Announcement from Laura Lawson, SEBS Executive Dean and NJAES Executive Director It is with great pleasure that I announce that Dr. Gerben Zylstra will serve as the SEBS Associate Dean of Graduate Education, effective February 15. Please join me in congratulating him on this new role. Gerben Zylstra is a Distinguished Professor in the Department […]
SEBS
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 […]
New Journal Spotlights Rutgers-created Broader Impacts Toolkit
Community Engagement and Research Development experts from over 15 universities reviewed the Rutger-designed ARIS Broader Impacts (BI) Toolkit in the November Special Issue of the Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship (JCES). This 13-article edition dives deep into the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Broader Impacts merit criterion, showcasing the transformative and capacity building resources of […]
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 […]
Rutgers Science Webinar Plunged Into Ocean Exploration
More than 265 students from across the U.S. dove into the mysteries of the ocean and explored how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can address global environmental challenges during a virtual event hosted by Rutgers University’s Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences (DMCS). The students from the FIRST LEGO League, participated as part of their […]
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 […]
Announcement: Josh Kohut is New SEBS Dean of Research/NJAES Director of Research
Announcement from Laura Lawson, SEBS Executive Dean and NJAES Executive Director Dear SEBS & NJAES community, I’m delighted to announce that Dr. Josh Kohut, Professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, has accepted the position of SEBS Dean of Research/NJAES Director of Research, effective January 1, 2025. Please join me in congratulating him […]
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 […]
Announcement: Thomas Grothues Appointed Director of the Rutgers University Marine Field Station
Announcement by Oscar Schofield, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department Marine and Coastal Sciences Congratulations to Thomas Grothues on being appointed Director of the Rutgers University Marine Field Station (RUMFS), effective January 2025. We could not have a better new director as the station anchors Rutgers’ bold marine research, conservation and technology development being based at […]
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 […]











