Since graduating from Rutgers in 2021 with a doctorate in plant science with a concentration in human health and natural product chemistry, Ariane Vasilatis has focused on helping those with addiction and substance dependence. Using her deep research experience in plant derived pharmacotherapies, Vasilatis co-founded Zena Therapeutics Inc., a Rutgers startup that strives to create narcotic […]
Alumni
Nora Jean Nealon (SEBS’13) Comes Full Circle as Faculty Member at NJ’s First Vet School
Fourteen years after her first teaching experience as an undergraduate student at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), Nora Jean Nealon (SEBS’13) finds herself just as passionate about and fulfilled by teaching in her current role as a faculty member at the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine at Rowan University. Her journey to […]
Global Conservation Leader, Peter Seligmann (AG’72), Credits Rutgers for Giving Him his Start
Rutgers alumnus Peter Seligmann (AG’72), who earned a bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology from the College of Agriculture (now School of Environmental and Biological Sciences), credits Rutgers with setting him on the path to almost 40 years of global environmental conservation. He went on to earn a master’s degree in forestry and environmental science from […]
Bergen County Agent Joel Flagler (CC’74) Retires after 38-Year Career at Rutgers
Joel Flagler, Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in Bergen County and professor in the Department of Plant Biology, retires effective March 1. Flagler, whose Rutgers journey began as a student – he holds a degree in horticulture from Cook College in 1974 – leaves a deep legacy at his alma mater. […]
Thomas Molnar (CC’00; GSNB’06): Alumnus, Faculty, Star Plant Breeder
Cook College alumnus Thomas Molnar came to Rutgers University in the 90s, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in plant science in 2000, then a Ph.D. in plant biology in 2006. Now an associate professor of plant biology at SEBS, Molnar has cultivated a reputation for innovative research of hazelnut trees. Ferrero Group, the famed Italian […]
SEBS/NJAES Retirees Connect at Annual Luncheon
In what is one of our favorite Cook campus traditions, retired faculty and staff from the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) convened in Neilson Dining Hall for the annual Retired Faculty and Staff Luncheon on December 5, 2024. Executive Dean Laura Lawson was on hand […]
Dr. Darcy Medica: Triple Animal Sciences Alumna Guides SUNY Ag & Tech College
Darcy Medica, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at SUNY Cobleskill, is a triple Rutgers graduate, CC’93, GSNB’96, ’02. She’s the first in her family to attend college and went on to earn a bachelor’s, a master’s and a doctoral degree in Animal Sciences. Her father, Jim Velcheck (CC’97) graduated from Cook College while […]
Elizabeth Coogan’s Inspiring Journey from Student to Turfgrass Management at Rutgers
Her office in Room 107 at the NJAES Office of Continuing Professional Education at Rutgers University seems exactly where Elizabeth Coogan (SEBS’17 Plant Science) belongs. Sure, it’s right next to the copier, which is convenient. But it’s more about where Coogan has spent much of her life in this industry, starting as a student assisting […]
Rishi Jaggernauth (SEBS’15): Embracing the Unexpected
Rishi Jaggernauth earned a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) in 2015, with a concentration in Bioscience Policy and Management, along with a minor in Environmental and Business Economics. “Growing up, there was a strong emphasis on education in our household. My parents instilled in us the importance […]
Richard P. Moses, M.D. – From SEBS EOF Scholar to U.S. Navy Anesthesiologist
Richard P. Moses, a 2012 graduate of Rutgers University, has achieved remarkable success since his time as an undergraduate in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program. After earning a degree in Biological Sciences, with honors, Richard went on to graduate from Pennsylvania State College of Medicine in May […]
