Joel Flagler, Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) Agricultural 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. […]
“Chromatic Canopies,” a Student-Created Public Art Installation in Helyar Woods is Unveiled at Rutgers Gardens
“Chromatic Canopies: A Student-Created Public Art Installation in Helyar Woods” features laser-cut acrylic shapes installed on branches or downed trees (no healthy trees were harmed in the process) along the Fern Trail. Members of the campus community and local residents were invited to a guided tour of the art pieces, with the students explaining their […]
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 […]
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 […]
Plant Biology Professor James White and Team Recognized by Rutgers with Agriculture Innovation Award
James White, Professor in the Department of Plant Biology, was presented with the Agriculture Innovation Award for “innovations regarding endophytic microbes with applications in agriculture” at the first-ever Rutgers Innovation Awards that recognized researchers who have demonstrated excellence by developing a breakthrough idea, process, or technology that has the potential to improve lives and create […]
Cooperative Extension SNAP-Ed Team Wins Rutgers Outstanding Service Award
Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s Family and Community Health Sciences (FCHS) SNAP-Ed Team members were among the more than 40 employees honored with Presidential Employee Excellence Recognition Awards in December at the Rutgers Club. The universitywide awards recognized both individuals and teams for their service to students and employees, for their role in cultivating a beloved community, […]
Animal Sciences Professor Mike Westendorf to Retire after 31 Years at Rutgers
Dr. Mike Westendorf, Animal Sciences Extension Specialist and Professor, retired on January 1, 2025, after 31 years at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. Dr. Westendorf grew up on a small dairy farm in Idaho before studying animal science at the University of Idaho as an undergraduate, then earning his PhD at the […]
RCE Associate Director Kathleen Howell Recognized with Rutgers Gateway Award
Kathleen Howell, associate director, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, was one of more than 40 employees honored with Presidential Employee Excellence Recognition Awards in December at the Rutgers Club. The universitywide awards recognized both individuals and teams for their service to students and employees, for their role in cultivating a beloved community, for making a lasting difference […]
In Mark Robson’s Science Class, Hands-on Learning Brings Students into the Heart of Nature
Robson’s path to students loving science involves cranberries, craisins and cran-apple juice. It was Cranberry Night for the students of Mark Robson’s evening science course, “Plants and People,” and the instructor wasn’t entirely happy with himself. On this cool fall evening, the professor and administrator at Rutgers University-New Brunswick had toted in whole cranberries […]
Thomas Leustek to retire after four decades at Rutgers
Thomas Leustek, professor of plant biology, will retire next semester after more than forty years at Rutgers University, including a bachelor’s and doctorate in 1981 and 1987, respectively, followed by decades of research, instruction, and administration. After completing his Ph.D. Leustek went on to perform postdoctoral research at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology’s […]