In a traditional classroom, learning often ends when the lecture does. But during Spring 2026 at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, students engaging with the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (DAFRE) stepped into something different—an experience where coursework extended directly into conversations with industry leaders, entrepreneurs and decision-makers. Guided by Sonal Pandey, a lecturer in […]
Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics
Childhood Obesity Makes It Harder to Climb the Economic Ladder, Study Finds
Childhood obesity may be quietly undermining one of the central promises of American life. A study by a Rutgers researcher has found that children who are obese are far less likely to climb the economic ladder as adults, raising concerns that a rising health problem also could deny many young Americans the chance to achieve […]
Cultivating Global Impact: Distinguished Professor Carl Pray Retires After 40 Years of Scholarship and Service
Effective January 1, Carl Pray, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, retired from Rutgers University, concluding a remarkable 40-year career defined by scholarship, global engagement and service for the greater good. A member of the faculty since 1986, Pray made pathbreaking contributions to agricultural science and technology policy, with research […]
Brian Sheafer CC’02: A Journey of Leadership and Impact from Rutgers to the Y
When Brian Sheafer earned his bachelor’s degree in business economics from Rutgers Cook College in 2002, he set out on a path that combined analytical thinking with a strong commitment to service. That focus has shaped a career dedicated to strengthening communities through the YMCA for more than two decades. The Metropolitan YMCA of the […]
Rutgers Plays Strategic Role at the 2025 Middlesex County Business Summit
The Middlesex Business Summit 2025 attracted hundreds of New Jersey’s visionary business leaders, entrepreneurs, advisors and government officials on October 9, 2025, at the Heldrich Hotel and Conference Center in New Brunswick. Themed “Thriving Through Change: Business, Innovation, and the Future of Work,” the business conference featured presentations on the groundbreaking efforts underway to develop […]
Steve Jankoski CC’77, a Scarlet Knight Super Fan, Gives Back Generously to Rutgers
Steve Jankoski will never forget the extremely hot 1977 commencement ceremony in New Brunswick when he and his brother, Frank, were the first in their family to receive college degrees. “I thought ‘Wow! I made it! I graduated from Rutgers University,’” says Jankoski, who studied agricultural economics at Cook College, while Frank studied chemical engineering […]
National Association Establishes the Dr. Carl Pray Appreciation Club in Recognition of his Outstanding Global Contributions
At the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA), scholars, colleagues and friends came together to celebrate the establishment of the Dr. Carl Pray Appreciation Club in recognition of the outstanding scholarly contributions, mentorship and international leadership of Carl Pray, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics (DAFRE) […]
Nuvvon Inc. Successfully Graduates from the Rutgers EcoComplex and Scales Up for Growth at Larger Facilities
The Rutgers EcoComplex “Clean Energy Innovation Center and Business Incubator” and Nuvvon Inc. jointly announce that the start-up innovator in the development of solid-state battery materials is graduating after seven years of successful growth at the Rutgers business incubator. Located in Bordentown, NJ, the Rutgers EcoComplex provides support to clean energy and environment-related start-ups, enabling […]
Tariffs and Their Impact on the U.S. Food Industry: A Closer Look at Produce and Wine in New Jersey
By Ramu Govindasamy, professor and extension specialist in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics The recent announcement of sweeping new tariffs by the United States government has sent ripples through the global trade landscape. With a 10 percent general tariff imposed on most imports and a targeted 20 percent tariff on products from […]
Micronesia’s Pohnpei State Endorses Landmark Food Security Policy Developed in Collaboration with SEBS Science Team
The expansive Pacific Island nation of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is taking bold steps to develop sustainable local food production with support from an interdisciplinary food system science team from the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. Pohnpei State is home to FSM’s most biodiverse ecosystems that includes many endemic species and […]











