Anna and Ava from Hunterdon County 4-H spent the past year as youth leaders with the NJ 4-H Agriculture Ambassador Program, educating the public about agriculture, sharing their knowledge, and highlighting the important role agriculture plays in our everyday lives.

The future of agriculture depends on young people who can champion the industry, communicate its value, and help shape its direction. Fourteen New Jersey 4-H members from eight counties have been selected for the 2027 NJ 4-H Agriculture Ambassador Program, a statewide leadership initiative preparing teens to represent and promote agriculture across New Jersey, and led by Melissa Bright, 4-H agent, Somerset County.

Launched in fall 2024 through a partnership between National 4-H Council and Nutrien, the program gives high school youth opportunities to deepen their understanding of agriculture while developing skills in leadership, public speaking, communication, and advocacy. Open to active New Jersey 4-H members in grades 9 through 13, the program welcomes teens with interests spanning farming, animal science, food systems, and natural resources.

Avery from Gloucester County 4-H, proudly serving as NJ 4-H Agriculture Ambassadors.

Throughout the program year, ambassadors will connect with agricultural industry professionals, explore career pathways, and learn about current issues affecting the industry. “Educational programs, agricultural tours, leadership development experiences, and outreach activities help them build confidence in communicating agriculture’s importance to diverse audiences,” said Bright.

The 2027 cohort represents Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Monmouth, Salem, Somerset, Union, and Warren counties. Together, these young leaders will build connections across the state while gaining firsthand insight into the people, practices, and systems that sustain New Jersey agriculture.

By equipping youth with the knowledge and skills to engage their communities, New Jersey 4-H is helping cultivate a new generation of agricultural advocates, professionals, and leaders prepared to advance the industry’s future.

Related Stories

• New Jersey 4-H Welcomes 2027 Agriculture Ambassador Cohort, Cultivating the Next Generation of Leaders
• National 4-H Career Night Opens Doors to Veterinary Science
• New Jersey 4-H Beef and Dairy Programs Build Livestock Skills and Leadership

Gloucester County 4-H youth member earned Reserve Grand Champion Junior Showman at the NJ 4-H Beef Show held during the Burlington County Farm Fair.

From the show ring to national learning opportunities, New Jersey 4-H youth spent the summer building livestock expertise, strengthening leadership skills, and exploring careers in animal agriculture.

The 2026 New Jersey 4-H Beef Show, held at the Burlington County Farm Fair, brought together 45 youth from seven counties to exhibit 62 head of cattle. Participants competed in showmanship, fitting, and market and breeding cattle classes, gaining hands-on experience in animal husbandry, decision-making, and communication. The Sussex County team earned top honors in the County Herd competition.

At the 2026 New Jersey 4-H Dairy Show, also held at the fair, youth exhibited Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Jersey, and Holstein cattle in conformation and showmanship classes. The youth sharpened their animal management and evaluation skills while practicing public speaking and sportsmanship. Participants also earned recognition in breed classes, championships, and showmanship competitions.

Gloucester County 4-H youth member earning Reserve Grand Champion Junior Showman at the NJ 4-H Beef Show at the Burlington County Farm Fair.

In addition to the show ring, New Jersey 4-H members participated in dairy judging and dairy quiz bowl activities, applying their knowledge and critical-thinking skills while learning alongside their peers. One member, who was selected to attend the National 4-H Dairy Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, on September 29 to 30, joined youth from across the U.S. to explore dairy industry careers, leadership opportunities, and emerging issues in animal agriculture.

Together, these experiences demonstrate how New Jersey 4-H connects hands-on agricultural learning with personal growth, helping young people develop practical skills, build confidence, and discover pathways to future education and careers in the beef and dairy industries.

Related Stories

• New Jersey 4-H Beef and Dairy Programs Build Livestock Skills and Leadership
• National 4-H Career Night Opens Doors to Veterinary Science
• New Jersey 4-H Welcomes 2027 Agriculture Ambassador Cohort, Cultivating the Next Generation of Leaders

Melissa Bright, 4-H agent in Somerset County and past chair of the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals Animal Science Working Group, coordinated the National 4-H Animal Science Career Night focused on veterinary science. Featured speakers Hannah Neill, clinical instructor of Large Animal Field Service at the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine at Rowan University, and Michelle D’Alessandro of Belle Mead Animal Hospital in Hillsborough, New Jersey, shared their educational journeys, professional experiences, and perspectives on working with companion animals and livestock. They also answered questions from youth considering careers in veterinary medicine.

Participant evaluations highlighted the program’s impact. After the event, more than 80% of respondents reported knowing “a lot” or “a great deal” about veterinary science careers, compared with 12.5% before the program. Additionally, 75% said they had learned about a veterinary career they had not previously considered, while 37.5% expressed strong interest in pursuing a career in veterinary science.

By connecting youth directly with practicing professionals, the program expanded awareness of career possibilities and helped participants better understand the educational pathways and opportunities available in veterinary medicine. The National 4-H Animal Science Career Night series continues to create valuable connections between young people and professionals, encouraging exploration of future careers in animal science and agriculture.

Related Stories

• New Jersey 4-H Welcomes 2027 Agriculture Ambassador Cohort, Cultivating the Next Generation of Leaders
• National 4-H Career Night Opens Doors to Veterinary Science
• New Jersey 4-H Beef and Dairy Programs Build Livestock Skills and Leadership

L-R: Dr. Richard Moses SEBS’12; Dr. Jenice Sabb, Cook College’87, retired Director of EOF; Mr. Frager Foster, retired Director of Cook College EOF; and Dr. Jacqueline Moore, current Director of SEBS EOF.

Four decades after its first summer program, the SEBS Educational Opportunity Fund’s Solid GEMS program continues to prepare students to succeed in science while building a community that extends well beyond graduation

Summer 2026 marked a significant milestone for the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program as Solid GEMS General Education in Mathematics and Science celebrated 40 years of preparing students for success in the sciences.

The anniversary was commemorated on July 26 at the Livingston Student Center, bringing together 66 alumni, current students, faculty, staff, administrators and supporters to celebrate a program whose impact has extended across generations.

Among those in attendance were 34 Solid GEMS alumni whose participation in the program spanned from its earliest years in 1986 through 2026. It was the largest gathering of Solid GEMS alumni at a single event in the history of the SEBS EOF Program and offered a powerful visual representation of the program’s enduring legacy.

For four decades, Solid GEMS has been rooted in a simple but consequential idea: students with talent and potential can excel in rigorous science disciplines when they are provided with the academic preparation, mentorship, community and opportunity to do so.

Alumni panelists at the Solid GEMS 40th anniversary event.

From “Diamonds in the Rough” to Solid GEMS

The history of Solid GEMS dates to 1980, when research and development began on an instructional approach designed to strengthen the performance of EOF students in introductory mathematics and science courses. The first Solid GEMS summer pilot program launched in 1986 through the EOF Program at Cook College in partnership with the Rutgers University Department of Chemistry.

The program’s name reflected both its academic purpose and its philosophy. GEMS General Education in Mathematics and Science represented the program’s focus on building a strong academic foundation, while “Solid GEMS” reflected the belief that students were like “diamonds in the rough”: individuals with tremendous potential who could flourish when provided innovative instruction and comprehensive academic support.

Built on research in student learning, the GEMS instructional model emphasized four stages New Problems, Exploration, Invention and Application designed to move students beyond memorization and toward critical thinking, problem-solving and scientific reasoning.

Solid GEMS was developed to improve achievement in introductory mathematics and science courses, increase retention, reduce attrition and encourage EOF students to persist in science-related majors. Historically, it served as the third component of an EOF student success model that began with a Pre-Freshman Summer Institute and continued with academic support during the first year.

Over time, the program evolved, but its central mission remained: prepare students not simply to pass challenging science courses, but to develop the skills and confidence to see themselves as capable scientists and STEM professionals.

A History Built on Being “Solid”

Mr. Frager Foster, retired Director of Cook College EOF, gave the keynote address at the 40th anniversary.

Frager Foster, who served as director of the SEBS EOF Program from 1981 to 2013, delivered the anniversary keynote address and took attendees back to the program’s beginnings. Foster connected the philosophy behind Solid GEMS to a much deeper cultural history.

“The connection between the Harlem Renaissance and the Solid GEMS Program is both meaningful and intentional,” Foster said. “Since the 1920s, the word solid has symbolized far more than strength. It represented trust, loyalty, reliability, and mutual responsibility.”

For Foster, the word captured what the program was designed to create among students, faculty and staff.

“To be solid meant being dependable, standing by one another, and producing results through consistency and integrity,” he said.

That philosophy became embedded in the culture of Solid GEMS. Students were challenged academically, but they were not expected to navigate those challenges alone. Faculty instruction, peer tutoring, collaborative learning, mentoring and community became integral parts of the experience.

The 40th anniversary celebration also honored the leadership that helped sustain that philosophy over four decades. Foster attended alongside Jenice Sabb-Dumas, who served as director from 2005 to 2021, and Jacqueline Moore, current assistant dean/director of the SEBS EOF Program and Solid GEMS director, who has served the program since 2006.

A presentation at the 40th anniversary event takes a look back at Solid GEMS.

Together with generations of faculty, staff, teaching fellows, tutors and supporters, their leadership represents the continuity that has allowed Solid GEMS to remain an important part of the SEBS EOF experience.

More Than a Chemistry Course

Today, Solid GEMS operates as a summer program, with intensive academic support designed to help students progress through foundational science coursework.

Its continued success was evident during the anniversary summer. In 2026, 12 residential Solid GEMS scholars participated in the 12-week Chemistry program, completing Chemistry Parts I and II. All 12 students successfully passed their courses a 100 percent success rate among the residential participants.

Yet the value of Solid GEMS cannot be measured by course grades alone.

The program combines rigorous coursework with collaborative learning, faculty engagement, peer tutoring and mentoring. Students develop study strategies, learn how to work through difficult scientific concepts and discover the importance of seeking academic support. Just as importantly, they build relationships with peers who are experiencing many of the same challenges.

That combination can change how students view themselves.

A difficult introductory science course can cause students to question whether they belong in a science major. Solid GEMS works to transform that uncertainty into confidence. Students leave the program having demonstrated to themselves that they can successfully complete demanding science coursework.

For many, completing chemistry through Solid GEMS does more than move them toward the next course in their academic sequence. It reinforces their belief that pursuing a science major is not only possible it is the right choice.

That sense of academic confidence and belonging is one of the program’s most important outcomes.

Forty Years of Alumni and Community

The 34 alumni who returned for the anniversary celebration demonstrated another important measure of Solid GEMS’ success: the community created during the program does not necessarily end when the summer ends or even when students graduate from Rutgers.

Over four decades, Solid GEMS alumni have gone on to careers and advanced study in medicine, research, science, healthcare, education and other professional fields. Some have returned to the program as mentors, tutors and supporters for the students coming behind them.

Solid GEMS alumni have developed into one of the SEBS EOF Program’s most established alumni communities, connected not simply by having participated in the same summer program but by a shared experience of perseverance, academic growth and mutual support.

That legacy can be seen in alumni such as Kevin Guerrero, SEBS’19, who previously credited Solid GEMS Biology House with providing his first laboratory experience. That opportunity helped spark his interest in research and contributed to a path that ultimately led him to medical school. Richard P. Moses, SEBS’12, similarly served as a teaching fellow for Solid GEMS Chemistry before going on to medical school and a career as a U.S. Navy anesthesiologist.

Solid GEMS alumni Dr. Esther Exantus ‘2015; Dr. Ashley Woolfork ‘2016; Dr. Jenice Sabb Cook College ‘1987; Mr. Frager Foster; Dr. Jacqueline Moore; and alumna Ms. Francia Noel ‘2015.

Their stories illustrate the long-term impact that an early academic opportunity can have on a student’s trajectory.

Protecting the Next 40 Years

As Solid GEMS celebrates its history, the anniversary also provides an opportunity to consider its future.

The program is now offered during the summer, when students can focus intensively on foundational science coursework and receive the academic support that has distinguished Solid GEMS for four decades. But providing that experience has become increasingly expensive.

The costs associated with summer tuition, housing, instructional support, tutoring, programming, food and other student needs continue to rise. Without sufficient resources, the number of students who can participate and the level of comprehensive support the program can provide can be limited.

Continued institutional, state, alumni and philanthropic support will therefore be essential to sustaining and strengthening Solid GEMS for future generations.

The SEBS EOF Program is grateful to the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education and the EOF administration for its continued support of Solid GEMS and its role in sustaining a program that has made a meaningful difference in students’ lives for four decades.

The need that inspired Solid GEMS in 1986 remains relevant today. Students arrive at Rutgers with ability, ambition and dreams of careers in science, healthcare, research and other STEM fields. What can make the difference is access to the preparation, mentorship and community that allow those abilities to develop.

In closing the 40th anniversary celebration, Moore reflected on the principle that has sustained Solid GEMS throughout its history: talent exists in every community, but opportunity can change the trajectory of a life.

Solid GEMS provides more than academic instruction. It gives students an environment in which they can struggle with challenging material, learn from those struggles, support one another and ultimately experience success. Through that process, students develop confidence, resilience, belonging and the academic skills needed to continue progressing in the sciences.

Forty years after the first summer pilot program, the meaning behind the name remains remarkably fitting.

The students are the gems. The academic preparation helps them shine. And the community surrounding them remains solid.

Related Stories

• Students Take a Bus Ride to a Different Rutgers
• From Fieldwork to Discovery: Ariadna Sosa SEBS’27 Studies Pollinators at Rutgers Ecological Preserve
• Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor Mark Robson Endowed Legacy Professorship Established at SEBS

National Finalist – Extension Education Poster, Kate Brown (Somerset)(pictured), Claudia Gil Arroyo (Cape May), and Claudia Urdanivia (Hudson/Essex), “Interactive Learning is Key to Student Success in Online Delivery of Annie’s Project 101 Course.”

The 2026 Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference, hosted by the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA), was held in Denver, Colorado.

The meeting was attended by more than 1,200 extension educators, agricultural agents and specialists across focus disciplines that included agriculture, horticulture, forestry, natural resources, community development and youth programs like 4-H.

Faculty and staff in Agriculture and Natural Resources among Rutgers and county employees, won the following awards:

National Winner – Achievement Award for Extension Excellence (less than 10 years) – Jean Epiphan

National Winner – Distinguished Service Award for Extension Excellence (greater than 10 years) – Steve Yergeau

Northeast Regional Winners – Communication Awards in the following categories:

Computer Generated Presentation (PPT) with Script – Patrick McMullen (Atlantic) for “Cut Flower Production and Marketing: Soilborne Pathogens in Field Production,” presented during the Cut Flower Production and Marketing Session of the Northeast Agricultural Expo held in Atlantic City, NJ, January 20-22, 2026.

Event Promotional Package – Kate Brown (Somerset), Claudia Gil Arroyo (Cape May), and Claudia Urdanivia (Hudson/Essex) for “Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project Builds Viable NJ Farms” flyer.

Newsletter – Rebecca Magron (Hunterdon) for “Garden Scoops,” a subscription-based public email Newsletter from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Hunterdon County office.

Published Photo – Steve Yergeau (Ocean) for “Joe Pye Weed with a Monarch Butterfly” photo.

Website/Online Content – Tim Waller (Cumberland), Bill Errickson (Monmouth), Erin Quinn (Ph.D. Student, SEBS) and Steve Rettke (Monmouth) for “Rutgers Nursery IPM Website.” In its first year, the website received 1,590 visits, and the webinar PDFs had 4,553 total views from 27 states and 43 countries. The webinar recordings received 2,317 total views.

State Awards

Communication Award, Publication Category: Bill Errickson (Monmouth), “Elderberry: A Potential Niche Crop for New Jersey Growers,” https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1372/.

Search for Excellence in Agriculture Awareness and Appreciation – Michelle Infante-Casella (Gloucester)

Search for Excellence in Crop Production – Michelle Infante-Casella (Gloucester), Steve Komar (Sussex), Bill Bamka (Burlington), and Tim Waller (Cumberland), “Drone Applications in Agriculture for Cover Crop Planting, Assessing Wildlife Damage, and Monitoring for Plant Diseases.”

Search for Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture Recognition Program – Michelle Infante-Casella (Gloucester) and Steve Komar (Sussex), “NJ Sustainable Agriculture Research, Education, and Outreach Programs”

National Finalist – Extension Education Poster, Kate Brown (Somerset), Claudia Gil Arroyo (Cape May), and Claudia Urdanivia (Hudson/Essex), “Interactive Learning is Key to Student Success in Online Delivery of Annie’s Project 101 Course.”

National Winner: Third Place – Applied Research Poster, Lauren Errickson (Rutgers Gardens and Campus Stewardship), Alex Sawatzky (RU Gardens Student Farm) and Bill Errickson (Monmouth), “Ginger Production in the Northeast: Intercropping in Variable Growing Environments to Maximize Harvest Opportunities.”

Related Stories

• Two Species, One Beach: Can We Protect Both?
• Students Take a Bus Ride to a Different Rutgers
• National 4-H Career Night Opens Doors to Veterinary Science

Kelly Shanklin, SEBS Class of 2030. Photo: Nick Romanenko/Rutgers University

Kelly Shanklin’s road to Rutgers–New Brunswick has been measured in miles and defined by persistence.

The 17-year-old from Clinton Township enters Rutgers–New Brunswick as an Honors College student studying biology on the pre-med track and as a member of the Scarlet Knights women’s cross country and track and field teams.

Shanklin’s curiosity about medicine began during her freshman biology class at North Hunterdon High School.

“I just kind of fell in love with the subject,” she said. “I had a really great teacher who got me very interested in it.”

That same year Shanklin discovered another passion. After playing volleyball in middle school she decided to give cross country a try instead. She quickly emerged as one of New Jersey’s top distance runners.

One of her most memorable early races came on Holmdel Park’s notoriously challenging cross-country course where Shanklin lost a shoe but finished the 5K anyway.

“I got flat tired,” she said. “It was my first time running a cross country 5K, so it was definitely interesting.”

Her resilience would be tested more seriously two years later. Shanklin broke her foot near the end of her junior year cross-country season and underwent surgery the following February. 

“There were definitely times when I doubted if I would be able to get back into the shape I once was,” she said. “But I just continued working hard.”

By the end of her senior track season that work paid off. Shanklin surpassed her previous personal best in the mile, a feat that taught her lessons she will carry to Rutgers and hopefully into a career in medicine.

“Cross country and track and field have definitely taught me a lot about grit and persistence,” Shanklin said. “It also showed me how important it is to keep putting in the work even when you’re not seeing the results that you want.”

Rutgers carries a family connection. Her mother is a Rutgers alumna and current doctoral student. 

“I’m very excited about this new chapter in my life,” she said. “I get to meet new people, try new things. It’s just an exciting new experience.”

This article first appeared in the full Rutgers Today feature, Rutgers Class of 2030 Is Ready to Change the World.

Related Stories

• John Cifelli CC’09 and Jennifer Cifelli MGSA’08: Rutgers Love Grows on the Vine
• Rosy Andrade Cordova SEBS’29 Brings the Classroom into the Garden and Finds Her Roots
• From Fieldwork to Discovery: Ariadna Sosa SEBS’27 Studies Pollinators at Rutgers Ecological Preserve

The Kickoff Welcome Event. Top row, left to right: Ari Daniel, Sage Lichtenwalner, Brian Schilling, John Krasting, Kay Bidle, Rachel Thibodeau-Nielsen, Susan Renoe, Ashley Schwab, and Travis Miles. Bottom row, left to right: Mitaali Taskar, Sue Shapses, Janice McDonnell, Petronela Radu, Mónica Bugallo, Margaret Duffy, Christine Kirchhoff, Melissa Libertus, and Nicole Fahrenfeld.

In early August, Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) hosted the Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) 2026 Research Fellowship Kickoff at the Rutgers University Inn and Conference Center. Organized by SEBS Associate Dean of Research Impact Janice McDonnell and ARIS Executive Director Susan Renoe, associate vice chancellor for research, extension and engagement at the University of Missouri, the kickoff brought together the 2025 and 2026 ARIS Research Fellows for professional development and science storytelling training.

Oscar Schofield spoke on RUCOOL’s monitoring work.

The ARIS Research Fellowship supports researchers in creating a coherent, leadership-driven strategy that centers why research matters, how it can drive change, and how it can continue to improve society. The 2026 fellows include Nicole Fahrenfeld, Rutgers University professor and Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Director; Mónica Bugallo (Stony Brook University); Casey Canfield (Missouri University of Science & Technology, who attended virtually); Erin James (University of Idaho); Christine Kirchhoff (Pennsylvania State University); and Divya Sitaraman (California State University, East Bay, who was unable to attend).

Kevin Lyons spoke on designing projects with impact in mind.

During the kickoff, fellows were guided through their own leadership journeys by Margaret Duffy, executive director of the Novak Leadership Institute at the University of Missouri, who spoke about the power of personal branding and impact mapping. They also explored a Rutgers case study on building a culture of research impact. Department Chair Oscar Schofield led a tour of the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences and discussed how the department has cultivated its impact culture, as well as its role within the Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RUCOOL). Fellows also heard case studies highlighting partnerships among communities, universities, and industry from Kevin Lyons, director of the Rutgers Business School Public Private Community Partnership Program.

Fellows also received science storytelling training from Ari Daniel, an independent radio producer whose work has appeared on media platforms including NPR and The New York Times.  James reflected on the importance of storytelling through her unique perspective as a professor of English.

“Training in narrative and emotional literacy makes scientists better tellers and receivers of information,” she said.

“You can’t do science without narrative,” she added. “Even a hypothesis is asking, ‘What if?'”

Ari Daniels (second from the right) and Margaret Duffy (third from the left) mid-discussion during an icebreaker exercise.

The 2026 fellows were joined by last year’s inaugural cohort, which included Kay Bidle (Rutgers University), Melissa Libertus (Case Western Reserve University), Roger Narayan (University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University), Petronela Radu (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), and Rachel Thibodeau-Nielsen (University of Missouri). Having visited Rutgers for their own kickoff last year, they shared insights into the value of the fellowship with this year’s participants.

“ARIS is a state of mind,” said Radu, chair of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

2026 Fellows Mónica Bugallo and Erin James, mid-discussion.

As part of her fellowship, she collaborated with more than a dozen units across campus through activities that promoted interdisciplinary thinking, including research roundtables, science movie screenings, and experiential learning initiatives. Along the way, she gained an appreciation for the leadership and communication skills required to shift institutional culture.

Libertus also reflected on how the fellowship’s emphasis on leadership development influenced her own career trajectory. Within the past year, she transitioned from professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh to chair of the Department of Psychological Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.

“After the success of the first kickoff at Rutgers, we were so pleased to welcome these fellows again,” said Janice McDonnell, SEBS associate dean of research impact and a member of the ARIS leadership team. “It is heartening to see them grow and embrace new opportunities to change the research impact culture within their disciplines and universities.”

2026 Fellows Nicole Fahrenfeld (left) and Casey Canfield (center, virtual) mid-discussion with 2025 Fellow Petronela Radu (right).

Bugallo, interim vice president for research and innovation at Stony Brook University, reflected that gathering at Rutgers gave the fellows an opportunity to consider what they hoped to accomplish during the fellowship and beyond.

“It is a space without judgment, where we can reflect openly on the opportunities ahead,” she said. “The power in this room is our shared passion for the broader impact of research and for making a meaningful difference in society.”

By the close of the kickoff, both fellow cohorts returned home with plans to remain connected and collaborate throughout the coming year. Their training will continue over the next year, culminating in presentations of their fellowship projects at the upcoming ARIS Summit.

About ARIS
The Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS), formerly the National Alliance for Broader Impacts, was founded in 2014 and is the largest societal impact community organization in the United States. ARIS supports practitioners, researchers, and communities in achieving positive societal impact. With more than 1,800 members worldwide, ARIS offers resources, certifications, and programs that build capacity, strengthen partnerships, and advance scholarship. Visit researchinsociety.org.

Editor’s note: This article was written by Mitaali Taskar, Research Project Coordinator II with Rutgers Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences.

Related Stories

• Students Take a Bus Ride to a Different Rutgers
• National 4-H Career Night Opens Doors to Veterinary Science
• New Jersey 4-H Beef and Dairy Programs Build Livestock Skills and Leadership

This Pathfinders session was an agricultural biosecurity activity led by Anna Kimtis, program specialist trainee with the Department of Agriculture (standing at the front of the room). Session presenters also included Dr. Shipra Mohan, director of the New Jersey Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory (standing, at left), and Dr. Kristofer Smith, veterinarian with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (not pictured).

Twenty-two middle school students from the Trenton area concluded five weeks of discovery, innovation, and hands-on learning by showcasing their summer projects during the closing celebration of the sixth annual Rutgers 4-H STEM Pathfinders Summer Academy.

Held from July 13 through August 13 at Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County, the academy immersed youth in weekly explorations of public health, cybersecurity, engineering, robotics, and agriculture while introducing them to the people, places, and possibilities that make up New Jersey’s STEM community. The program was led by Yaa Owusu-Mensah, 4-H program associate.

Alanna Weekes-Jackson discusses her experiences in the Rutgers 4-H STEM Pathfinders Summer Academy during the program’s closing showcase on August 13.

The final showcase featured student presentations highlighting projects completed throughout the summer and the skills they developed along the way. Among those attending was Dr. Francine Conway, chancellor of Rutgers–New Brunswick, who met with participants and learned firsthand about their experiences and aspirations.

More than a summer enrichment program, STEM Pathfinders is designed to help young people envision themselves in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. By combining hands-on learning with mentorship and real-world experiences, the program helps middle school students build confidence, strengthen problem-solving skills, and develop a lasting interest in STEM fields during a pivotal stage of their education.

Throughout the academy, participants worked alongside Rutgers faculty and staff, 4-H volunteers and teen mentors, and collaborators from industry, government agencies, and partner universities. These interactions allowed students to engage directly with STEM professionals while exploring how classroom concepts translate into real-world careers.

Pathfinders help monitor water quality and the overall health of a stream at The Watershed Institute in Pennington by using keys to identify the types and variety of aquatic organisms they found in a sample of water.

Field experiences have long been a hallmark of the program. Over the years, participants have visited the New Jersey Department of Health’s Public Health and Environmental Laboratories, New Jersey’s Regional Operations Intelligence Center, The Watershed Institute, and research laboratories at Rutgers University, Princeton University, and The College of New Jersey. These experiences provide students with opportunities to explore advanced research environments and connect with professionals whose work addresses challenges in health, technology, environmental science, and engineering.

Established in 2021, the STEM Pathfinders Summer Academy serves as the critical middle school link in Mercer County 4-H’s STEM education pipeline. It bridges two longstanding programs: Tomorrow’s Innovators Science Saturday, launched in 2013 through a collaboration between Rutgers 4-H and Bristol Myers Squibb volunteers, and the Rutgers 4-H STEM Ambassadors program for high school students, established in 2009.

The impact of this continuum is already evident. Several students who have progressed through all three programs credit their 4-H experiences with helping them identify future academic interests and career pathways, demonstrating how sustained engagement and mentoring can shape educational and professional aspirations.

The Rutgers 4-H STEM Pathfinders Summer Academy is supported through the Mercer County Extension budget and Intern Program and the Mercer County One-Stop Career Center, which provide funding for transportation, intern stipends, and STEM instructional materials. Additional technology support is provided through the Apple Community Education Initiative.

By connecting young learners with mentors, meaningful experiences, and a supportive community of educators and STEM professionals, the Rutgers 4-H STEM Pathfinders Summer Academy continues to cultivate the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders.

Related Stories

• New Jersey 4-H Welcomes 2027 Agriculture Ambassador Cohort, Cultivating the Next Generation of Leaders
• National 4-H Career Night Opens Doors to Veterinary Science
• New Jersey 4-H Beef and Dairy Programs Build Livestock Skills and Leadership

Hybridized iris plants at their peak at Rutgers Gardens. Photo by Moira Keihm.

Nearly a century after their first collaboration, Rutgers Gardens and the American Iris Society reunite to celebrate horticultural excellence, student learning, and a shared legacy of iris innovation.

As a demonstration of its place as a garden of horticultural excellence and a nod to its history of showcasing hybridized iris research, Rutgers Gardens was selected as a featured site of the American Iris Society’s 2026 Convention. The AIS provided stunning “guest iris” plants bred by skilled hybridizers that were installed at Rutgers Gardens in 2024 and 2025.

On May 22, a beautiful day filled with blue skies and sunshine during an otherwise rainy week, a large contingent of AIS members and iris enthusiasts spent a full day exploring Rutgers Gardens. Attendees saw the irises in full bloom throughout the display gardens, held a silent auction at the Alumni Pavilion, engaged with student horticulturists, and judged entries in the 2026 Iris Awards. It was the culmination of years of hard work, collaboration, educational experiences, creativity, and the forging of new friendships.  

Visitors appreciate irises during Iris Field Day in May of 1939. Photo belongs to the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries.

The connection between Rutgers Gardens and iris plants dates to 1922, when the Iris Display Garden was established in what was then known as Horticulture Farm No. 1. This early iteration of the site that would become Rutgers Gardens was not considered a public botanical garden at that time, but a living laboratory for ornamental horticulture research conducted to benefit New Jersey farmers and nursery industry professionals. This made the Iris Display Garden a singular addition. The garden generated public interest and popular Iris Field Days were hosted annually.

By 1930, Hort Farm 1 featured hundreds of varieties of irises as well as displays of test gardens developed with the AIS. Rising costs for exclusive iris varieties and changing trends in suburban landscape design led Hort Farm 1 to begin transitioning the iris collection in 1963 to a display of annual flowers in 1964. That space is now the Donald B. Lacey Display Garden.

Fast forward from 1964 to 2024, when the AIS was planning its 2026 Convention and selected Rutgers Gardens as one of the featured garden sites. Almost a century after Rutgers Gardens and the AIS first partnered to share horticulture education and a passion for iris varieties with the public, this reunion would amplify the historical significance of irises on display at Rutgers Gardens.

Attendees of the AIS 2026 Convention enjoy the irises in the Donald B. Lacey Display Garden at Rutgers Gardens. Photo by Lauren Errickson.

Lauren Errickson, Director of Rutgers Gardens and Campus Stewardship, emphasizes how powerful this project has been. “Bringing this garden to a full-circle moment in collaboration with the AIS is very meaningful to me. I am grateful that we have been able to work together to connect the efforts of hybridizers from across the country with the long-standing history of irises at Rutgers Gardens in a way that lets so many people appreciate and learn about the plants,” she shares.

A Northern Blue Flag Iris blooms in the Rain Garden at Rutgers Gardens. Photo by Moira Keihm.

Rutgers Gardens was eager to highlight its historical links to the plant, declaring the Northern Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) the 2026 “plant of the year.” Rutgers Gardens members were given an Iris versicolor plant as part of their membership benefits, as the variety is one of the focal points of the Rain Garden in the spring.

For each annual convention, hybridizers providing guest irises to gardens featured during it’s the tours are required to follow specific rules and timelines for sending their beloved, creatively named rhizomes to the sites entrusted with their care. For two years, Rutgers Gardens staff members and student horticulturists worked to ensure these guest irises not only survived, but thrived, so that Convention guests could enjoy the peak blooms and judge entries in the annual AIS Awards in May 2026.

It was a privilege and a responsibility that Rutgers Gardens staff did not take lightly.

Assistant Director: Horticulture Maxine Marvosa worked with AIS Guest Iris Chair George Hildenbrandt to receive shipments of hybridized bearded and beardless rhizomes in 2024. “George was amazing. He provided labels and spreadsheets and was available for any questions we had. Working with the AIS has been wonderful. They are such a well-organized group who gave us planting information and guidelines that were helpful when installing the irises.”

Installed irises wait for spring. Photo by Moira Keihm.

The first delivery of rhizomes arrived during a particularly hot and dry summer. Marvosa continues, “We kept a close eye on them to make sure they were well watered and cared for. In early winter 2024, we received another shipment of irises to plant and the deer pressure on them was severe. The deer do not eat irises, instead they pull them out of the soil, realize they do not like them, and then drop them. We would search the grounds and collect irises in the snow, then try to replant them according to maps we made during the installation.”    

Marvosa is proud of the team’s commitment and dedication. “In the two years after planting, the beds were maintained by the Rutgers Gardens student horticulturists who fought tirelessly against the weeds and invasive species coming up in between the irises.”

David Ackerman, who began his journey caring for the irises as a student intern and became the full-time Gardens and Grounds Technician by convention time, says, “After cultivating the irises for years with fellow interns, the convention visit gave me an even greater appreciation for their history and the dedicated community that continues to preserve and improve them. Seeing irises incorporated into the Donald B. Lacey Display Garden was a fantastic way to bring back Rutgers Gardens history in a modern context.”

The Donald B. Lacey Display Garden in May 2026, designed by David Ackerman. It featured an alluring mix of spring bulbs such as ornamental allium, newly planted annual flowers, and the irises installed in 2024. The garden continues to transform throughout the bloom season as the irises and spring flowers recede and the annuals fill more of the space. Photo by Moira Keihm.

Ackerman tapped into his skills and creativity as a landscape architecture major to design the 2026 annuals display, which inhabits the outer beds of what is affectionately known as “the DBL.” While the vibrant annuals beckon many visitors to Rutgers Gardens each bloom season, this year would be notable with hundreds of additional AIS Convention guests also viewing the garden. Ackerman ensured that the color palettes, textures, and shapes found in his annuals design paired well with the kaleidoscope of colors in the iris beds to achieve a cohesive yet layered overall display garden.

However, during the 2024 installations, there was no way to know what each hybrid iris would look like when it bloomed. With names like “Stellar Wind,” “Mai Tai Join You,” and “Heaven’s Outskirts,” one could only guess the colors and unique features the iris would eventually present. Danielle Lohrman (SEBS’27), a Rutgers Gardens student horticulturist, admitted that she previously thought “irises only came in yellow.” Two bloom seasons later, she declares, “Now I’m a big fan of iris varieties, and some of them smell so good, like a mix of bubble gum and citronella.”

Marvosa adds, “When the irises were in bloom this year, the response we got from the public was incredibly positive. People were coming to Rutgers Gardens just to see the beautiful iris display at its peak.”

Rutgers Gardens was invited to the 2026 AIS Convention’s welcome dinner at the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott Hotel on May 19 along with representatives of the three additional featured gardens. Moira Keihm, Senior Program Coordinator: Education and Engagement, was warmly welcomed by the convention co-chairs and AIS members. “I was wowed by the enthusiasm, knowledge, and friendliness of the organization’s leadership and its members.”

An AIS Convention guest takes photos of daylilies. Photo by Lauren Errickson.

The dinner also served as an annual meeting. “During roll call,” Keihm continues, “the regional clubs stood up and waved and celebrated, cheering for each other and showing how genuinely happy they were to be part of this community. The attendees’ love for these plants and their devotion to traveling all over the country to see iris displays was palpable.”

The Convention visit to Rutgers Gardens was a resounding success. Andi Rivarola, a 2026 Convention Co-Chair, and immediate past president of the AIS, describes key aspects of their organization’s time in the gardens. “Members of The American Iris Society enjoyed a wonderful visit during the 2026 AIS National Convention. It was a delight to stroll through the gardens and see the irises thriving, displaying a spectacular rainbow of colors that only they can provide.”

Rivarola continues, “We also appreciated the beautiful shade garden, where towering trees and lush foliage created a peaceful retreat. And, according to our youngest attendees, one of the highlights of the visit was discovering frogs hiding among the pond in the iris beds—a memorable adventure that added an extra touch of fun to the day.”

Assistant Director: Horticulture Maxine Marvosa, at right, chats with AIS members. Photo by Moira Keihm.

Staff members were pleased to see their efforts caring for the horticulture displays at Rutgers Gardens rewarded with a triumphant convention visit. “All of the AIS members were so complimentary of the gardens and the iris displays that our team put together,” notes Marvosa. “We are going to stay in contact with many of the breeders who would like to evaluate other new iris varieties out at Rutgers Gardens, including Japanese irises.”

SEBS student and landscape architecture major Lohrman shares how the educational experience impacted her: “It was nice meeting the breeders of the irises I was helping to make the display labels for. It was like encountering a celebrity! Previously, I had no idea how the breeding process worked. I spoke to so many different people who were more than happy to share their knowledge.”

“I found it to be a very educational event as well as a great opportunity to connect with passionate plant people from all over the country,” says Ackerman. As part of the guest iris donation process, Rutgers Gardens gets to keep all the irises and visitors can continue to enjoy them in the display gardens in the future. Ackerman is thrilled that this collaboration has resulted in “the reintroduction of irises at Rutgers Gardens, as they will add beauty and seasonal color in our ornamental spaces for years to come.”

Assistant Director: Horticulture Marvosa looks ahead. “I was so impressed by the convention experience and how welcoming the group was that I joined the American Iris Society as a member the next day. I want to be part of and support an organization that cares so much about what they do and is so willing to welcome new people and share their knowledge with others. I look forward to working with the AIS in the future.”

A version of this article originally appeared in the July 2026 Friends of Rutgers Gardens newsletter. Subscribe to receive monthly updates from Rutgers Gardens here.

Related Stories

• Rosy Andrade Cordova SEBS’29 Brings the Classroom into the Garden and Finds Her Roots
• John Cifelli CC’09 and Jennifer Cifelli MGSA’08: Rutgers Love Grows on the Vine
• Historic Iris Partnership Blooms at Rutgers Gardens

In May 2026, members of the Rutgers food systems research team met with the Federated States of Micronesia’s Honorable Secretary of Resources and Development Elina Akinaga and Assistant Secretary Menoleen Jacob Oswalt (third and fourth from left) to discuss the developing National Agriculture and Food Security Policy.

Green Climate Fund-Supported Policy Review Meetings in Yap, Chuuk, and Kosrae Bring Evidence-Based Food Security Frameworks to Communities Most Impacted by Climate Change

A Rutgers University food systems research team has completed a series of in-person stakeholder review meetings in Yap, Chuuk, and Kosrae states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) during April and May 2026, marking the completion of the first full cycle of community-led food security policy co-development across all four FSM states.

This milestone work, funded through the Green Climate Fund’s SAP020 project “Climate-Resilient Food Security for Farming Households Across the Federated States of Micronesia” and administered by the Micronesia Conservation Trust, delivered evidence-based, state-specific Food Security Policy Action Items to local stakeholders, not as top-down mandates, but as co-authored frameworks built from the voices and data of the communities they serve.

Building on Years of Collaborative Partnership

The April-May 2026 policy review meetings are the culmination of multi-year participatory action research that began in 2022 when the Rutgers team, led by James Simon, Distinguished Professor of Plant Biology in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), was contracted to conduct the baseline assessment for the Green Climate Fund food security project. Since then, the food systems science team-an interdisciplinary research group based at SEBS, representing disciplines spanning agriculture, marine science, agribusiness, ethnobotany, nutrition, climate modeling, anthropology, environmental engineering and science communication has partnered with local NGOs and community organizations to survey more than 1,500 farming families and stakeholders across the FSM’s four states: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae.

The Rutgers Food Systems Science team met with Kosrae State’s food system stakeholders to review and revise Kosrae State’s Food Security Policy Action items in May 2026.

The team has partnered with the Federated States of Micronesia and the Micronesia Conservation Trust since 2021 and has worked on six food security related major projects, including the Green Climate Fund GCF SAP020 baseline assessment; FSM’s Third National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; the US Economic Development Administration Food Systems Solutions project; and Pohnpei State’s Food Security Policy and Food Production Master Plan.

The FSM, a Pacific island nation of 607 islands, faces an urgent food security crisis driven by climate change and a decades-long dependency on imported foods that replaced its once self-sustaining traditional food systems. The Rutgers team’s approach has centered community voice, cultural relevance, and indigenous knowledge at every stage of data collection and policy development. The 2025 Pohnpei State Food Security Policy, developed by the Rutgers science team in close partnership with the Pohnpei State’s Department of Resources and Development, served as a model for the state-specific frameworks now prepared for Yap, Chuuk, and Kosrae. All four state policies are structured around nine strategic goals encompassing local food production, food processing and supply chains, food safety and water security, technical training, neighboring island food security, nutrition and cultural awareness, food production policy management, import and investment policies, and community management.

Significance of the Work

Dena Seidel, cultural anthropologist and food systems researcher, and doctoral candidate Tori Rosen met with Yap State farmers Carmen and Augustine Muguy in April 2026.

The completion of state food security policy reviews across all four FSM states represents one of the most comprehensive, participatory, and evidence-based food policy development efforts yet undertaken for a Pacific island nation. The convergence of more than 1,500 mixed methods surveys, focus group and repeated in- person community convenings has produced an unprecedented body of original empirical evidence returned to the communities who generated it.

“So many people in our community have food related diseases like diabetes and heart disease. We started growing our own vegetables because we wanted healthy food for our children and we could not find it in the stores. Now we are growing for our family and for the community and we cannot keep up with demand,” said Carmen Muguy, a farmer in Yap State.

“At the national level, it is our responsibility to address the needs of the communities we serve. We appreciate and value our long-term partnership with the Rutgers team and their approach to working at the local level with stakeholders in all our FSM states,” said Elina Akinaga, FSM’s Secretary of Resources and Development.

“This work exemplifies what it means to do research with communities in support of their environmentally and culturally based food production goals,” said Simon, lead scientist for the Rutgers food systems research team in the FSM. “Data points in these policies came from FSM farmers, fishers, community leaders, and local organizations who generously shared their knowledge, aspirations, and lived experience. Our role is to ensure those voices shape the policies that will determine their food future.”

The nine-goal framework structuring each state’s Food Security Policy Action Items provides both comparability across states and sufficient flexibility to accommodate each community’s distinct agricultural resources, cultural priorities, geographic constraints, and community aspirations. As the final action items are refined through stakeholder review and formally adopted by each state government, they will mark a pivotal step toward climate-resilient, culturally grounded food sovereignty in the FSM and lay the foundation for the next phase of the partnership.

Building upon the four state food security policies, the Rutgers food systems science team is now developing the FSM National Agriculture and Food Security Policy and Food Production Master Plan 2026-2031 in close collaboration with the FSM National Department of Resources and Development and all four state governments.

Chuuk state stakeholders met with Rutgers researchers for a two-day food security workshop as part of the Food Systems Solutions Project in February of 2025.

About the FSM National Agriculture and Food Security Policy and Food Production Master Plan 2026–2031

Currently under development, the FSM National Agriculture and Food Security Policy and Food Production Master Plan 2026-2031 builds directly upon and harmonizes the four state-level Food Security Policies following their formal state approval, translating their shared vision into a coordinated national program of action aligned with the FSM Sustainable Development Plan 2024-2043. The plan’s operational centerpiece is the FSM Food Innovation Infrastructure Network: a nationally standardized, three-tiered system of Food Innovation Centers providing every FSM community with a structured entry point into the local food economy. Grounded in the same participatory action research approach, the national master plan addresses interstate food trade, national food safety certification, coordinated digital market infrastructure and the policy levers needed to attract the investment this transformation requires. The plan sets ambitious but community-validated five-year targets: a 50% increase in locally produced food available to FSM households, a 50% reduction in food import categories that can be produced within FSM, and hundreds of new food system jobs across all four states.

Members of the Rutgers Food Systems Science team met with the Micronesia Conservation Trust in May 2026 to discuss the impact of the Green Climate Fund SAP020 Baseline Assessment to inform the Federated States of Micronesia’s developing food security policies and food production master plans.

The community-led food system development model at the heart of this work reflects the same approach that has guided Simon’s basil breeding program for decades: engaging directly with growers to understand their priorities and challenges. Together, these efforts demonstrate how stakeholder-informed research can generate practical solutions that strengthen food systems, support livelihoods, and build resilience in the face of environmental and economic change.

The interdisciplinary Rutgers food systems research team working in the FSM is co-led by Dena Seidel and Ramu Govindasamy and includes, Oscar Schofield, Yariv Ben-Naim, AJ Both, Roland Hagan, Tori Rosen, Lara Brindisi and Michael Balick (New York Botanical Gardens) and Iris Arbogast (University of Chicago). Additional Rutgers faculty supporting the development of FSM food security policies include James Shope, Dave Bushek, Nolan Lewin and Kevon Rhiney, and undergraduate students Lauren Koo, Olivia Finer, Ankora Sant’Angelo and Eamon Black.

About the Green Climate Fund SAP020 Project

The Green Climate Fund’s SAP020 project, “Climate-Resilient Food Security for Farming Households Across the Federated States of Micronesia,” is the first comprehensive FSM national effort focused on increasing the resilience of the nation’s subsistence farming families, in the face of climate change. The Micronesia Conservation Trust, a Direct Access Entity within the Micronesian Region, oversees the project’s overall technical implementation. Rutgers University was contracted to conduct the project’s baseline assessment and has remained a key technical partner throughout now supporting the development of state and national food security policies.

Related Stories

• Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor Mark Robson Endowed Legacy Professorship Established at SEBS
• Rutgers Receives Major USDA Infrastructure Award to Advance Agricultural Education and Community Engagement  
• From Scientific Curiosity to Scientific Leadership: Max Häggblom Takes the Helm of Microbial Ecology