By Debbie Meyers Entrepreneur Carl DeSantis’s gift pays tribute to the legacy of his lifelong friend and business partner E. Gerald “Jerry” Kay. Carl DeSantis began his entrepreneurial journey in the 1970s by running his home-based, mail order vitamin and herbal supplement company out of his garage in Florida. Meanwhile, up in New Jersey, after […]
Alumnus of Rutgers OCPE Professional Golf Turf Management School, Bubba Wright, Honored by USGA
On July 9, the United States Golf Association (USGA) presented Bubba Wright, Pebble Beach Golf Links’ superintendent, with the E.J. Marshall Platter at the conclusion of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open Championship. Wright is an alumnus of the Rutgers OCPE Professional Golf Turf Management School, earning a certificate from the school in 2010. Created in […]
Rutgers Faculty SNAP to It With Community College Students to Counter Food Insecurity
A social scientist and a graphic designer join forces with Hudson County Community College to create art, gather food stories and engage northeastern New Jerseyans Two Rutgers faculty members – a health psychologist who studies food insecurity and a design professor whose work engages marginalized communities in self-advocacy – teamed up with staff and students […]
Daniel Van Abs Recognized as an Environmental Leader at the Watershed Institute’s 2023 Annual Meeting
The Watershed Institute celebrated its 2023 Annual Meeting at the Watershed Center, the organization’s LEED-Platinum headquarters on its 950-acre nature reserve. The meeting featured the election and reelection of trustees and celebrated the achievements of two exceptional environmental leaders: Daniel J. Van Abs, Rutgers professor and Tina Overman, STEM facilitator at Bear Tavern Elementary School […]
Rutgers Awarded USDA-NIFA Grant to Support Next Generation of Diverse Agricultural Professionals
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded a $4.5 million grant to LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC) and Rutgers University-New Brunswick to support The Animal Science Discovery (ANSCId) Program: A Summer Experiential Learning, Career Development, and Scholarship Pipeline Between LAGCC and Rutgers. ANSCId is one of 33 programs funded under a […]
Oyster Recycling Programs are Coming Out of Their Shell
By Doug Zemeckis, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Oysters are found in New Jersey’s bays and rivers throughout much of the state. There are several different species of oysters around the world, but the species that we have here in New Jersey is the Eastern (or American) oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Our wild oyster populations are now a […]
Alumnus Doug Piekarz (CC’89): Wildlife Is His Life
Rutgers alumnus Doug Piekarz has devoted his life to saving wildlife, wild places, and the world. By Debbie Meyers Doug Piekarz grew up spending holidays and weekends at his grandfather’s cabin nestled in the wilderness of upstate New York’s Catskill Mountains. His childhood love of nature led Piekarz (CC’89) to Rutgers University and ultimately to […]
Lily Young Appointed Board of Governors Professor of Environmental Sciences
Lily Young, an environmental microbiologist at Rutgers for more than 30 years who is recognized for her research to help prevent pollution and restore the environment, has been appointed as a Board of Governors Professor of Environmental Sciences. The Distinguished Professor in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences focuses her research on anaerobic microbes – organisms […]
Jason Grabosky Elected to Serve on the Board of Directors For the International Society of Arboriculture
Jason Grabosky, a professor in the Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources program, and an extension specialist for the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, has been elected by the general membership to serve on the Board of Directors for the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), which serves the tree care industry. Grabosky serves as the John […]
Daniel Van Abs (CC’77): A Leader on the Environment and in Philanthropy
“Dan is the state of New Jersey’s undisputed leader in the field of watershed planning and management and as accomplished a professional as you will ever find. His students have benefitted tremendously from Dan’s real-world experience in solving environmental challenges and his service to nonprofit watershed organizations has been exemplary,” said Jim Waltman, executive director […]











