Announcement from Sara Elnakib, chair of the Department of Family and Community Health Sciences Please join me in welcoming Erin Comollo to Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) as a Family and Community Health Sciences (FCHS) Assistant Professor of Teaching. In this role, she will support the FCHS undergraduate minors, Health Equity and Holistic Wellness, manage our experiential learning internships, […]
Extension
FCHS Extension Educator Shailja Mathur Receives National Distinguished Service Award
Rutgers Family and Community Health Sciences Extension Educator (FCHS) Shailja Mathur was honored with the 2025 Distinguished Service Award at the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) Annual Session held October 20-23 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Distinguished Service Award is NEAFCS’s highest honor, recognizing members who demonstrate exceptional leadership, outstanding educational […]
Blast Them: A Rutgers Scientist Uses Lasers to Kill Weeds
Imagine a tractor-size machine that can tell the difference between a vegetable and a weed – and then zaps the unwelcome plant with a laser. It’s not science fiction. It’s being tested in New Jersey by Rutgers University scientist Thierry Besançon. An associate professor with the Department of Plant Biology in the School of Environmental and […]
NJ Governor’s STEM Scholars Explore Sustainability and Science at Rutgers SEBS
Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) recently welcomed students from the prestigious Governor’s STEM Scholars program for an immersive day of scientific exploration and sustainability-focused learning. The program was hosted at the Ludwig Global Village Living Learning Center and featured a full day of activities focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The […]
Celebrating Nicki Graf CC’77 and Her 37-Year Career of Cultivating Plants and People at Rutgers
Perhaps as iconic to Cook Campus as Passion Puddle and the Rutgers Farm, the Floriculture Greenhouse with its towering smokestack has long been a joyful place for plant-minded people at Rutgers. One of the oldest buildings on Cook campus, the Floriculture Greenhouse originally served as a research station focusing on cut flower production and preservation […]
NJ 4-H Youth Participate in Pilot Leadership Academy Program in Washington, D.C.
Five New Jersey teens traveled to Washington D.C. to participate in a national 4-H Leadership Academy, a new program that aims to develop young leaders into lifelong problem solvers passionate about tackling society’s biggest challenges. The academy was founded by Joel Roth, Atlanta-based businessman and philanthropist with a $1.1M gift to the National 4-H Council […]
Rutgers Environmental Stewards Celebrates its 20th Anniversary at Impact Summit on Nov 1
The Rutgers Environmental Stewards Program, a certificate program that trains adult volunteers on important environmental issues in New Jersey in areas such as sustainable climate change solutions, storm water management, and habitat conservation marks its 20th anniversary this year. The milestone will be celebrated at the program’s annual Impact Summit on November 1 at the […]
Teens Learn Urban Farming, Food Distribution While Giving Back to the Community
This article first appeared in Kearny Life Community Magazine and is reproduced with permission from the author, Jaimie Julia Winters. When teens Ester Fernandez and Zulema Vargas were looking for something to do this summer, they decided on something that would get their hands dirty while giving back to their community. “I was looking for […]
Research Center Administrators Society Fall Meeting Showcases Innovation and Collaboration Across New Jersey’s Agricultural Research Network
Rutgers University hosted the 2025 Fall Meeting of the Research Center Administrators Society (RCAS)—a national organization dedicated to the professional development and collaboration of administrators who manage agricultural research and experiment stations across the United States. Held from September 21–24, the meeting welcomed approximately 80 participants from across the United States—from California and Florida to […]
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Presents Dynamic Program on Risk Management for Farm Businesses
Agricultural agents from Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) of Cape May, Essex and Somerset counties have joined forces to offer a program, called “Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project Builds Viable Farms in Urban and Rural NJ.” “Farm viability is an annual concern raised by the agricultural community in New Jersey, and farm business management assistance […]











