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 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 […]
4-H STEM Ambassador Youth Program Welcomes its 17th Cohort to SEBS
Over the summer, New Jersey youth from around the state gathered at the Rutgers George H. Cook Campus for the annual 4-H STEM Ambassadors program kickoff. Now in its seventeenth year, the program empowers high school students from urban communities across New Jersey through year-round experiences that foster STEM identity and promote college readiness. 2025 […]
Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program Wins North American Agrivoltaics “Solar Farm of 2025″ Award
The North American Agrivoltaics Awards (NAAA) program announced on August 5 that Rutgers’ work in agrivoltaics had won its “Solar Farm of 2025” award. For the past several years, a project at Rutgers University, the Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program (RAP), has been focused on “agrivoltaics,” also known as “dual-use” solar, and is showing that a farm’s […]
Rutgers Unveils “Scarlet Sunrise,” a Sweet Bicolor Grape Tomato
After nearly a decade of painstaking research, a new tomato variety is ready for its moment in the sun. “Scarlet Sunrise,” a bicolor grape tomato developed through a long collaboration between Rutgers researchers Peter Nitzsche and Tom Orton, is a sweet, crack-resistant tomato with a golden hue and a reddish blush. Its name is meant to be evocative […]
NJ 4-H Members Attend International Leadership Conference in Ireland
Five New Jersey 4-H members attended the 2025 Foróige Leadership for Life Conference from July 28-Aug. 1 at the National University of Ireland in Maynooth, Ireland. Foróige’s Leadership for Life Conference, now in its 16th year, hosted 250 high school age youth from Ireland and the United States. NJ 4-H participants included Brooklyn Bilge of […]
Annalise VanVranken is the new Family and Community Health Sciences Educator in Atlantic County
Announcement by Sara Elnakib, chair of the Department of Family and Community Health Sciences Please join me in welcoming Annalise VanVranken as the new Family and Community Health Sciences (FCHS) Educator in Atlantic County, effective August 1. A lifelong advocate for an equitable and sustainable food system, Annalise will be part of the Community Food […]
