Congratulations to Brittany Musolino (SEBS’14) and Daniel J. Van Abs (CC’77), associate professor in the Department of Human Ecology, for winning the 2016 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards. The awards ceremony and luncheon were held on December 7 at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton.
Established in 2000 by then-Governor Christine Todd Whitman and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards are the state’s premier environmental awards recognizing outstanding environmental performance, programs and projects in the State.
Brittany Musolino, River-Friendly coordinator, Stoney Brook-Millstone Watershed Association; Heather Desko, NJ Water Supply Authority; Bob Martin, NJDEP; David Zimmer, NJEIT.
Alumna Brittany Musolino accepted an award in the category of water resources for the River-Friendly Program of the Raritan Basin. She graduated in 2014 as an Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behavior major in the Department of Human Ecology. Musolino is currently working with the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association on this program, having completed a year of service with AmeriCorps as a New Jersey Watershed Ambassador with the NJDEP. The River-Friendly Program works one-on-one with residents, businesses, schools and golf courses to improve land stewardship practices and complete several challenges in order to be certified ‘River-Friendly.’
Dan Kennedy, NJ DEP; Bob Martin, Commissioner, NJ DEP; Chris Sturm, Policy and Water, New Jersey Future; Jane Kenny, Jersey Water Works, and Whitman Strategy Group; Daniel Van Abs, Jersey Water Works and associate professor, Department of Human Ecology; Jane Rosenblatt, New Jersey Future; and David Zimmer, NJ Environmental Infrastructure Trust.
Daniel Van Abs, associate professor for Water, Society & Environment in the Department of Human Ecology, works with Jersey Water Works (JWW), a group that also won an award in the category of water resources. Jersey Water Works is a one-year-old collaborative among representatives from the public and private sectors, public utilities, the environmental community and regulatory agencies. It is the first of its kind in the nation to consider possible solutions to the complex and costly problems associated with aging and inefficient water infrastructure statewide. Van Abs is a member of the steering committee and does project work for JWW through New Jersey Future, which provides staff support, especially in developing goals, objectives, indicators, metrics and measurement systems.
“This year’s winners have demonstrated true leadership in finding ways to enhance New Jersey’s environment,” Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin said. “Through their collaborations and dedication, these honorees are setting high standards and excellent examples of how everyone in our state can help the environment through partnerships and commitment. As stewards of New Jersey’s environment, we salute the outstanding contributions of this year’s winners.”
The awards program is sponsored by the NJ DEP, New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust and the New Jersey Corporation for Advanced Technology, in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.
