had an exciting time presenting part of my thesis work on the role of gliders capturing upper ocean dynamics during hurricane events. I received engaging questions and advice that allowed me to deepen my understanding of the topic area and solidify the importance of the work I am doing!

Other activities that supported my scholarship were attending scientific sessions outside of my discipline and community networking events. That is, I attended sessions such as A Taste of the Early Career Leadership Academy; Hands-on Experiences - From Classroom to Cloud Base: The Basics to Kick Off Your Storm Chasing Journey; Compound Flood Hazards from tropical cyclones in the Northeastern United States; High-performance computing and other innovative computing approaches for community earth system models; NOAA Hurricane Forecast improvement program (HFIP): Advancing hurricane modeling, analysis, forecasting, and risk communication for a diverse world; Wildfire-urban interface risk assessment and modeling; and other topics of education in geoscience. Regarding networking opportunities, I attended events that connected AMS members of color and my alumni network. These connection events facilitated in building my personal, scientific, and future career communities and provided a space in which I can grow as a scientist! Seeing old colleagues and establishing new relationships will always be special for me, and I look forward to continuing down this road in Earth system science and staying involved in AMS!

Giving research presentation

Answering audience questions

Photo in front of the conference logo

Nyla Howell

I want to thank the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute's Student Support Fund for supporting me in attending the 2025 American Association of Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting. This year's conference was held in Detroit, Michigan, and the fund supported my lodging and transportation expenses. With this financial aspect covered, I was able to have a rewarding professional and personal experience.

Professionally, the AAG allowed me to meet many new people, present my research, and attend various sessions related to my interests in Black geographies, disasters, and climate adaptation. I attended various Black geographies sessions covering different topics, such as farming, the history of the subdiscipline, and the ideas around Blackness and Black life in different spaces worldwide. Within these sessions, I had the chance to meet other students at schools who were interested in exploring geographic topics from this unique perspective. From our conversations about our research and the sessions, I learned about some potential methodologies I may use for my research, such as film. Attending Black geography sessions also allowed me to hear from and connect with scholars who have paved the way for this subdiscipline, such as Brian Williams, Alex Moulton, and LaToya Eaves. Through meeting these community members, I have begun to cultivate an academic community within this subdiscipline, which is critical to the work I plan to do for my dissertation. I also had the opportunity to meet many folks working in the hazards, disasters, and climate adaptation field by attending sessions mostly related to research on social vulnerability and climate justice. Again, I met and connected with prominent scholars such as Eric Tate and graduate students at other universities doing similar work, which allowed me to establish long-lasting academic relationships.

I also had the opportunity to speak twice while at AAG. My first speaking engagement was on a panel titled "Katrina at 20: The Possibility of Repair." This panel was focused on bridging the gap between Black geographies and natural hazards by focusing on Hurricane Katrina and marking the storm's 20th anniversary. We primarily spent time talking about how white supremacy has shown up in disaster planning both in New Orleans and in our various research sites. It was my first time speaking on an academic panel, so it was a great learning experience as I had to learn how to discuss my research and its implications outside of a presentation format.Furthermore, this panel opened the door to further collaborations with my fellow panelists.

My second presentation was a part of the showcase for the Jeanne X. Kasperson Graduate Student Paper Competition Winners. This award was given out by the AAG Hazards, Risk, and Disasters Speciality Group, and I had the chance to meet other graduate students who are doing similar work. My presentation was on a recently submitted paper that discussed how disasters, environmental hazards, and disaster preparedness are being redefined by a community in West Baltimore as an act of resistance to racial violence. Being rooted in Black geographic thought, it offered a different approach to understanding how disasters are being conceptualized within Black communities impacted by systemic racism.

Attending AAG allowed me to explore a new city and learn about local businesses and landmarks connected to the city's history. I also had a great time reconnecting with my friends and mentors who work at other institutions and my undergraduate university and building stronger relationships with the graduate students and faculty members within my own department at Rutgers. Again, I am incredibly grateful to the RCEI for their support.

Myself presenting my research as part of the Jeanne X. Kasperson Graduate Student Paper Competition Winners showcase.

One of the interesting sessions that I attended on Black geographies that encouraged me to consider creative methodologies in my future work.

Myself in front of the 2025 AAG conference sign.

Eshwanth Asok

From May 19-22, 2024, I had the privilege of presenting at the World Environmental and Water Resource Congress (EWRI) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin supported by the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute (RCEI) student support fund. This marked a significant milestone in my academic journey, as it was my first presentation at an international conference of this scale.

EWRI is the recognized leader within ASCE for integrating technical expertise and public policy in planning, designing, constructing, and operating environmentally sound and sustainable infrastructure impacting air, land, and water resources. The 2024 Congress event featured 12 concurrent technical tracks and approximately over 800 leading engineers, scientists, researchers, and students from different countries attended this event. The conference included diverse programs including technical sessions, workshops, keynote presentations by renowned experts from industry and academia, and panel discussions.

This conference provided a rich platform for exchanging knowledge and ideas in Water resource management and Environmental Engineering. The technical sessions at this conference were particularly related to my research and provided insights into cutting-edge research and innovative practices that are shaping the future of Water and Environmental Engineering. I participated in technical workshops on topics like How to Build Reliability in the Results of Numerical Modeling, and Web-based flood inundation modeling enriched my research and technical skills and provided me with experience with state-of-the-art tools and methodologies. I also attended keynote presentations by international speakers who shared their expertise on global water challenges, policy implications of environmental engineering solutions, application of advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling in water supply and treatment technologies, and the future of renewable energy technologies to help fight water pollution. These presentations offered a broad perspective on the societal impacts of our work as environmental engineers. This event facilitated networking with peers, professionals, and leading researchers from around the world. Engaging in discussions during sessions and networking events allowed me to exchange ideas, establish connections, and explore potential collaborations for future research projects and jobs.

Eshwanth and his advisor Dr. Roger Wang at the EWRI conference 2024 in Milwaukee, WI.

My presentation titled “ Environmental Co-design: Reconfigurable Hydrokinetic Turbine Arrays for Sustainable Energy in the Lower Mississippi Region” was part of the Renewables and Water session on the last day of the conference. It focused on examining the environmental factors affecting the hydrokinetic energy harvesting in the Lower Mississippi region particularly in Baton Rogue. To be precise, I presented my newly developed probabilistic model to estimate the fish collision risk by turbine blades based on the results from CFD modeling of the river channel. Along with it, I showcased the model results based on our ducted turbine design and suggested mitigation strategies based on the local fish population at the site. In return, the audience responded positively to my presentation, engaging in insightful discussions and posing thought-provoking questions. Their feedback and suggestions were constructive, offering perspectives for future research work. It was rewarding to receive recognition for work from experts in the field, reinforcing the relevance and impact of my research endeavors.

Eshwanth presenting his research findings at the Renewables and Water session in EWRI Congress 2024.

This memorable experience helped me gain confidence as a researcher and communicator, sharing my research findings and fostering meaningful connections within the global community of environmental and water resources professionals. I am very grateful for the support of RCEI and look forward to building upon this experience to contribute meaningfully to the field of environmental engineering.

Luncheon networking event with peers, professionals, and researchers at the conference.

Antonio De Chellis

In February 2024, I was privileged to attend the Biophysical Society Annual meeting that was held in Philadelphia with support provided to me by the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute. Having a primarily biochemical background myself, this was a rewarding experience to meet, interact, learn, and gain advice from biophysicists both young and experienced. While at this conference I was able to attend and participate in keynote sessions and attended various lectures covering a wide array of topics in biophysics including a lecture by a Nobel laureate. These sessions provided valuable insights into cutting-edge research and technological advancements in the field that could be applied to my own work. Additionally, while at the conference I had the opportunity to present a poster on my research focused on engineering enzymes for sustainable biofuel production. This poster session was a great opportunity to discuss my research with experts from across the country, as well as network with potential new collaborators. Additionally, there was a wide range of exhibitors present at the conference allowing me to meet with suppliers I’ve interacted with previously, as well as make new connections and be introduced the new and exciting technology in the field.

This conference provided a unique opportunity to advance my career as a researcher. Aside from just learning new information, one of the most valuable experiences was being able to interact with collaborators I work with across the country. In this era of zoom meetings and online interactions, actually being able to meet in person, discuss our results, troubleshoot issues, and brainstorm new ideas for collaboration was invaluable. Additionally, I was able to explain my research to groups that it may have not reached otherwise, thus expanding my network and potential collaborators. All in all, this was a tremendous experience integral to my career development, and I am thankful to the RCEI for their support!

Antonio De Chellis presenting his research on engineered enzymes for biofuel production at the BPS annual meeting poster session

A view from right outside the convention center where BPS meeting was held.

Joe Gradone

The Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute helped support my attendance to the 2024 International Underwater Glider Conference (IUGC) in Gothenburg, Sweden. This conference was a 5-day event where members of the underwater glider community could engage in dialogue, share experiences, and develop best practices to strengthen international collaboration. It was a great opportunity to enhance community efforts and share the latest in scientific research and operational developments. The event included plenaries, workshops, training, break-out, and poster sessions.

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays a pivotal role in regulating global climate by transporting about a quarter of the northern hemisphere's atmospheric-ocean heat northward. The Caribbean Sea serves as a vital nexus within the AMOC, where water masses from the North and South Atlantic converge to form the Caribbean Current, a precursor to the Gulf Stream. Recent evidence suggests the AMOC may be slowing, with profound implications for climate stability, including accelerated sea level rise, extreme weather events and biogeochemical processes. Despite its significance, the Caribbean through flow (CTF) has historically lacked sufficient observational data. My research has focused on conducting exploratory autonomous underwater glider deployments throughout the Caribbean Sea to contribute to filling the observational data gap in this region. I have performed a unique comparison of these glider observations with historical ship-based data, revealing notable changes in water mass properties within the CTF. Analysis of temperature and salinity profiles collected in the Caribbean Sea since 1960 shows a decadal upper ocean warming and salinification trend that has significantly increased upper ocean stability.

I was thrilled to be able to present this research in a talk “Exploratory Glider Deployments Reveal Changes in the Upper Oceanic Water Masses of the Caribbean Through-Flow” at the IUGC. This opportunity allowed me build more international collaborations and learn from the greater glider communities. I am grateful to the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute for helping to make this travel possible and supporting a pivotal experience in my education. Tack Tack! (Thank you!)

Top & Bottom, Joe Gradone presenting at the International Underwater Glider Conference.

Model of Teledyne Webb Research's new Sentinel Glider along with members of the team of scientists and engineers assisting with piloting this vehicle around the world.

Setting of the International Underwater Glider Conference in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Austin Grubb

I attended my first (in-person) Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM 2024) in New Orleans, LA from February 18-23, 2024. OSM is the semiannual flagship conference for the ocean sciences and the larger ocean-connected community, and it connects ocean scientists from interdisciplinary backgrounds, along with others like policymakers and educators.

My dissertation work focuses on phytoplankton, which perform half of the photosynthesis on the planet. As key players in the global carbon cycle, phytoplankton influence the climate. I study a group of calcifying phytoplankton known as coccolithophores, which further impact the carbon cycle by producing calcium carbonate shells. I presented a poster on the cellular investments in calcification using empirical data, mathematical modeling, and transcriptomics, as well as went to a lot of interesting talks/posters about coccolithophores and phytoplankton in general. I also networked with potential future employers and attended talks, posters, and workshops regarding topics that I am interested in pursuing after my graduate work, including remote sensing of the ocean and marine policy.

Prior to OSM, I attended a two-day workshop about marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) projects managed by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP). These are a diverse group of interdisciplinary projects investigating the feasibility and ecosystem impacts of mCDR, which aims to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store it long-term in the ocean. This year, I am contributing to one such project investigating the impact of ocean alkalinity enhancement (one mCDR strategy) on phytoplankton––specifically coccolithophores and diatoms. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change considers CDR (which includes marine and non-marine strategies)as an essential approach for limiting global warming to 1.5-2°C. Throughout the two-day workshop, I listened to talks from project leads on the science behind their techniques, what successes and challenges each team was facing, and the prospects of deploying strategies at scale. We also discussed the social and ethical implications of deploying (or not deploying) mCDR at scale as climate change progresses over the coming decades.

Thank you to the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute for financially supporting my travel to OSM 2024!

Graduate Student Austin Grubb with his poster, “ Cellular investments in calcification in the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi” at the 2024 Ocean Sciences Meeting in New Orleans, LA.

Wilson Guillory

I recently returned from a field trip to northeastern Brazil (Dec 3–13, 2024) with my PhD advisor at Rutgers Newark, Marcelo Gehara, and a fellow graduate student, Felipe Coelho. The Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute (RCEI) student support program generously made this trip possible. The trip was an important capstone to my PhD research, as I was finally able to see the species and environments I have been studying for several years in person, meet many Brazilian researchers I had before only communicated with online, and collect biological material that is critical to future projects in my lab.

Our trip’s primary purpose was to collect a specimen of the lizard Ameivula ocellifera and prepare it for prompt shipment to the US for sequencing a high-quality reference genome, which will be used by my lab group in a variety of future studies examining genome-environment interactions in these lizards at various scales. I in particular will use the reference genome to identify which genes are under environmental selection at multiple spatial scales across the South American Dry Diagonal and the genus Ameivula, which consists of 11 described species. We were fortunately able to collect the sample during a trip to a restinga, a seasonally dry tropical forest habitat localized to sand dunes along Brazil’s eastern coast. Besides finding the Ameivula, this afforded me the opportunity to explore the environment these lizards occupy in real life, along with the plant and animal species they coexist with. I also learned capture techniques for these lizards such as the use of pitfall traps, which passively funnel small ground-dwelling animals into collection buckets.

Myself holding a bush anole (Polychrus acutirostris), a rare species found in the same restinga habitat as Ameivula ocellifera. We caught our Ameivula only a few yards from where we found this lizard.

Besides capturing the Ameivula sample, we also took several more excursions into various habitats in the region, such as the Caatinga dry forest and the Atlantic rainforest. Through these trips I learned more about the various environments and fauna of northeastern Brazil and gained experience in finding and capturing reptiles and amphibians there. We encountered a great number of species that I had before only read about in the literature.

Hiking into the Caatinga, a seasonally dry tropical forest that occupies most of northeastern Brazil.

When not in the field, we spent our time on the campus of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) in the city of Natal, where we were hosted by the lab of Professor Adrian Garda. Through interacting with Dr. Garda and his students, I learned more about Brazilian herpetology and the exciting research being conducted in this area. I also gave a research talk to the lab, entitled “Phylo/genomics/geography and biodiversity drivers in the South American Dry Diagonal,” in which I discussed my dissertation research. In particular I presented two projects, both on reptiles and amphibians from northeastern Brazil, including Ameivula, which seek to identify the environmental drivers of diversification and speciation at various spatial and taxonomic scales. Though initially planned for 25 minutes, my talk lasted almost an hour due to the interest and conversation generated amongst the audience, who are very familiar with the taxa and systems I study. Their feedback was insightful and offered several new ideas for my dissertation research.

Myself presenting my dissertation research to the Garda lab at UFRN, Natal, RN, Brazil.

Overall, this trip was a unique experience that was both personally and academically rewarding for me. Again, I am very thankful for RCEI for their support for this trip, the fruits of which will be instrumental in furthering my career in evolutionary biology.

Souvik Mandal

I attended Gordon Research Conference on Organometallics from July 7-12, 2024, at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. This conference was attended by numerous renowned and early career investigators and industrial scientists in the field of organometallic chemistry.

Organometallic chemistry is an interdisciplinary field of organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry where the focus is on using a ligand (organic) and a metal (inorganic) in a well-defined architecture to form a ‘complex’. These ‘complexes’ are used mostly as a ‘catalyst’ for variety of reactions ranging from synthesis of life-saving drug molecules to the activation of small molecules. In the 21st century we find ourselves confronting the increasingly severe consequences of climate change. As a PhD student in organometallic chemistry, I have the challenge and the opportunity to search for viable responses to this threat. It is imperative that we focus our efforts to combat the urgent threat of climate change, preserving our environment and allowing us to develop a sustainable society for future generations.

I presented a poster on the above work at the Conference in two poster sessions. Overall, the poster sessions were very engaging both for participants and for the presenters. I collected a good amount of suggestions, appreciations and feedback about my work from a diverse group of people. It was invaluable in the pursuit of my current research goals, as well as in developing a career focused on addressing technical challenges relevant to energy and sustainability. Moreover, I met fellow PhD candidates from across the globe, with whom I played soccer together, talked about the culture in those respective countries. Thus made the conference trip extremely enjoyable and enriching, even from a non-academic perspective. This was undoubtedly one of the best conferences I have attended so far. To conclude, I would like to RCEI for supporting me with this award to cover a portion of the cost to attend the conference.

Souvik Mandal with his poster at the Organometallics GRC, July, 2024, Newport, RI.

Anju Vijayan Nair

In December 2024, I had the opportunity to attend the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Meeting in Washington D.C., supported by the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute (RCEI) student support fund. AGU's annual meeting is the largest gathering of Earth and space scientists, convening 25000+ attendees from 100+ countries to share their research.

People from different parts of the world attending the AGU Annual Meeting in Washington D.C.

I submitted two abstracts for this year’s annual meeting, and both of them got accepted – one as a poster presentation and the other as an oral presentation. In my poster presentation titled “Hydrological Projections in Glacierized Catchments of High Mountain Asia: Is Climate Downscaling Important?”, I discussed the significance of climate downscaling on the hydrological projections over glacierized catchments in HMA. Specifically, I used precipitation and temperature data from four Global Climate Models (GCMs) – original and statistically downscaled datasets – as the input to a hydrological model to simulate historic and future projections of streamflow. Analysis was done for annual and monthly timescales over five small to medium basins in HMA. There was a significant number of interactions during the poster session and experts working in similar research stopped by my poster for a quick discussion. I received many thought-provoking questions as well as feedback with respect to my research which will help me in further improving my work.

Anju during the poster session at the AGU Annual Meeting.

Next, I had an oral presentation in the session titled “Hazards and Consequences: Natural Hazard Risks and Impacts on Food, Infrastructure, and Human Systems”. I presented my work titled “Climate Change and Natural Hazards Affecting Livelihoods in High Mountain Asia” which focused on understanding the impact of climate change on the local communities in HMA. I presented a climate risk assessment for heatwave risk affecting the livelihoods over the northwestern parts of HMA. The session was followed by a brief discussion with insightful questions which will foster my further research.

Anju presenting her work in the oral session at the AGU Annual Meeting.

In addition to the opportunity to present my work to the community, I got a chance to meet fellow researchers and got to know about the work of other experts in my field. Overall, my participation in the AGU Annual Meeting this year was an immense learning experience and helped me acquire skills and knowledge to move forward in my research domain. I am grateful for the support provided by the RCEI which is a huge help and encouragement to early-career researchers like me.

Bianca Nogueira

Thanks to the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute (RCEI) student support program, I conducted fieldwork in California to study Myrmecocystus ants, also known as honeypot ants. During this fieldwork, we were specifically interested in their specialized caste called repletes. Repletes are adapted to store large amounts of liquid food inside their guts for long periods—a resource that can be shared with other colony members and provide nutrition in times of scarcity. Given this adaptation, their gut microbiome likely plays an essential role in maintaining adequate storage conditions and preserving stored fluids, ensuring colony survival. This trait may be particularly crucial for species in dry regions with irregular rainfall, as is the case with Myrmecocystus. Our research aims to understand the evolution of this trait, the microbiome diversity, and how climate pressures have influenced these ants. Our findings will also offer insights into their potential responses to climatic changes.

Figure 1. One of our collection sites near Palmdale, CA.

To achieve this, we excavated Myrmecocystus nests in the areas around Palmdale and Palm Springs, California, searching for repletes. We identified nest entrances, traced tunnel directions, and dug trench-like holes to access colony chambers without causing collapse. Despite having some challenges —some repletes were too deep or absent— we successfully located repletes in three species, including one not previously known to present this caste.

Figure 2. Me, excavating a Myrmecocystus nest.

Figure 3. Me, collecting replete workers from a Myrmecocystus nest on the left, and the repletes collected on the right.

Figure 3. Me, collecting replete workers from a Myrmecocystus nest on the top, and the repletes collected on the bottom.

Figure 4. Our lab digging a nest looking for repletes, but as they were too deep, we eventually had to give up on this colony.

The fieldwork resulted in the dissection of approximately 90 ants and the collection of 200 samples for microbial analysis. Our data will give us insights into survival mechanisms in extreme conditions, such as desert ecosystems, and will guide further research in our lab and my PhD.

Figure 5. A Myrmecocystus replete on the right, and their stomach (crop) dissected and full of honey on the left.

Figure 5. A Myrmecocystus replete on the top, and their stomach (crop) dissected and full of honey on the bottom.

This experience was of great value to my PhD, as it allowed me to apply and learn new research methods while improving my fieldwork and ant collection skills. During the trip, I also had the chance to connect with my advisor’s postdoctoral mentor, giving me the opportunity to discuss our research with other scientists. I am sincerely grateful for RCEI’s support in making this fieldwork possible.

Bridget Ovall

Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute helped fund my travel for fieldwork in SE Alaska. I study processes at the ice-ocean boundary of marine-terminating glaciers, and we had some pretty ambitious goals for this year’s fieldwork. Our collaborators at Oregon State University have designed a set of autonomous vehicles to collect observations in the high-risk environment of an actively calving glacier, including one experimental platform (known as Meltstake) designed to attach to the submarine ice face. Although the glacier was experiencing an unusually high amount of calving, the expedition was wildly successful. Meltstake achieved its goal of attaching to the glacier face and was able to make the first ever direct observations of submarine melt rates at a marine-terminating glacier. The other near-glacier platforms collected observations with unprecedented resolution at a marine-terminating glacier.

My expertise is in larger scale processes that influence submarine melt rates, such as the novel method for observing velocity within a subglacial discharge plume that I developed and the complexities of fjord circulation near the terminus. This travel grant enabled me to join this year’s fieldwork, lending my knowledge and experience to the near-glacier surveys at various distances from the ice face with the goal of determining the relationship between larger-scale fjord processes and the small-scale melt processes that that they influence. This context is important to connect the novel observations made by Meltstake and the other near-glacier platforms to the set of near-glacier observations that we have pioneered in previous fieldwork and ultimately to a set of observations that is more typically collected at marine-terminating glaciers.

This was also a valuable experience for me and my career development as I took on more of a leadership role than I have in the past. While I played a collaborative and supporting role in the planning and implementation of surveys by autonomous boat very close (0-150 m) to the glacier terminus, I was tasked with co-leading the manned small boat surveying farther (300+ m) from the glacier. Small boat surveys were particularly challenging this year due to the high iceberg volume in the fjord, which has implications for the safety of personnel and equipment as well as feasibility of collecting data and data quality. Looking back on a successful cruise, I can see clearly how this experience has been an opportunity for growth and confidence-building.

Arrival at LeConte Glacier, Alaska.

Setting out on the small boat for surveying.

Small boat surveying with one of the larger ships and the glacier in the background.

Enjoying a rare moment of mostly open water.

Group photo after successful completion of the cruise.

Amara Qureshi

My name is Amara and I attended ASM Microbe (American Society for Microbiology), one of the largest microbiology conferences, held in Atlanta, GA from June 13-17, 2024. The conference featured a range of scientific tracks, including Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance, Clinical Infections and Vaccines, Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity (EEB), Applied and Environmental Science, Clinical and Public Health Microbiology, Host-Microbe Biology, Molecular Biology and Physiology, and Profession of Microbiology. The emphasis on interaction among scientists from diverse backgrounds facilitates exchange of ideas, leading to more creative solutions to microbiology's most challenging problems.

I presented a poster titled “Characterization of Acidobacteriota communities in Finnish Soils” within the EEB track. Forests serve as major carbon sinks, but global climate change affects vegetation and alters soil microbial communities that are essential in nutrient cycling through organic matter decomposition. Understanding microbial diversity is key to ecosystem stability and sustainability, yet mechanisms regulating biodiversity are poorly understood. My research focuses on elucidating mechanisms shaping diverse soil microbial communities, particularly the genetic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity of Acidobacteriota—one of the most ubiquitous yet elusive bacterial phyla in terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. We hypothesized geographic separation and soil type influence Acidobacteriota communities. Our analysis reveals a complex diversity within this phylum that warrants further exploration. During the poster session, I engaged with microbiologists who provided valuable recommendations to enhance my work. For instance, a fellow researcher recommended software tools for correlating soil properties with strain data. The poster next to mine addressed limitations of cooccurrence network plots, a type of analysis I plan to perform. It was helpful to learn that positive correlations are generally more reliable than negative ones.

Attending other presentations throughout the week provided insights into scientific communication. Many presenters effectively balanced audience engagement with scientific detail by clear storytelling, avoiding overcrowded slides, and guiding the audience through their experiments. I plan to implement these techniques in my future presentations.

One of the most inspiring aspects of the conference was the discussion about the intersection of climate stabilization and microbiology. Organizations like HomeWorld disseminate problem statements to mobilize researchers for climate research. Awareness is key; if people aren't informed about a problem, it’s difficult to solve.

Engaging with diverse scientific perspectives has inspired new directions for my research. I am thankful to the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute for supporting my professional growth and contributing to my development as a researcher committed to addressing global environmental challenges.

Amara at the Atlanta Aquarium.

Amara's presenting her poster titled “Characterization of Acidobacteriota communities in Finnish Soils”

Amara presenting her poster titled “Characterization of Acidobacteriota communities in Finnish Soils”.

Amara at ASM Microbe (American Society for Microbiology) 2024.

Xinting Wang

The Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute (RCEI) helped support my attendance at the 2024 AGU in Washington, D.C. This conference brought together researchers across Earth and environmental sciences to exchange ideas, present new findings, and foster collaborations. During AGU24, I had the opportunity to present a poster titled "Assessing Air Quality and Health Risks of Transportation Emissions in Metropolitan Newark on the U.S. East Coast." My research highlighted the impacts of vehicular emissions on air quality and public health in urban environments, emphasizing the role of trace elements and ionic species in atmospheric pollution. Engaging with fellow researchers and experts provided valuable feedback that will enhance the depth and impact of my study.

Beyond my presentation, I attended several sessions focused on atmospheric sciences, air pollution modeling, and environmental policy. These sessions deepened my understanding of emerging methodologies in air quality assessment and broadened my perspective on interdisciplinary approaches to environmental research. Additionally, networking with scholars in the field facilitated discussions on potential collaborations and future research directions.

I am grateful for RCEI’s support, which made this experience possible and enabled me to share my findings with the scientific community, gain insights from experts, and explore innovative solutions to urban air pollution challenges. This experience has significantly contributed to my scholarship by refining my research approach, broadening my professional network, and reinforcing my commitment to advancing environmental sustainability. I look forward to further contributing to the institute’s mission through my research on air quality and environmental health.

Xinting Wang standing in front of poster at AGU24 titled, "Assessing Air Quality and Health Risks of Transportation Emissions in Metropolitan Newark on the U.S. East Coast."

Kristi Wiedemann

In the summer of 2024, I traveled to Central NY and the Finger Lakes region to conduct fieldwork for my dissertation, which focuses on exploring environmental values in the context of natural (i.e., plant and animal) fiber production.

Over the course of my stay, I met many potential interview subjects who farm and process natural fiber and make and sell textiles and other fiber products. To make those connections, I visited farms, farmers markets, and retailers of local fiber.

The farms I visited employ ‘carbon farming’ by carrying out practices that aim to sequester carbon through managed or rotational grazing, which may help to mitigate climate change.

Angora goats grazing on a farm in the NY Finger Lakes region.

At the farmers markets, I connected with several fiber farmers as well as members of the leadership team of LocalFiber, a nonprofit organization, that aims to build a “vibrant, ethical, sustainable regional fiber and textile economy.”

Weekly Freeville Farmers Market in the NY Finger Lakes Region.

Additionally, I visited retailers including one in Corning NY where I met the owner of a shop dedicated to supporting the local fiber industry that had prominent displays of environmental practices associated with fiber farming.

Lastly, I carried out several exploratory interviews with subject area experts and fiber farmers. During one of my interviews, I got hands on experience preparing fleece for processing through an age-old practice known as “skirting” in which the soiled parts are skillfully cut away to help ensure the material is clean enough to continue to its next step: being turned into yarn.

Having built relationships with a network of potential interview subjects while also being able to carry out several initial interviews, the funding I received from the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute helped to put me in a solid position to return to my fieldwork site this fall to conduct additional interviews and wrap up the data collection phase of my work in preparation for moving to the next stage of writing and completing my dissertation.

Feng Ye

Feng Ye attending the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) annual conference and won IISE Quality Control and Reliability Engineering (QCRE) Best Student Poster Competition.

In May 2024, I traveled to Montreal, Canada to attend the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) annual conference, made possible by the support of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute (RCEI).

As a PhD candidate in Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) with a second degree in Statistics, I presented my poster titled “DeepMIDE: A Multivariate Spatio-Temporal Deep Learning Method for Ultra-Scale Offshore Wind Energy Forecasting”. My research showcases an innovative approach to enhancing wind energy forecasting accuracy at multiple heights and locations by integrating statistical and deep learning techniques. This pioneering effort addresses the critical challenge of characterizing the spatial, temporal, and height dependence within high-dimensional wind data, significantly contributing to the field of renewable energy analytics.

I am truly honored to be selected as the winner of IISE Quality Control and Reliability Engineering (QCRE) Best Student Poster Competition for our work. I am very grateful for the guidance of my wonderful advisor Dr. Ahmed Aziz Ezzat and Dr. Michael Stein, and to my collaborator Xinxi Zhang. Besides, I presented two of our research: DeepMIDE for Ultra-Scale Offshore Wind Forecasting and a Physics-guided Kernel Method for Ultra-short-term Wind Forecasting, and received some really helpful feedback. I am also excited to chair two sessions: “Predictive Analytics for Wind Power Generation” in the IISE Energy Systems (ES) and IISE Data Analytics and Information Systems (DAIS) tracks, and “Unique Directions in Energy Research” in the IISE Energy Systems (ES) and IISE Quality Control and Reliability Engineering (QCRE) tracks. These sessions sparked inspiring discussions and highlighted innovative solutions.

The participation in this conference was made possible through a travel funding award from the RCEI. I am immensely grateful for the support, which enabled me to present my research, engage with fellow scholars, and gain new perspectives in the field of renewable energy.

Gejia Zhang

I’m a fourth-year PhD student in the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department. With support from Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute (RCEI), I attended the INFORMS Annual Conference in Seattle, where I delivered a presentation and poster on optimizing control strategies for distributed energy resources (DERs) in power distribution systems. My work addresses the pressing challenge of enhancing system reliability while managing operational costs in the face of aging infrastructure and increasing electricity demand. All my work is supervised by Prof. Robert Mieth.

In the session "Advanced Decision Strategies: Integrative Approaches from Machine Learning to Practical Applications," I presented research that aims to enhance distribution system reliability by optimizing control setpoints for various grid-edge devices, such as distributed generation units, battery energy storage, and demand response resources. The approach I presented integrates a cost-reliability enhancement model (CRM), which considers how control decisions impact the probability of system failure, thereby providing a framework for reliability-aware decision-making in distribution systems. Key elements included the model’s objective of minimizing operational costs while internalizing failure probabilities linked to component usage and environmental context.

In addition to the presentation, I participated in the poster session, where attendees were particularly interested in the cost savings achieved using the CRM and the corresponding improvement in system reliability. Discussions focused on the model’s ability to reduce the expected cost of unserved energy by over 11%, illustrating how a relatively small increase in operational cost—optimized through control setpoints for DERs—can substantially enhance overall system robustness. Additionally, there was significant interest in scaling up the model for larger systems, with conversations around adapting it to the complexities of real-world power distribution networks.

The support from RCEI made my attendance and participation at the INFORMS Annual Conference possible, and I have truly enjoyed this experience. The feedback and collaborations initiated during the conference will directly enhance my ongoing research, with promising potential for real-world applications in energy reliability and climate resilience solutions. I am sincerely grateful to RCEI for the support!

Presentation at the session: “Advanced Decision Strategies: Integrative Approaches from Machine Learning to Practical Applications”

Lois Anderson

The Rutgers Climate Institute fund helped support my attendance of the 2023 ACDC-GRISO Summer School on “Past and Future Changes in Greenland Climate,” a two-week program jointly hosted by the University of Bergen Advanced Climate Dynamics Courses (ACDC) and Greenland Ice Sheet Ocean (GRISO) science network. This course housed a small cohort of graduate students and postdocs from a wide range of disciplines at the Arctic Station in Qeqertarsuaq, Kalaallit Nunaat (known to some as “Greenland”). The course syllabus consisted of a mix of lectures, student research presentations, ship-board field activities, and small group projects that challenged us all to work on a problem well outside of our research discipline.

Some sights and new friends from my time studying in Ilulissat & Qeqertarsuaq, Kalaallit Nunaat. (Top) Fellow students and I (rightmost in photo) used a bit of free time to hike up to what remains of Lyngmark glacier. (Bottom) Incomprehensibly large icebergs at different stages in their transit from Sermeq Kujalleq, a marine-terminating glacier responsible for ~10% of the Kalaallit Nunaat ice sheet’s calving. The ACDC-GRISO program brought together a small group of students studying different aspects of Kalaallit Nunaat’s climate for two weeks of lectures, field activities, and mini-group projects. These photos provide a peek into our lives those weeks – work aboard the Arctic Station’s Porsild (red ship), a talk on atmospheric dynamics at the station, and lunch breaks filled with icebergs and sled dog puppies.

At Rutgers, my PhD work is focused on improving our understanding of the exchange of heat and freshwater between tidewater glaciers and the coastal ocean through Kalaallit Nunaat’s fjords – fjord oceanography in short. While important and ever-growing, this fjord-scale work is done by a relatively small pocket of the larger physical oceanography community. Attending the ACDC-GRISO summer school was likewise a wonderful opportunity to both meet other budding scientists in this subfield and gain insight into how our work may figure into other questions about the changing Arctic. This was also my and many others’ first time in Kalaallit Nunaat, an enormously impactful aspect of the school. Existing in Qeqertarsuaq, even briefly, afforded all sorts of experiences that just cannot be approximated in a classroom setting: witnessing icebergs flip, break, and melt from day to day at the shore, talking to residents about how much has changed since here since childhood – warmer winters, changing hunting and fishing practices, and huge upticks in cruise-ship tourism – and so on. Some of the most fruitful conversations and insights had during the program were answers to the sensory prompts all around us – simply going outside, or in town, and asking “why is ___ this way?” Now back in New Jersey, these experiences are reshaping how I think and speak about Kalaallit Nunaat.

In these ways, attending the ACDC-GRISO program helped me to build a more holistic view of my own work and of the changing Arctic, as well as a valuable and lasting peer network. I am grateful to the Rutgers Climate Institute for helping to make this travel possible and supporting a pivotal experience in my education. Qujanaq! (Thank you!)

Manasa Bollempalli

The RCI student support fund enabled me to present my doctoral research at the 16th Biennial Meeting of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), 10-14 July 2023, Barcelona, Spain. The theme of the conference, “Authoritarianism & Genocide: Narratives of Exclusion,” was an ideal meeting ground of scholars working on the historical and future implications of mass atrocities and genocide. In this context, the environment and climate change have massive ramifications for mass atrocity events, acting as a stressor for displacement, conflict, genocide, ethnic cleansing and competition. In my dissertation, I examined inclusive and exclusionary policy outcomes for climate displaced populations through four case studies. At IAGS, I presented findings from my paper (based on my US case study), (In)security and Climate Change: Displacement at the Door.

In my paper, I examine how among the 100 million refugees and displaced persons in 2022, the category of “climate refugees” has become more salient, yet countries still don’t know how to handle it. I specifically focused on “climate refugees” increasingly visible among Latino/Hispanic peoples from Mexico and Central America (Specifically, the Northern Triangle countries - Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala) fleeing multi-year drought conditions to the US Southwest border. In response, the entire asylum cycle was dehumanized with tiered regulatory measures and framed Latino immigration as a threat to American National Security. Here climate refugees are clubbed with economic migrants and face similar violations of their human rights, the principle of non-refoulment, and other obligations of the Geneva Convention. During the conference, I presented my findings on how US climate- and migration-security legislation conceptualize climate refugees at the southwest border, and how their different conceptual categories spills over into policymaking. Using computational network analysis and interviews with experts and practitioners, I demonstrated the variation in rationales and strategies to address Latin American climate displacement at the US Southwest border.

Attending conferences and engaging with experts in my field is a key aspect of academic life. Not only did presenting at IAGS introduce me to a variety of critical perspectives, but it also broadened the audience for my own scholarship and led to enriching collaborations. These opportunities are particularly critical for early-stage researchers such as myself. As a citizen of the global south, attending a conference in Barcelona meant navigating the stringent and long-winded immigration regimes in the US and in the EU, which are also fiscally exorbitant. The RCI student support fund helped ease some of this burden, and for that I am very thankful.

Photo: Manasa Bollempalli presents at the 16th Biennial Meeting of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), 10-14 July 2023, Barcelona, Spain

Katherine Cann
2023

In October 2023, I traveled to Montreal, Canada to attend the Adaptation Futures conference with support from the RCI Student Support Fund. Adaptation Futures brought together approximately 2,000 scholars and practitioners working on confronting vulnerability to climate-related risks. I attended a variety of sessions, including one focused on adaptation in practice, where Dr. Robin Leichenko (Associate Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Rutgers University) presented research on small business resilience in New Jersey and New York, a project on which I have supported data collection and analysis. Other influential sessions included panels and participatory workshops on transformational adaptation, understanding and reframing vulnerability, and critical perspectives on metrics and indicators for measuring effective and equitable adaptation. This research will allow me to bring emerging theory and relevant case studies to my dissertation research questions on climate justice and adaptation interventions in communities in the urban Northeastern U.S.

In addition to engaging with current research on adaptation, attending Adaptation Futures allowed me to forge new networks and strengthen existing connections with colleagues pursuing similar research questions from around the world. Meeting researchers from a variety of sectors including government, international development institutions, NGOs, and academia provided insight into the diverse perspectives and influential actors working in climate adaptation.

Katherine Cann travels to a conference in Canada.

Katherine Cann contributed to research on small business resilience in New Jersey and New York that was presented by Rutgers Professor and Associate Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Robin Leichenko at the Adaptation Futures Conference both attended in Montreal, Canada in October 2023.

2022

Katie Cann at COP 27 in 2022

Funding from the RCI Student Support Fund enabled Katherine Cann, a PhD student in the Department of Geography, to attend the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in November 2022. At COP27, Katherine was able to see firsthand the complex process of international climate negotiations between world leaders and national climate delegations. “It was an incredible experience to witness how international climate policy gets made, and to see activists from around the world come together to lead a global push for climate justice,” said Cann, in reference to advocacy that led to a landmark announcement from the international community to establish a loss and damage fund dedicated to climate finance in vulnerable countries at COP27.

In addition to observing negotiations, Katherine met with educators from universities across the United States and other countries to learn about strategies for bringing climate education into university curriculums and encouraging student-led climate action on campus. She also attended several side events where researchers and local government leaders shared best practices for urban-centered mitigation and adaptation projects, lessons she will bring back to her research on coastal adaptation interventions on the Jersey Shore.

Alexis Faulborn

Graduate Student Alexis Faulborn with her poster, “Mycobiome associated with Sphagnum moss in New Jersey Pine Barrens Ecosystem,” at the 2023 Mycological Society of America Conference at Little America Hotel in Flagstaff, AZ.

I attended my first ever Mycological Society of America (MSA) annual business conference held at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff, AZ from July 29th to August 3rd, 2023. MSA was founded in 1932 and is a group open to mycologists, students, and any person with interest in fungi. Members of MSA come from forty different countries and various backgrounds, ranging from academic to industrial. The society’s purpose is to promote mycology and foster education in mycology in all its aspects. I had the opportunity to present my work “Mycobiome associated with Sphagnum moss in New Jersey Pine Barrens Ecosystem” during Poster Session #1 in Ballroom A. My poster highlighted the fungal communities that I was able to culture and identify from NJ Pine Barren-collected mosses; it also focused on validating higher percentages of Leotiomycetes in both vascular and non-vascular plant communities. I was able to connect with fellow mycologists to explore accomplishments and potential pitfalls of my work. I networked with some bright individuals, who offered chemical approaches to test on my studies and advance my fungal interaction work. I was also able to interact with fellow scientists and help them in their own personal studies; a few collaborators were interested in some of my plant soil stock to advance their data pool, and I agreed graciously to send them any samples I have that might help.

My work also tries to tackle the immersive topic of climate change by implementing a multiple-state field plan. My study specifically investigates the impact of climate variation on mycobiome dynamics along a latitudinal transfect from Maine to Florida. Each pine barren environment has varying levels of micronutrients, with similarly low pHs; therefore, it is important that the soil and environment are documented as a dependent factor in my studies. In the study so far with the limited data I have on hand, we traveled to Florida, where the soil pH was acidic, and the soil composition was mostly phosphorus. We were able to culture and identify a limited mycobiome that provided potentially new species, in comparison to the slightly more composed NJ pine barren soil(s). With such drought affecting the pine barrens, and it only increasing in intensity over time, it is crucial to culture the beneficial fungi that promote continued plant growth before we lose the ability to study them altogether.

This was the 91st installment of the MSA conference, with this edition showcasing the ways in which fellow researchers are specifically elevating mycology. There were two opportunities to participate in an excursion to the Grand Canyon, as well as multiple socials, events, and interactive auctions to help the society continue to thrive. Each day there were up to six parallel sessions, with the choice to attend whichever related to our research more. The same situation applied with the few featured symposiums each day, followed by discussion and refreshments. I attended “Fungi and Global Change,” “Fungal Interactions of Biological Soil Crusts in a Changing Environment,” “Systematics and Diversity 2,” “Fire and Fungi,” “The Agents of F.U.N.G.I.B. (Fungi Underscoring Novel Gains in Biocontrol,” “Soil Fungi and Nutrient Cycling,” “Animal Associations,” and “Burning Topics.”

I am grateful for the networking opportunity and connections I made along the way in attending this conference. I look forward to attending future conferences, with the next one scheduled to be in Toronto, and the one after that in Wisconsin. For my next conference, I intend to expand my knowledge and have a tentative paper formed, so that I can give an oral presentation on top of the poster. I cannot wait to see how science evolves along my journey to become a well-rounded scientist and researcher.

Dhruv Gangadharan

Rutgers Climate Institute supported my preliminary fieldwork on India’s Blue Economy in the southern state of Tamil Nadu from May-August 2023. With a broad focus on the Gulf of Mannar region in the Bay of Bengal, I visited the coastal districts of Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram to scope coastal fishing villages and approach the intersection of community economies with ecologies. This was my entry point to see how maritime activities such as industrial marine fisheries, coastal aquaculture, coastal infrastructure and marine protected areas are now integrated and produced as “sustainable” blue economy engagements – thus constituting an oceanic influence on economy. In terms of method, I spoke to a broad range of actors from fishers to aquaculture practitioners, different representatives of the state bureaucracy, environmental activists, researchers and NGOs towards a critical ethnography of coastal geographies in these two districts.

Since this preliminary fieldwork was conducted during the annual 61-day trawl fishing ban period on India’s east coast, many fishers readily conversed on issues ranging from state policy, historical shifts in coastal activities, and emerging spatial and technological conflicts with coastal aquaculture and deep sea fisheries, climate change and marine conservation. For example, a representative from the Thoothukudi District Trawl Fishers Union asked “What’s the logic behind decimating the oceans and now asking us to grow shrimp in artificial ponds?”. He explained that the steady decline in shrimp found in the Gulf of Mannar was due to unregulated trawling, small mesh-size in these nets that catch all eggs and fry in the near-shore region, using bright lights while fishing. He also pointed to other polluting industries and the presence of windmills near the shore that were altering coastal ecologies in Thoothukudi. “There’s no space for the fisherman in Indian law; we’re clubbed with agriculture instead!,” he said. In the two shrimp aquaculture businesses that I visited around the Vaippar region of Thoothukudi, I observed how massive coastal infrastructures like artificial ponds and pipes were set up to grow shrimp and draw water straight from the Gulf of Mannar. According to them, however, all environmental laws (e.g. the Coastal Regulation Zone Rules) were being followed to ensure the production was sustainable and climate resilient. To further understand how fishers were represented in other Blue Economy sectors in Thoothukudi, I also visited one private and one government-run ecotourism enterprise that focused on climate literacy and outdoor recreation at sea. While fishers were employed to some degree, what prevailed was a view of the ocean as pristine, and a static idea of fishing as an activity that needs to be controlled.

Coastal infrastructures of shrimp aquaculture in Thoothukudi

In my second study area in Ramanathapuram, a fisher in the Pamban region squarely responded to this view by responding to the fluidity of oceans and fishers: “We are like turtles; we come ashore only to mend our nets,” In the eyes of a Forest Department official I interviewed, such a dynamism was an area of concern, given how fishers are subjected to discourse of legality in the trade of protected species of sea cucumber, and how fishers would need to participate in dugong (D. dugon) and coral reef conservation at sea. However, one of my interlocutors in Rameshwaram harbour, stated that “People who [didn’t] know about the life of fishers or the oceans are making laws for fishers. Come see this ocean; come on our boats… Understand our lives.” I also observed the impacts of shrimp aquaculture in Rameshwaram island as an explicitly spatial conflict between a marginalized artisanal fishing community, freshwater and unregulated shrimp production around Ariyankundu – and in contrast to the businesses I observed in Thoothukudi. According to a local activist who guided my visit here, shrimp aquaculture had degraded the island’s water, fishers’ intimate attachments with this area, and threatened their well-being. Yet, what also existed in the island was other forms of blue economic activities such as seaweed aquaculture (by women) and marine cage culture (of sea bass, L. calcarifer, based on one site that I observed).

Seaweed culture and marine cage culture (featuring Ajith) in Olaikkuda Village, Rameshwaram

Farmed shrimp in Pamban fishmarket

Shrimp aquaculture in Ariyankundu, Rameshwaram

Apart from visits in these two districts, I also benefited from conversations with academics at the French Institute of Pondicherry (Puducherry) and Madras Institute of Development Studies (Chennai). While my summer work confirmed earlier readings on shrimp aquaculture as a “wicked problem” as referred to in the marine social sciences, my main finding was on how this is enacted on simultaneous terrains of struggle – from the environment, to water, to the seafood itself. I thank the RCI partially supporting my preliminary fieldwork, which is now helping me ground such theoretical openings towards future work on how these conflicting registers may help compose community differently, towards “other” blue economies based on conviviality.

Nina Grant
2023

Attending the 2023 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco was a fantastic experience that has greatly impacted my research journey and professional development. A major highlight was the positive reception my poster received, sparking engaging discussions and attracting considerable interest. The feedback I received not only validated my research efforts but also provided valuable insights for refinement. I also connected with researchers who could potentially be future collaborators.

On the professional development side, exploring some of the internships and job opportunities at AGU Central was eye-opening and a workshop on finding the right career path proved to be extremely helpful. It stands out as one of the best career-focused workshops I've attended, offering practical guidance and actionable advice for finding a job that suits one’s interests, values, skills, and motivators. Reconnecting with colleagues added a warm and supportive element to the conference. Building these connections goes beyond just work; it makes the whole journey more enjoyable.

Lastly, my biggest highlight of the conferences was joining a lunch meeting to organize a collaboration between Andrew Ng, a prominent machine learning researcher, and climate intervention researchers, providing a platform to contribute ideas, brainstorm, and potentially collaborate with influential figures in the field. This aligns perfectly with the niche I'm aiming for in my research and the chance to be part of this initiative was truly invaluable.

The AGU Fall Meeting was a significant chapter in my academic and professional journey. The connections, insights, and opportunities gained during the event have propelled me forward, and I'm eager to channel this momentum into my ongoing research endeavors. Thank you to the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute Student Support Fund for their generous travel support which made my participation in this conference possible.

Nina Grant presenting her research poster on the impacts on Indian agriculture due to solar climate intervention at AGU23.

Nina Grant presenting her research poster on the impacts of solar climate intervention on Indian agriculture at AGU23.

Picture of Exhibit Hall F at AGU23.

Art of the floor at AGU23 showing a waterfall.

2022

This past December, I was able to attend the Fall AGU Meeting in Chicago, IL thanks in part to the support of the RCI Travel Fund. This was my first AGU meeting. It was definitely overwhelming, but ultimately I loved the experience. This was my second in-person conference ever, and it was very different from the first one I attended. That one was a small conference dedicated to my specific subfield of climate intervention, so going to AGU with thousands of people from all of the Earth sciences was a big adjustment. While the AGU Fall meeting was a lot to take in, I also loved just how much there was to do. It was impossible to see and do it all, which meant crafting my schedule took some meaningful planning. This year I focused primarily on the oral sessions (in my field of interest) and science policy career events. It was nice to see some of those I met at the previous conference again and to see how their work had progressed since the summer. It was also very exciting to hear about the latest scientific work and publications. I often found myself jotting down papers or names to further investigate as they related directly to projects I was working on at the time.

One of my favorite sessions was the Union Session called Standards to Fuel New Climate Solutions: Establishing an Ethical Framework for Climate Interventions. It was very exciting to hear that AGU is beginning to take a bigger role in the conversation about climate interventions, and I was so happy to see that the ethical considerations were front and center. The other sessions I really enjoyed were the ‘Skills for Science’ career development workshops. I attended most of the sessions on science policy and learned about many useful resources. As a young graduate student, I have been thinking a lot about how I want to use my degree. It was very helpful learning about some of the different options available and how to get started. I look forward to future conferences and the chance to network with those in my field. With this first AGU Fall meeting under my belt, I feel much more equipped and even more excited for the next one, and I am very appreciative of this travel support that allowed me to participate.

Mahjabeen Rahman (left) and Nina Grant (right)

Nina Grant (second from right) with Professor Alan Robock and other RICSI lab members (current and former) during AGU 2022.

Koustav Halder

The Earth Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (ESRI) is a joint effort of Princeton University, the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) at Stockholm University, and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). This initiative has helped solder together an interdisciplinary coalition of scholars to help address some of the most challenging environmental questions facing humanity in the Anthropocene. These questions include the resilience of the Earth system to climate change, biodiversity loss, and meditations on balancing food, water and energy security for all while ensuring the sustainability of a growing urban population that is in balance with the ecosystems that sustain it.

An important theoretical device that is widely used to delve into these questions comes from the field of Complex Systems, particularly through the lens of Non-Linear Dynamics and Transitions. Several phenomena of global interest - the weakening of the Gulf Stream, the potential collapses of the Amazon rainforest and the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet, and the expansion of deserts worldwide, among others - can be modelled using this framework. The fourth ESRI Critical Transitions Workshop, held at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany between the 18th and 20th December, 2023, was designed to bring together climate research, physics and biodiversity scholars together to discuss, learn about and collaborate on the myriad ways in which these fields make use of this common lingua-franca of mathematical theory to further their research.

As a PhD candidate who regularly makes use of theoretical models utilising Non-Linear Dynamical theory in my doctoral research investigating the increased prevalence and effects of desertification due to climate change, this workshop proved to be a very illuminative and enriching experience for me. I was exposed to the different - and innovative ways - researchers from other fields were using theory to address questions pertaining to the climate crisis as well as present my own work there. I managed to connect and network with several researchers, with whom I had very meaningful and helpful conversations about our work and mutual scientific interests. This workshop also provided me the opportunity to collaborate with many of these researchers going ahead on active projects pertaining to non-linear transitions and their applications to the ecological and environmental sciences, and thus help resolve the very thorny and open-ended issues related to climate change in my own, small way.

In conclusion, I am very thankful to the RCEI Student Support Program for helping fund my travel for this workshop, grateful for the opportunities and connections this has helped foster, and respectfully acknowledge that any presentation, poster, talk or publication that results from this support will recognize in writing the support of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute.

Koustav Halder presenting a flash talk about his research at the ESRI workshop.

The entire cast of participants at the ESRI Workshop.

Mashun Oti

I am a second-year anthropology Ph.D. student working with East African migrants who have been affected both by the civil war and climate crisis and consequently traveled through different countries and used various means to reach Eastern Turkey. During the summer 2023, I conducted a preliminary field research in Eastern Turkey, Turkish-Iranian borderland, and also in Central Anatolia, in the city of Konya.

During the preliminary filed research, I first focused on the 96-kilometer-long border wall and two ditches constructed by the Turkish state throughout the Turkish-Iranian borderland. I attempted to understand the impact of the border wall and ditches, militarization of the borderland, and the criminalization of the migration in the discursive level on the actual process and of migration. I also tried to collect official data regarding the demographic information of the East African migrants. Furthermore, I did observations in public places such as cemeteries, bus stations, border areas, and urban centers to understand the mobility and incorporation experience of East African migrants in Kurdish and Turkish cities in Turkey.

The preliminary field research enabled me to examine the mobility and incorporation process. Consequently, I start focusing on the concepts of waiting and hope and their significance for the migrant life. Similarly, while focusing on the waiting and hope, I also started questioning the concept of personhood. As a result of the preliminary filed research, I came up with a set of questions which guide me to develop my research proposal. The questions are as follow:

What are the impacts of civil war and climate crisis on the migrant’s life, process of mobility, and incorporation?
What are the ways in which the uprooted subject, who is being deprived from her/his political/economical/social rights, keep the hope and continue producing her/his life within the precarious conditions?
Where and when does personhood for someone deprived from his political rights and cultural chains ends?

Based on the discussions and questions that I develop during my preliminary filed research; I would like to develop my research proposal and apply for external fundings.

In this regard, I am grateful to the RCI for their Ph.D. student travel grant which enabled me to cover some of the filed related expenses for my summer 2023 filed research.

Photos by Mahsun Oti based on Summer 2023 field study:

Photo Title: Care After Death - 2023
Place where the photo taken: Northern Kurdistan – Eastern Turkey
Explanation of the photo: The Cemetery of the Nameless where “irregular migrants,” who died while attempting to cross the Turkish-Iranian border, decorated with a border wall and two ditches, seek peace in the afterlife. The cemetery is the place where personhood ends not because life ends but rather because of the absence of care for the dead and grave.

Photo Name and the year taken: Irregular Graves – 2023
Place where it is taken: Northern Kurdistan – Eastern Turkey
Explanation: The Cemetery of the Nameless where even the afterlife is irregularly organized.

Photo Title and the year: Numerology of the irregular migrant Death-2023
The place the photo taken: Northern Kurdistan – Eastern Turkey
Explanation: No personal identification tags are present in the Cemetery of the Nameless; no name, family name or date of birth. There are two numbers written on the tombstone, one of which is the date the dead body was found in the border area. The second number is provided by the Directorate of the Cemeteries Affairs of the city Municipality which serves as a bureaucratic archival method.

Mahjabeen (Mim) Rahman
2023

Graduate Student Mahjabeen Rahman with her poster, Sensitivity of crops to ultraviolet radiation from Stratospheric aerosol injection, at the June 2023 AgMIP Conference at Columbia University.

I am thrilled to share my enriching experience attending the AgMIP9 conference held at Columbia University from June 26th to 30th, 2023. AgMIP (Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project) is a global initiative that aims to improve the understanding of agricultural systems and their responses to climate change, as well as enhance food security and sustainable development worldwide. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to present my work on "Sensitivity of crops to ultraviolet radiation from Stratospheric aerosol injection" in front of a diverse and knowledgeable audience comprising experts and scientists from around the world. The presentation focused on exploring the effects of ultraviolet radiation on crop growth and production, specifically in the context of potential climate engineering interventions. I shared my findings, methodologies, and conclusions with a knowledgeable audience, including fellow researchers, scientists, and experts in the field. The presentation generated significant interest and sparked insightful discussions, providing valuable feedback that will undoubtedly contribute to the further development of my research.

Throughout the conference, I had the privilege of engaging with renowned professionals, exchanging ideas, and receiving valuable feedback on my research. The insights and perspectives shared by experts in the field have immensely contributed to the advancement of my work. I am grateful for the stimulating discussions and the opportunity to learn from the diverse range of experiences present at the conference.

The conference showcased the latest advancements in agricultural modeling, climate change adaptation, and mitigation strategies. It was inspiring to witness the collective efforts of researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders in finding innovative solutions for the pressing issues faced by our food systems. Attending various dialogues, presentations, and plenary sessions was a highlight of the conference. The variety of dialogues, presentations, and plenary sessions offered at AgMIP9 were truly enlightening. I actively participated in sessions such as "Improving model and integrated assessments," "Utilizing New Tools to Address Food System Challenges," "Improving crop models to capture extreme climate responses," "Synergizing Adaptation and Mitigation Along the Value Chain," "Machine learning for agricultural applications," and "Strengthening Science-Stakeholder-Policy Linkages for Future Systems." Each session provided unique insights and fostered an atmosphere of collaboration and innovation.

The platform AgMIP provided me to meet the experts and scientists around the world and address critical challenges facing global agriculture was truly remarkable. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Rutgers Climate Institute for their unwavering support in funding my participation in this conference. Their financial assistance played a crucial role in making this incredible opportunity a reality for me. Without their support, attending and presenting at such a prestigious event would not have been possible. Their investment in my professional development and research has been instrumental in my growth as a scientist.

Attending AgMIP9 has not only expanded my professional network but also provided me with a fresh perspective and renewed enthusiasm for my research. I look forward to applying the knowledge gained from this conference to further enhance my work and contribute to the sustainable development of agriculture.

2022

Mahjabeen (Mim) Rahman

Mahjabeen Rahman traveled to the American Geophysical Union Conference in December 2022 which included her participation in the Community Earth System Model (CESM) workshop noting, “That was a very helpful start of using CESM2 needed to conduct my research.” She also attended sessions on stratospheric aerosol interventions, marine cloud brightening, water-energy-carbon interactions, urban air quality, and climate change impacts on agriculture which Mahjabeen noted helped her “enhance my knowledge depth on my research topics.” She also explained that, “AGU was a great opportunity for me in a number of ways, such as it provided me access to new data and techniques, gave me the chance to discuss my work with experts in my field and also helped me to find collaborators for my project. I also had a poster presentation on ‘Impacts on Ultraviolet Flux from Stratospheric Aerosol Intervention on Agricultural Production’ at AGU. In that poster session, I could share my work with a wider audience, received feedback from experts in my field, and build connections with other researchers.”

Mahjabeen also noted that the AGU meeting also gave her the opportunity to attend informal sessions regarding journal article writing which was particularly helpful as she is from Bangladesh, a non-English speaking country in South Asia and “these [sessions] helped me to enhance my journal article writing skills.”

Laurian Rosa Rosa

In the summer of 2023, I conducted preliminary fieldwork in Puerto Rico for my dissertation project, focusing on environmental justice movements and climate change issues. This entailed an examination of the rationale behind beach privatization, motivations driving anti-privatization movements, and concerns regarding coastal erosion and storm surges. My aim was to explore the historical and contemporary aspects of the environmentalist movement striving to preserve public beaches and its alignment with climate change discourse, specifically rising sea levels.

During my stay, I interviewed community leaders from the northwest region of the island and analyzed environmental articles from El Mundo and Claridad newspapers dating back to the 1970s. In the conversations with community leaders, they identified climate-related hazards and community needs, such as mitigation strategies for erosion, accessible public transportation, food security, etc. My archive review led me to conclude that the fight for preserving public and undeveloped beaches, which originated in the 1970s, was initially driven by nationalist and anti-colonial ideals. In the present, this cause is further supported by the evidence of coastal erosion (around 60% of the island’s coasts experiencing this phenomenon) and its life-threatening implications. Additionally, during my stay in Puerto Rico, I conducted field visits to coastal areas in the island's northwest region experiencing erosion.

The RCI grant allowed me to establish connections with key stakeholders and potential dissertation committee members. I’m thankful to the Rutgers Climate Institute for funding my Puerto Rico fieldwork, enabling critical insights into environmental fights and climate change struggles on the island.

Structures on the coast of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

Pasquinade with the slogan “Beaches for the People” (1971) by José Alicea

Newspaper article titled: “Government accused of promoting beach privatization” (May 28th, 1987) by Luis Cabán

Christopher Terra

This past December I flew to San Francisco to attend the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Meeting. This conference is one of the largest geoscience conferences in the country and brings together students and experts from a wide array of disciplines to connect with each other and present their research. During my time in San Francisco, I was able to support the research conducted by my peers as well as present my own research about improving the accuracy of coastal electrical geophysical investigations. My poster focused on how factoring in certain dynamic coastal forces (i.e. saltwater inundation flooding the survey and sediment transport shifting the position of electrodes) can result in a more accurate interpretation of these geophysical datasets. Additionally, I was able to talk to a significant number of students and experts in the nearsurface geophysics, hydrology, biogeochemistry, and natural hazards sections who are performing research adjacent to my own, allowing me to further my understanding of the multitude of processes at play that impact saltwater intrusion on a variety of coastal sites and refine my data processing and inversion methods. Through these talks, I was also able to start discussing potential postdoctoral opportunities with other coastal researchers – providing me with more opportunities to pursue a more process-focused research project and expand my proficiency with different coastal investigation methods.

Furthermore, I was able to attend AGU’s annual meeting as a student representative for the near-surface section, where I assisted in the planning and running of a student and early career networking event put on by the near-surface, hydrology, atmospheric sciences, and global environmental change sections. This social event along with the two sessions that I was fortunate enough to be asked to co-convene has allowed me to expand my network and provide me with research support, career mentorship, and opportunities for research collaborations over the course of my professional career.

Christoper Terra presenting his poster at AGU Annual Meeting

Christopher Terra, at the AGU annual meeting, standing next to his poster which focused on how factoring in certain dynamic coastal forces can result in a more accurate interpretation of these geophysical datasets.

Joshua Thompson

Joshua's research group gathered around the AGU logo near the entrance of the building.

I am a 5th year PhD student in the Earth and Environmental Science Department at Rutgers University – Newark. My primary research is focused on characterizing nutrient transport from agriculture to coastal estuaries via the groundwater that connects them. There is rapid nutrient transport during storm events in the fields that I study. We are seeing that high intensity storm events are happening more frequently due to climate change.

I use electrical geophysical methods to advance my research. Note that electrical geophysics utilizes the same physics that light the room you are reading this in (i.e., electrical current, voltage, etc.) to glean insight into soil properties (and other earth-based properties).

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) conferences are a gathering of earth and space scientists to share their research and discover new partnerships. The AGU meetings include all the earth sciences, including atmospheric, near-surface, deep earth, and space science. My research falls under the near-surface geophysics.

The conference lasted five days (Monday-Friday) and below are some highlights of each day and how each experience has impacted my research (and me as an early career scientist).

Monday, I presented a 12-minute oral presentation to the near-surface geophysics community. The talk highlighted my dissertation research. This presentation set the precedent for the rest of the conference. Many of the most influential researchers (and 1st yr. PhD students) in the near-surface geophysics community were present for my talk. This gave me the opportunity to showcase my work to potential collaborators since I am graduating in about six months. It also strengthened my connections with employees from Pacific Northwest National Laboratories. I have an interview in the next 2 weeks for a post doc position, where I would be working with one of the conveners (Judy Robinson) and one of the presenters in my session (Tim Johnson).

Joshua Thompson presenting dissertation work at AGU 2023 Conference.

On Tuesday, I listened to a series of talks during the “Advances in Exploration Geophysics (AEG) II & III.” The AEG sessions included a talk from Lee Slater (advisor & P.I.) as well as from other PhD students in my research group (Klaudio Peshtani and Dan Glaser). These talks on current advances gave insight and perspective into my own research and the papers I will be publishing in the proceeding months.

Wednesday was filled with oral presentations including Sina Saneiyan (dissertation committee member) and Andrew Binley (my advisor’s advisor when he was a PhD student!).

Wednesday night we had a geophysics meet-up at a local restaurant in the area. Out of all the professional experiences I had during the conference, this meet-up was the most impactful. I had the chance to just sit and talk shop with the lovely geophysics’ community.

Thursday’s oral sessions discussed the use of electrical geophysics in an archaeological, forensic, and human-environment interaction studies. My research lab routinely volunteers to conduct archeological surveys for our local community to locate unmarked graves or locate demolished building foundations. For example, our research group conducted an archeological survey on the RUN football field. The presentations from this session provided a more robust standard of practice (SOP) for our future archeological surveys. Additionally, I exchanged information with the developer (Alain Plattner) of an open-source software called GPRPy. This software/code is essential to our archeological investigations.

Friday was filled with mostly poster hall sessions in support of my fellow researchers from RUN. It was great seeing the group come together and communicate challenging topics and discuss future collaborations.

I would like to thank the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute for the travel grant. I have only been to online conferences, mainly due to the pandemic, and this was my first in-person conference. The support from the RCEI travel grant helped me make decisions based on what is best for my career and not constraining the decision to what I can afford.

Leon Tkacenko

Leon A. Tkacenko, a doctoral candidate in Rutgers Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources attended and presented his research at the 3rd Species on the Move Conference in Bonita Springs, Florida. Tckacenko reports below on his experience:

Species on the Move is a meeting across ecological disciplines and social sciences focused on the impacts and implications of species moving beyond and within their ranges due to climate change. Species on the Move is a global conference that is held every three years at different locations. Throughout the conference there were sessions focusing on a variety of topics, from climate extinctions, to invasive species, to how moving species influences and drives art. It was incredibly interesting experiencing such a diverse array of sessions all revolving around the same underlying topic, species range movements due to climate change.

Attending Species on the Move was particularly beneficial to my research and science as it helped introduce me to a wide array of interesting research outside of my direct work. The work I presented on focuses on how we may be able to achieve a better understanding of the impacts of climate change on threatened birds by utilizing climate data from non-native populations. My work uses many of the same methodologies utilized in other work presented at this conference. The conference facilitated interactions with those researchers working on similar topics or methodologies to me from around the world. We had many interesting conversations throughout the conference which helped me to continue developing my current project, as well as helped to seed ideas for future projects. In particular, I had several conversations immediately following my session talk with other scientists working on species distribution models, that were very helpful to my research. Additionally, I was able to make connections with researchers from across the world who I hope to be able to collaborate with in the future. Attending Species on the Move was an incredibly important experience, that has implications for the research I am currently conducting, and hopefully, implications for research and collaborations going into the future.

Olivia Casey

In late fall 2022, Olivia Casey, doctoral candidate in Education with a concentration in Theory, Organization and Policy, attended the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital’s 2022 Annual Conference: “Population and Climate Change: The Defining Relationship of the 21st century” in Vienna, Austria. The conference was predominantly focused on the negative impacts which the climate crisis will have in the twenty-first century on various aspects of human health, well-being, and reproduction, as well as how climate change will influence mobility and migration patterns. Olivia explained, “Across the presentations, the conference illuminated the ways in which the effects and vulnerabilities of climate disaster are very unevenly distributed across populations— varying across dimensions of space and place, socioeconomic class, age, gender, education, and many other characteristics. The conference also covered themes of coping with the climate crisis and strategies for climate adaptation (e.g, migration, diversification in agriculture, behavioral changes), but underlined the fact that all adaptation strategies will have limits, as we reach temperatures where it is no longer possible to adapt (as well as material limitations to adaptation for less privileged populations).”

Oliva further noted, “this trip has benefitted my scholarship tremendously as I had the opportunity to extensively connect with and be in conversation with a wide variety of leading demographers, economists, and population experts who work at the University of Vienna, the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and the Austrian Academy of Sciences. I had many conversations that were extremely generative for my thinking around the direction of my future dissertation research. Additionally, I formed several strong relationships with individuals who I hope to collaborate with in my future research, as potential interlocutors for qualitative research interviews and participant observation. It was a truly invaluable experience to have an opportunity to meet these individuals as they serve as key figures within the field and topic I am studying.”

Olivia Casey

Carla Coronado

Support from Rutgers Climate Institute, helped Planning and Public Policy Ph.D. candidate Carla Coronado with her living and transportation costs during her January - March 2017 internship with the Climate Change and Sustainability Division (CCS) of the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C. The IDB is a multilateral institution and the main source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The CCS division works together with public and private financial institutions to implement climate governance systems, develop innovative schemes and instruments to promote investment in emissions reductions projects and programs, and to increase resilience to the impacts of climate change. Carla worked on a study of sustainable infrastructure to understand trends of social conflicts related to infrastructure projects in Latin America, including an academic paper to explore the relationship between social conflict and sustainable infrastructure in Latin America.

Carla explains, "The CCS interest in this topic is motivated by the need for increasing current investment infrastructure rates in the LAC region for tackling the sustainability challenges of our time that include sustainable growth, inclusive development and reducing climate risk. In line with the Paris agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, the division seeks to foster the scale up of infrastructure investment that is socially inclusive, low carbon, and climate resilient. Despite the pressing need for building infrastructure for fostering development in Latin America, projects face multiple conflicts, especially of a social and environmental nature, which many times have caused delays and cost overruns, or even projects’ postposition and cancellation. This constitutes an important hurdle that the division wants to encourage governments in Latin America to address. Evidence allows us to observe that conflict motivations highlight the need for developing infrastructure that embraces sustainability values and suggests that more sustainable projects are more likely to work out socio-environmental conflicts. Results also speak about the economic convenience of developing projects in a more sustainable way, which from a governmental and communities’ perspective would allow to take advantage of the benefits that infrastructures projects yield, and from a private sector perspective would reduce the risks of incurring in cost overruns and project delays and/or cancellations. Doing this internship was a tremendous opportunity that allowed me to start getting involved with the type of organizations I aim to work with in the future."

Samiah Moustafa

In December 2016, Samiah Moustafa attended the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Annual Conference in San Francisco, California. In addition to attending many invited talks, cryosphere sessions, poster presentations, and participation in an intermediate-level JavaScript Google Earth Engine Workshop Ms. Moustafa had the opportunity to engage with Cryosphere colleagues that culminated in securing four potential postdoctoral opportunities at a variety of domestic institutions and to attend a cryosphere career panel sponsored by the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists. "I successfully presented my latest research looking at inter-comparing modeled and observed discharge for three catchments along West Greenland to numerous colleagues, mentors, fellow graduate students, and Outstanding Student Poster Award judges. During my poster presentation, I received valuable feedback on my recent findings, of which I can incorporate into my third, first-author manuscript that is in preparation for submission to the Journal of Geophysical Research Earth Surface Processes."

Samiah noted, "I am incredibly grateful for the Rutgers Climate Institute supporting my travel to attend and participate in the largest annual Earth Science conference in the world. In sum, by attending AGU, I was able to showcase my latest dissertation research, and by extension, promote the cutting-edge climate change research done at Rutgers University. Furthermore, attending AGU allowed me to gather valuable feedback on my latest research, connect with colleagues, network with new prospective collaborators, and secure several potential postdoctoral opportunities to set the stage for the next step in my career."

In January 2017, RCI also supported Samiah's participation in the Program for Arctic Regional Climate Assessment (PARCA) conference at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD where she had the opportunity to attend talks related to the latest research on the Greenland ice sheet as well as present her latest dissertation research. Networking during dinner led her to postdoctoral research opportunities, and confirming collaboration to enable her to use a colleague’s ice core drilling data for a forthcoming manuscript.

"By attending PARCA, I was able to showcase my latest dissertation research, and by extension, promote the innovative climate change research done at Rutgers University. Furthermore, attending the conference allowed me to gather valuable feedback on my latest analyses done since the previous conference at AGU (Dec. 2016), connect with colleagues, network with new prospective collaborators (including a new collaboration with ice core scientists at Rowan University), and secure several additional postdoctoral opportunities to set the stage for the next step in my career."

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