Janelle S., Junior Champion (Atlantic County 4-H), wearing the NJ 4-H Egg Champion crown!

First statewide competition helps young people develop egg grading skills while exploring careers in agriculture

Following New Jersey’s strong showing at the 2025 National 4-H Avian Bowl, youth participating in the 4-H Youth Development Program, part of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, are finding new opportunities to build knowledge and leadership in poultry science.

In the spring, the Department of 4-H Youth Development at Rutgers partnered with the Atlantic County 4-H Livestock and Poultry Club to launch the inaugural New Jersey 4-H Golden Egg Contest, introducing young people to the science behind commercial egg production and the rigorous standards used to evaluate eggs in today’s marketplace.

Open to registered New Jersey 4-H members, the contest challenged participants to produce, select and present a uniform half-dozen market eggs that met industry expectations for quality and consistency. Entries were judged using official USDA egg grading standards and the National 4-H Poultry Judging Manual—the same principles used throughout the commercial egg industry.

Suzanna Vaino, Atlantic County 4-H poultry project leader and co-developer of the contest.

“The contest gives youth an opportunity to look beyond simply raising chickens,” said Suzanna Vaino, Atlantic County 4-H poultry project leader and co-developer of the contest. “They learn how eggs are evaluated for quality, gain valuable judging skills and begin to understand the many career opportunities available within the poultry industry.”

Vaino developed the competition with Amelia Valente, 4-H agent of Monmouth County. The contest was modeled after successful 4-H egg judging competitions in states with established commercial egg industries, including Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina.

To help prepare participants, Vaino led a six-session Short-Term Exploratory Program (STEP) conducted virtually throughout the spring. The sessions introduced youth to commercial egg production, USDA egg grading standards, poultry judging, oral reasons and career pathways in the egg industry.

The educational series featured guest speakers from the USDA Livestock and Poultry Program, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the University of Missouri Extension 4-H Youth Development Program. Grace Kreft, an Ocean County 4-H alumna and Rutgers Animal Science graduate, also spoke about opportunities available through Rutgers’ Animal Science bachelor’s degree program.

The inaugural contest attracted 19 youth from nine New Jersey counties, who submitted 42 entries. Six RCE county offices served as collection sites before entries were transported to Atlantic County for judging.

Zoe-Bella C., Junior Honorable Mention (Essex County 4-H).

To ensure fairness, entries were evaluated anonymously by participant number and age division—Cloverbud, Junior and Senior. Judges assessed egg size, shell quality, shell thickness, shape, air cell size, albumen quality and other characteristics that determine market quality, including Haugh Units, the industry standard for measuring egg protein quality.

Top honors were awarded to:

Senior Champion: Megan C., Cape May County

Senior Reserve Champion: Danika C., Cape May County

Senior Honorable Mention: Joel S., Atlantic County

Junior Champion: Janelle S., Atlantic County

Junior Reserve Champion: Ethan G., Cape May County

Junior Honorable Mention: Zoe-Bella C., Essex County

The tools of the egg-grading contest, conveying the rigor of the competition.

The contest also highlighted the collaborative nature of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, with six county offices assisting in collecting entries from participants across the state.

Vaino credited the success of the inaugural event to the many volunteers, educators and partners who supported the effort, including Erin Sharpe, co-leader of the Atlantic County 4-H Livestock and Poultry Club, and Micky Hall, professor emeritus and small poultry flock specialist with Clemson University 4-H Youth Development, whose guidance helped shape the competition.

Organizers are already planning to expand the contest in spring 2027 with new challenges for returning participants.

Meanwhile, New Jersey 4-H’s momentum in poultry science continues. Members of the newly formed Senior New Jersey 4-H Poultry Judging Team will attend Poultry Judging Camp this summer at the Department of Poultry Science at Texas A&M University before representing the state at the National 4-H Poultry Judging Competition in Louisville, Kentucky, this fall.

For more information about the New Jersey 4-H Golden Egg Contest or New Jersey 4-H poultry projects, contact Suzanna Vaino at Starla4270@hotmail.com or Amelia Valente at amelia.valente@rutgers.edu.

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Retiring New Jersey State Climatologist David Robinson, left, and incoming State Climatologist John Krasting set up a weather station on the Livingston Campus ahead of a storm. Photo Luca Mostello

John Krasting, a Rutgers-trained climate scientist whose career has spanned broadcast meteorology, climate modeling and sea-level research, has been named the New Jersey state climatologist, succeeding David Robinson, who is retiring after 35 years in the role.

Krasting, whose name is pronounced to rhyme with “lasting,” will begin July 1 as an extension specialist in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. He will oversee the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist and the Rutgers New Jersey Weather Network, known as the  NJWxNet, a statewide system of 70 weather stations that provides real-time environmental data. 

John Krasting, a Rutgers-trained climate scientist and longtime NOAA researcher, is the incoming New Jersey State Climatologist. Photo: Luca Mostello

The Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist was established at Rutgers in 1979 by the late Gov. Brendan Byrne to serve as a statewide source of weather and climate expertise. The office gathers, analyzes and shares climate information to support planning, research, emergency preparedness and public understanding across the state.

Krasting’s appointment comes at a time when climate information has become increasingly important to decisions about flooding, water resources, agriculture, public health, infrastructure, coastal planning and emergency preparedness.

“We are thrilled to welcome John Krasting back to Rutgers and into this vital role for the university and the state,” said Laura Lawson, executive dean of agriculture and natural resources. “John brings together the best of what this moment requires: world-class climate science, deep technical expertise, a gift for public communication, and a lifelong connection to Rutgers. His work has helped advance the models and data systems scientists use to understand a changing planet, and now that knowledge will be brought directly to bear for New Jersey’s communities, coastlines, farms and decision-makers.”

Krasting earned his bachelor’s degree in meteorology from Rutgers in 2003 and his doctoral degree in atmospheric science from Rutgers in 2008. A native of Wenonah, N.J., in Gloucester County, he said the new role feels like both a professional opportunity and a personal return.

“I’m a New Jersey native,” Krasting said. “I’ve lived through the very changes we talk about when we discuss how New Jersey’s climate is evolving.”

For the past 15 years, Krasting has worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, N.J., where he helped lead climate and ocean modeling projects. His work has included research on sea-level rise, coastal inundation, ocean processes, climate risk and Earth system modeling. He helped lead the laboratory’s $5.8 million Bipartisan Infrastructure Law research effort to develop datasets and models for sea-level-rise and coastal-inundation products. He also has contributed to next-generation climate and ocean models.

Krasting said he is taking on the role at a moment when climate science increasingly is being called upon to help people make practical decisions. 

“We’re in a phase where basic climate research has to become information people can use,” he said. “What drew me to it is that ability to connect people with the data and information that they need, when they need it.”

Krasting will inherit an office shaped by Robinson’s long record of public service, scientific leadership and statewide climate communication.

David Robinson, New Jersey’s state climatologist since 1991, is retiring after 35 years of statewide public service. The Rutgers Distinguished Professor is the longest-serving state climatologist on record in the United States. Photo: Luca Mostello

Robinson, a Distinguished Professor in the Rutgers Department of Geography, became New Jersey state climatologist in 1991 and is the longest-serving state climatologist on record in the United States. In addition to his work in the state, Robinson is internationally known for his cryospheric research, particularly the role of snow cover in the climate system and its use as an indicator of climate variability and change.

As state climatologist, Robinson became one of New Jersey’s most familiar public voices on storms, heat waves, drought, floods, snowfall and long-term climate trends. Over the years, he gave an estimated 10,000 media interviews. He also helped build the NJWxNet into one of the densest statewide weather networks in the country.

“Few scientists become part of the civic fabric of a state: Dave Robinson has done exactly that,” Lawson said. “For more than three decades, he has helped New Jersey understand itself through its weather, its climate and its changing environment. His legacy is measured not only in publications, grants and weather stations, but in trust. Through the Rutgers New Jersey Weather Network and his long service as State Climatologist, he helped build a foundation of climate knowledge that supports communities, public agencies, farmers, emergency managers, researchers and residents across the state.”

Robinson said the office has always been about more than collecting data. Its purpose, he said, is to help people understand how weather and climate affect daily life and public decision-making.

“People have some level of knowledge, but they don’t appreciate the full impact that weather and climate have on every aspect of society,” Robinson said. “Everything, every aspect of our lives, has this underlying influence of weather. It doesn’t often rise to the top, but it’s there. Occasionally a Sandy comes along, or an Ida comes along, and bam, it’s up to the top.”

Krasting said he hopes to build on that work while expanding the office’s role in areas where his research experience is especially relevant, including coastal flooding, sea-level rise, climate modeling and statewide climate services.

“I like to think I’ll be able to bridge everything from the farmlands to the coast and to our urban environment and really think of climate in a very broad sense of how it affects the way people live and move around the state,” Krasting said.

He said New Jersey faces both immediate and long-term climate challenges. In the near term, the state over the last two years has been experiencing a prolonged dry period, with recent months marked by below-average rainfall and growing concerns about water management. Over the longer term, coastal communities will continue to confront rising seas and more frequent flooding.

“Over the last century, New Jersey’s sea levels have been rising at a rate about three times the global average,” Krasting said. “Our land is naturally sinking from the last Ice Age, and at the same time, our ocean is expanding as it gets warmer.”

He said the consequences already are visible.

“What once seemed like a distant forecast of rising oceans is already here,” Krasting said. “What used to be a once-a-year high-tide flooding event in Atlantic City is now something that happens nearly every month.”

Retiring New Jersey State Climatologist David Robinson, left, and incoming State Climatologist John Krasting stand beside weather-monitoring equipment. Both scientists emphasize turning weather and climate data into useful information for communities and decision-makers across New Jersey. Photo: Luca Mostello

Robinson has seen those changes unfold over decades. During his tenure, he said, New Jersey has become warmer, offshore waters have heated up and rain and snow increasingly arrive in bigger events.

“Underlying everything we’ve seen in my years as state climatologist has been the state getting warmer, undeniably getting warmer,” Robinson said. “It’s not like it’s raining more often, but when it rains, it pours.”

That long view is one reason Krasting said he is grateful for the program he is stepping into.

“What I find incredibly inspiring about Dave is that he really was the essence of the office for several decades,” Krasting said. “I’m going to be inheriting a wonderful program that has developed over the years into one of the leading state climate offices in the nation.”

Krasting brings an unusual mix of scientific and communication experience to the position. Before focusing fully on climate research, he worked as an on-air meteorologist for FOX Television Stations in New York and Philadelphia and was nominated for a Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Award. He said broadcast meteorology taught him how to communicate complex information clearly, quickly and under pressure.

“Broadcasting taught me to take something complex and boil it down to two and a half minutes with limited visuals, and convey it to the public under pressure,” he said.

That ability may prove especially important as the state climate office translates technical climate information into practical guidance for decisions about crops, coastlines, classrooms and infrastructure.

Krasting said New Jersey needs a state climate office defined by “authenticity, authority and relatability.” He said he wants the office to be accessible and visible across the state.

“Success in my tenure will be if every New Jerseyan feels that they can pick up the phone, call our office and get whatever information they need about our climate from our team,” Krasting said. “We’re not going to be hidden away behind a computer terminal. We want to be out talking with people across the state, working with community groups, and having a presence in our schools.”

He said that outreach should include meeting people where they are and listening to how weather and climate are already shaping their daily decisions.

Robinson said the same public-service ethic has guided the state climate office for decades. The office provides data and expertise, he said, but its ultimate role is to help people act on reliable information.

“We provide information to help people make informed decisions,” Robinson said. “We,” he said with a smile, “do not make the decisions for them.”

Krasting said he sees the office’s next chapter as both urgent and hopeful. Climate change can feel overwhelming, he said, but the future is not fixed.

“What I see that’s encouraging is that we still have choices that we can make as a society,” Krasting said. “Our fate is not sealed.”

His goal, he said, is to help people turn climate information into something useful, practical and shared.

“There are things we can do about it that everyone can be a part of,” Krasting said.

This article first appeared in Rutgers Today. Learn more about outgoing State Climatologist David Robinson’s insights on NJ’s climate over the years. What 35 Years of Watching New Jersey’s Climate Reveals | Rutgers University

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About 50,000 children have reconnected with nature over the last 75 seasons at New Jersey 4-H Camp in Stokes State Forest.

The minute school lets out for summer, the screen time wars ramp up for parents.

“It’s such a slog … a never-ending battle,” said Rachel Lyons, a mom of three from Hillsborough.

But for one week each summer, Lyons gets a truce. Her children head to New Jersey 4-H Camp, which runs. The wooded retreat run by Rutgers has been strictly screen-free since its founding in 1951.

“That week where they have no access to it is such a gift,” said Lyons, a Rutgers Cooperative Extension agent who grew up attending the camp and also led the state 4-H program, including the camp, for the past 13 seasons. “They immerse themselves in the camp community and are able to make connections. Not having that crutch is important.”

Set on 108 acres in Stokes State Forest, the camp, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, feels like a portal to a simpler era. In fact, very little has changed since Lyons’ father first attended as a camper in the late 1950s. The camp is sold out for the season and will welcome 176 campers during each one-week session in July and the Big 18-Day session in August.

“I think it’s just an incredible, idyllic place,” said Lyons, a Rutgers alumna. “It’s almost like stepping back in time. Things are just slower there.”

Lily Lyons, 15, is a third-generation camper at New Jersey 4-H camp. Courtesy of Rachel Lyons

There is a clear throughline connecting the summer fun her father enjoyed to her own experience in the 1990s, and now to her children today. The timeless itinerary remains the same after entertaining some 50,000 children: campfire sing-alongs, hikes along the Appalachian Trail, canoe races on Lake Shawanni, capture-the-flag games, archery, and bunking up with new buddies in 11 rustic cabins.

“The nature is the canvas that allows us to do everything else,” said Ben Clawson, the director of camp programs. 

Clawson hasn’t missed a summer since he first arrived as an 11-year-old camper in 1995. As a teenage counselor, he remembers a time when nature did the tech policing for them; even if you brought a cellphone, there was simply no service in the depths of the pine forest.

“It wasn’t until around 2010, when 3G and screens finally reached out here into the woods, that we made a conscious decision to establish this official tech-free oasis,” Clawson said. “And it’s been humming along strong ever since.”

Beyond providing a digital detox, 4-H often serves as a camper’s first introduction to the university, planting “the Rutgers seed” in generations of future alumni.

“Every year I have junior counselors who went through the program tell me how proud they are to be applying to or getting into Rutgers,” Clawson said.

While parents frequently worry about how their children will survive a full week without tech, Clawson says even the most hyper-connected campers adapt almost instantly.

“They become kids right away,” he said. “It’s like a light switch as soon as they get into the woods without screens.”

Lyons’ 15-year-old daughter, Lily, a rising sophomore at Hillsborough High School, has been attending the camp with her twin brother since they were 8. This year their 8-year-old sister joins them for the first time. Over the years, Lily said she has come to genuinely look forward to the digital hiatus.

“I feel like it is almost a break, because when I’m on my phone, it makes me less in the moment,” she said. “When I’m not on my phone, I feel more in tune with everything that’s going on.

And it isn’t just the kids who benefit from leaving the digital world behind.

“At 42 years old, I still feel the freeing effects of not carrying my phone with me,” Clawson said.

For the parents watching from the sidelines, the value of that freedom is immeasurable.

“For my kids, they love the break from what it’s like to be a kid in 2026,” Lyons said. “Just stepping away from their phones and tablets – and the pressure of everything kids have going on these days.”

This article first appeared in Rutgers Today.

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Rutgers turfgrass was installed in early May at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for the World Cup. Nick Romanenko/Rutgers University

While soccer fans watch their favorite teams compete at this summer’s World Cup, Rutgers University’s plant biologists will be looking under the players’ cleats—eyeing the lush, green natural turfgrass they created.

Ten of the tournament’s 16 soccer stadiums in the United States, Canada, and Mexico hosting the World Cup will feature cultivated varieties (cultivars) of cool-season natural turfgrasses bred by the university’s team of experts. Rutgers turfgrass is being used in locations from nearby Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field to Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca at an altitude of more than 7,000 feet, to Vancouver’s BC Place domed stadium.

“This is one of our flagship programs that’s world-renowned,’’ said Stacy Bonos, a professor of turfgrass breeding in the university’s plant biology department. “Rutgers grasses are recognized for having good turf quality and being the best overall in multiple different trials all over the country.’’

While Rutgers’ turfgrasses were also in play at this year’s Masters golf tournament— and have been used at Yankee Stadium and the White House, not to mention for countless lawns, parks, and non-professional athletic fields—the spotlight is now on soccer.

FIFA World Cup fields—properly called pitches in the world of soccer—must be able to withstand intense wear and tear from multiple grueling matches, ensuring balls dropped from 2.0 meters bounce up between 0.6 meter and 1.0 meter, and play uniformly across the various host cities’ climates and stadium conditions. 

James Murphy, an extension specialist in Rutgers’ plant biology department, oversaw the tolerance tests on the university’s turfgrasses that helped confirm their durability for World Cup games. Nick Romanenko/Rutgers University

Michigan State University and University of Tennessee led FIFA’s research into which turfgrasses would perform best at each of the World Cup stadiums. Their experts settled on Rutgers-bred cultivars as their top choice in most cases in consultation with each venue’s groundskeepers and the seed companies, according to Bonos. In addition to Philadelphia, Mexico City, and Vancouver, Rutgers cool-season turfgrasses will be used in Toronto, Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

Turfgrasses bred for warmer temperatures do not fare as well in chillier temperatures, in the shade, or in low-light areas like under domes compared with their cool-season turfgrass counterparts. MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands (renamed New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament) is using a warm-season Bermuda grass variety not bred at Rutgers when the World Cup is played at the New Jersey venue.

James Murphy, an extension specialist in Rutgers’ plant biology department, oversaw the tolerance tests on the university’s turfgrasses that helped confirm their durability for World Cup games. He will be watching the matches, but his focus will be on seeing how well the turfgrasses perform.

“I can’t help but watch what the field does. That’s in my nature. That’s what I do for a living,’’ said Murphy, whose expertise includes turfgrass management. “It’s very rewarding to watch after an event how well the fields hold up. And it’s great to see them recover, so that by the next time they’re played on, they’re in good playing shape.’’

Testing turfgrasses for resistance to stress and then breeding the toughest surviving varieties over successive generations is vital for a successful World Cup, where 104 matches will be played from June 11 to July 19 at 16 venues—with most pitches set to host six or seven games each.

Rutgers’ turfgrasses are tested by a wear machine that whacks the blades with rubber paddles, which are about 12 to 15 inches long, 1 inch wide, and a half-inch thick, and attached in a triangular format to a spinning axle.

“This is one of our flagship programs that’s world known,” said Stacy Bonos, pictured at Rutgers Turfgrass Research Farm in Freehold. Nick Romanenko/Rutgers University

“It spins around and paddles away at the turf and kind of wears and tears the grass,’’ explained Murphy, noting the testing is done at a 206-acre Rutgers research farm in Freehold and a far smaller on-campus farm in North Brunswick. “It does dent the surface a little bit, like the cleat on an athlete’s shoe.’’

To get the most wear-tolerant turfgrasses possible that succeed in testing, professor Bonos and other plant biologists intercross the plants hardiest to the stress, repeating the gene cycles over and over again.

“We sort of speed up natural selection in that way,’’ said Bonos.

Tuckahoe Turf Farms in Hammonton, roughly 70 miles south of Rutgers–New Brunswick, grows sod on 900 acres, including their registered trademark Game Day Sod. This turfgrass contains a mix of Blue Note, Bolt, and Legend Kentucky bluegrass varieties—all developed at Rutgers—that was put down at Gillette Stadum near Boston in late March and at Lincoln Field in Philadelphia in early May, said Allen Carter, CFO of Tuckahoe Turf Farms.

“We maintain it here on the farm just as if it was at a stadium. So as soon as we unroll that carpet, they can play on it,’’ said Carter, who also heads the New Jersey Farm Bureau. “Our rolls are four-feet wide and approximately 40-feet long and they weigh almost 2,000 pounds. So when we put them in, they’re not going anywhere.’’

Rutgers began its turfgrass breeding program in 1962 under C. Reed Funk (1928-2012), whose pioneering work included development decades ago of an earlier cool-season turfgrass that became the standard on European soccer fields.

Overall, Rutgers turfgrass varieties comprise between 35% to 40% of the world’s grass seed production, according to Bonos, with the university conducting research on 10 cool-season turfgrass species. These cultivated varieties include Bentgrass, which is used on golf greens because it can be mowed below 1/10th of an inch.

Rutgers turfgrass was installed in early May at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for the World Cup. Nick Romanenko/Rutgers University

The university’s team works with about 25 seed companies worldwide, licensing the varieties, and recouping royalties from the commercial sales that help cover the program’s expenses and ongoing research.

Rutgers’ efforts through the decades have helped boost the sector’s economic growth, with the university’s most recent analysis determining the turfgrass industry contributed $4.9 billion to New Jersey’s economy and generated 59,159 jobs in 2019.

“Seeing Rutgers turfgrasses on the world stage is very rewarding because it validates the mission of the program that was initiated over 60 years ago and the research that we do each day, which is to develop the best quality turfgrasses that perform well under many stresses,’’ Bonos said.

Thes article first appeared in Rutgers Today.

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NJ youth participating in a previous Department of 4-H Youth Development workshop.

The Rutgers Department of 4-H Youth Development and the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JCNERR) have launched a multi-year initiative designed to engage New Jersey educators, students, and community partners in climate resilience planning and action.

The project is part of EduCATE (Education, Climate Awareness, Training, and Engagement), a program within New Jersey’s broader Building a Climate Ready NJ initiative. Through the project, educators, students in grades 6–12, and community partners from cities across the state will form Resiliency Action Teams to explore local climate challenges and develop community-based solutions.

Youth participants will build a shared understanding of climate risks using both scientific data and lived experiences. The initiative aims to empower youth to identify priorities in their communities and take an active role in advancing resilience strategies.

“With this project, we hope to build a statewide cohort that centers our NJ youth and is co-led by the students themselves, as well as educators and community leaders,” said Janice McDonnell, associate dean for research impact at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and a co-principal investigator on the grant.

NJ Youth had previously identified their concerns about climate resiliency in an earlier workshop.

The initiative supports EduCATE’s broader mission to expand climate resilience education, training, and community engagement across New Jersey while advancing the goals of Building a Climate Ready NJ.

As members of the Resiliency Action Teams, youths will develop skills in data collection and observation, communication, teamwork, project planning and implementation. At the conclusion of the EduCATE program year, participants will present their projects at Rutgers. The Department of 4-H Youth Development had previously facilitated a similar concept in a workshop in partnership with the New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center; Rutgers Center for Mathematics, Science, and Computer Education; Rutgers Center for Ocean Observing Leadership; Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute; Rutgers Cooperative Extension and the Rutgers Science Explorer Program. 

The inaugural cohort of the EduCATE program includes Academy I Middle School (Jersey City), Infinity Institute (Jersey City), Lincoln Middle School (Kearny), Newark School of Data Science and Information Technology (Newark), Union Hill Middle School (Union City), and William L. Dickinson High School (Jersey City). The project will officially kick off in July 2026. Learn more about this initiative on the 4-H STEM website.

This effort is part of Building a Climate Ready NJ, a resilience initiative of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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Grayson Tung, Senior Coordinator for the Pesticide Safety Education Program, RCE.

We are pleased to announce that Grayson Tung has joined Rutgers Cooperative Extension as the new Senior Coordinator for the Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP).

As Senior Coordinator of PSEP, he will help lead statewide educational and certification programs for pesticide applicators across New Jersey. The Rutgers Pesticide Safety Education Program provides training and educational resources to farmers, landscapers, pest management professionals, mosquito control personnel, and other stakeholders to support safe, effective, and legally compliant pesticide use throughout the state. 

Tung brings strong expertise in insect biology, applied entomology, education, and public engagement. We are excited to welcome him to Rutgers and look forward to the many contributions he will make to Rutgers Cooperative Extension and New Jersey integrated pest and mosquito management.

Please join us in welcoming Grayson Tung to Rutgers University!

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SEBS and NJAES faculty reconnect, continuing conversations from the last workshop on their common their research interests.

More than 20 faculty from SEBS and NJAES completed the inaugural “Charting Your Research Pathway” workshop series hosted by the SEBS/NJAES Office of Research this past March. Over six weeks, participants refined their Rutgers research visions, explored new funding opportunities, and received individualized guidance and support from the Office of Research.

“I’m already pursuing concrete research collaborations that grew directly from this [workshop] series,” said Erin Comollo, assistant teaching professor in the RCE Department of Family and Community Health Sciences. Comollo participated in several sessions throughout the series, including the kickoff event in January.

A central focus of the workshop was building faculty capacity to engage in Convergence Research—a problem-driven approach that brings together multiple disciplines to collaboratively address complex challenges.

Participants Elaine Griffin and Erin Comollo, mid-discussion.

“A Rutgers SEBS and NJAES aim is to produce high quality research that is informed by and responds to community needs. It’s in our mission as a land grant and amplified through the Academic Master Plan. Convergence research is a way for us to bring together the impressive breadth of expertise across all of Rutgers and our partner networks,” said Josh Kohut, SEBS Dean of Research and NJAES Director of Research, and co-leader of the workshop series.

Through the series, attendees reported a stronger understanding of convergence research and how their work at SEBS and NJAES aligns with this approach. “I came with questions about how to develop research that honored both academic rigor and community need—but I wasn’t sure where to start,” said Comollo. “Connecting with faculty who were asking similar questions about transdisciplinary collaboration and community-engaged undergraduate education gave me both collaborators and an intellectual community.”

The workshop was intentionally designed to foster cross-departmental exchange within SEBS/NJAES, as well as connections between early-career and senior faculty. In post-workshop evaluations, participants highlighted the meaningful relationships they built with colleagues beyond their own departments.

“It was important to have junior faculty mentored by senior faculty in this series,” said Elaine Griffin, associate director of grants facilitation within the SEBS/NJAES Office of Research. Griffin was one of several experts, both within and beyond Rutgers University, who provided guidance to participants. Faculty also:

• Were briefed on the current federal funding landscape by Samantha Booth (Associate Director of Federal Relations, Office of Federal Relations), Dominique Carter (Principal, Lewis-Burke Associates), and Sarah Gianotti (Legislative Research Assistant, Lewis-Burke Associates)
• Received counsel on engaging with foundations from Gabrielle Peterson (Executive Director of Development, SEBS), Tracy Elliot (Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Rutgers–New Brunswick), and Elaine Griffin
• Were advised on building industry partnerships by Wade Trappe (Dean of Research, School of Engineering), David Specca (Assistant Director, EcoComplex), Kit Yam (Professor, Department of Food Science), Melissa Vinch (Contract Manager, Research Contract Services), and Melissa Matsil (Executive Director, Research Contract Services)
• Were guided on writing concept papers by Oscar Schofield (Department Chair, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences), Dipak Sarkar (Director of the Endocrine Program, Department of Animal Sciences), Anne Nielsen (Associate Extension Specialist in Entomology, Department of Entomology), and Changlu Wang (Extension Specialist in Entomology, Department of Entomology)

SEBS and NJAES faculty have constructive discussions on potential collaboration.

“Our goal was for each participant to walk away with a clear research roadmap, one that could help them connect with faculty collaborators and pursue projects addressing some of society’s grand challenges,” said Janice McDonnell, SEBS Associate Dean of Research Impact and co-leader of the workshop series.

Many faculty have already taken that message to heart, developing concept papers and proposals for submission to funding opportunities both within and beyond Rutgers. This includes an internal grant from the SEBS/NJAES Office of Research that provides seed funding for Rutgers teams seeking to further explore convergence research ideas. While applications for this cycle have closed, the Office of Research remains optimistic about the long-term impact of this work.

Faculty interested in strengthening their research impact are encouraged to contact Janice McDonnell, Associate Dean of Research Impact at SEBS, at mcdonnel@marine.rutgers.edu

Editor’s note: This article was written by Mitaali Taskar, a science communicator and research project assistant with Rutgers Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences.

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Adélie penguins in Antarctica. Photo credits Oscar Schofield

Penguins waddling across Antarctic ice might seem far removed from a classroom in New Jersey, but a new study shows that these charismatic birds can be a powerful hook for teaching young people about climate change — and inspiring them to see themselves as future scientists.

The study was led by researchers at Rutgers University, including affiliates of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute Janice McDonnell, Associate Dean of Research Impact at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, and Oscar Schofield, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences. In addition, the lead author, Marissa Staffen, and co-author Matthew Newman are both county agents from the Department of 4-H Youth Development at Rutgers.

Published in the Journal of Geoscience Education, the study evaluates a program called Data to the Rescue: Penguins Need Our Help! — an eight-session after-school club designed for middle schoolers in grades 5 to 8. The program invites students to join a virtual research team studying real penguin population data from Antarctica, collected by the National Science Foundation’s Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program at Palmer Station.

Students work with actual scientific data using an online tool called CODAP to graph and analyze how Adélie, Gentoo, and Chinstrap penguin populations have changed over time — and why. The program ends with a creative “Data Jam,” where students turn their findings into poems, art, videos, or other projects to share with their communities.

The program directly connects climate change in the polar regions — where warming is happening much faster than the global average — to real consequences like sea ice loss and shrinking penguin populations. It also draws lines from those distant changes to local impacts like sea level rise and extreme weather, helping students understand that what happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica.

“This program shows that when you give young people real scientific data and a compelling story — in this case, penguins — they don’t just learn facts, they start to see themselves as part of the solution. Building that sense of identity and agency in students, especially for young people that don’t see themselves represented in STEM, is one of the most important things we can do for both STEM education and climate action,” said Staffen.

Students in the Data to the Rescue program explore real penguin population data collected at Palmer Station, Antarctica, connecting distant ecosystems to local climate change impacts. Photo credit Matthew Newman

Over three years and across 46 program sites in the U.S., 1,571 youth took part. The study found that after completing the program, students showed a statistically significant increase in ‘science identity’ — meaning students felt more like they belonged in science. This was especially meaningful given that the program intentionally reached out to groups underrepresented in STEM, including girls, Black and Hispanic youth, and students from low-income communities.

Students who started with little knowledge of polar science showed the biggest gains in learning. Many who began by answering “I don’t know” to questions about the Arctic and Antarctic finished the program with real, substantive answers.

Interestingly, overall fascination with science dipped slightly by the end of the program — but the authors suggest this may reflect a more realistic understanding of what science actually involves, including the hard work and challenges, rather than a loss of interest. Students with lower initial fascination actually showed gains.

The implications of this research go beyond penguins. The program offers a replicable, low-cost model for informal science education that can be run in after-school clubs, community centers, summer camps, libraries, or 4-H programs — and all materials are available for free in both English and Spanish. The authors argue that building climate literacy and data skills in young people, particularly those from underserved communities, is essential for developing an informed public and a diverse STEM workforce capable of tackling global challenges like climate change. Explore Data to the Rescue resources and read the full study here.

This article was written with assistance from Artificial Intelligence, was reviewed and edited by Oliver Stringham, and was reviewed by Marissa Staffen, Janice McDonnell, Matthew Newman, and Oscar Schofield, co-authors on the study.

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Participants in the 35th Annual Rutgers Turfgrass Symposium included research associate Stephanie Rossi; graduate student Mark Labarge; invited speaker Susana Milla-Lewis, professor of turfgrass breeding and genetics at North Carolina State University; and Distinguished Professor Bingru Huang, who also served as moderator of one of the sessions. Photo credit: Shaun Barry

The Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science hosted its 35th Annual Turfgrass Symposium on March 19, bringing together faculty, staff, students, researchers and industry leaders for a day of collaboration, innovation and knowledge exchange.

Held at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, the symposium highlighted the breadth of turfgrass research underway across the university while reinforcing Rutgers’ leadership in advancing sustainable turf systems.

Rutgers post-doc associate Juan Gonzalez, keynote speaker Eric Watkins, and Stacy Bonos, associate director of the center and a moderator of one of the sessions. Photo credit: Shaun Barry

Josh Kohut, dean and director of research at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, welcomed attendees and underscored the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing emerging environmental and industry challenges.

The keynote address was delivered by Rutgers alumnus Eric Watkins, professor in the Department of Horticulture and Vice Provost for Distributed Learning at the University of Minnesota. His presentation, “Investigating New Strategies for Turfgrass Survival in a Changing Winter Climate,” explored how innovative tools are being used to better understand and mitigate the unpredictable effects of winter stress on turfgrass systems.

According to James Murphy, director of the Center for Turfgrass Science, the symposium also featured a distinguished group of invited speakers. Susana Milla-Lewis of North Carolina State University presented insights from 14 years of collaborative warm-season turfgrass breeding. Lisa Bern of Syngenta reflected on 25 years of innovation in plant protection, while James Brosnan of the University of Tennessee addressed evolving strategies for managing Poa annua, a persistent challenge in turfgrass systems.

The symposium also showcased research from Rutgers faculty, postdoctoral associates and graduate students. Stephanie Rossi discussed early detection of heat and drought in creeping bentgrass. Mark Labarge presented results from his research on bermudagrass and zoysiagrass fairway turf. Juan Gonzalez presented his research on high-volume turfgrass monitoring using drones. Ryan Earp described his experience at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort during the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. Leandro Lopes da Silva discussed his research on SDHI fungicide resistance in Clarireedia jacksonii (the dollar spot pathogen). Matthew Brown presented research on the interactions among entomopathogenic nematodes, fungicides, silicon and plant hosts. Katie Diehl Tuck described the effects of plant growth regulators on goosegrass and cool season turfgrass.

Invited speaker James Brosnan, professor in the Plant Sciences Department at the University of Tennessee; Matt Brown, post-doc associate, Department of Entomology; Matt Elmore, associate extension specialist, Department of Plant Biology, who served as moderator at one of the sessions, and Katie Diehl Tuck, Department of Plant Biology. Photo credit: Shaun Barry

Graduate student excellence was a central highlight of the event. Three students were recognized for award-winning presentations at the Crop Science Society of America Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City. Ryan Earp earned first place in the Turfgrass Breeding, Genomics, Physiology and Molecular Biology poster session, while Devan Gladden received second place in Turfgrass Water Conservation, and Emmanuel Nwachukwu placed third in Golf Turf Management and Remote Sensing.

Earp was also recognized as the fourth recipient of the Sean S. Pattwell Graduate Student Internship, an experiential learning opportunity established through the generosity of Sean Pattwell in 2022. The program supports graduate training through immersive industry experiences; Earp recently completed a three-week internship at the renowned Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

The success of the symposium was made possible through the efforts of the planning committee, chaired by Bingru Huang and including Jim Murphy, Stacy Bonos, Ning Zhang and Ming-Yi Chou. Barbara Fitzgerald and Kelly Esposito served as co-editors of the symposium proceedings. Technical support for livestreaming and event production was provided by Bernard Ward, Phil Wisneski and Brad Park.

“The center is grateful for the wonderful partnership with the turfgrass industry in New Jersey and beyond, which enables us to delve into these exciting topics in turfgrass science,” Murphy said.

As the symposium marks its 35th year, it continues to serve as a vital platform for advancing research, fostering collaboration and preparing the next generation of turfgrass scientists—further strengthening Rutgers’ impact on agriculture, environmental sustainability and the green industry.

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Image by Dragon Claws, licensed via Adobe Stock (Education License)

Ask a New Jersey middle schooler what they think about when choosing what to eat, and you’ll probably hear: taste, texture, and whether it’ll upset their stomach. Ask them what they do to help the planet, and they’ll mention picking up litter or recycling. What most won’t mention? The connection between the two. A new study out of Rutgers University set out to understand what drives food choices among New Jersey fifth graders — and why so few of them link their diet to climate change — with the goal of building better classroom curricula to bridge that gap.

The study was led by Rutgers researchers, including affiliates of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute, Sara Elnakib, lead author and associate professor and chair of the Department of Family and Community Health Sciences at Rutgers Cooperative Extension; and co-authors Shauna Downs, associate professor in the Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy at Rutgers School of Public Health; Peggy Policastro, director of Behavioral Nutrition-Rutgers Dining Services; and Ethan Schoolman, associate professor in the Department of Human Ecology at Rutgers University; and— all co-authors on the study.

The authors interviewed 41 fifth graders from three different New Jersey schools — an urban school serving low-income students, an urban school serving middle-income students, and a rural school serving middle-income students. The schools were chosen to reflect the diversity of communities across the state. The students were asked about what factors matter to them when choosing food, and separately, what they do to take care of the planet.

The findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, showed that taste topped the list when it came to food choices, followed by health, hunger, and how food affects the body — including digestion. Family influence also played a big role, as did friends, who often nudged kids toward less healthy options. Notably, most students didn’t think much about food price or convenience unless their parents brought it up.

When asked about helping the planet, students were engaged and thoughtful — but their ideas centered on littering, recycling, and protecting forests and oceans. Almost none of them connected food choices to climate change. Only one student mentioned avoiding meat for environmental reasons. This gap is significant: food production — especially beef and other red meat — is a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions. Shifting toward more plant-based diets is one of the most impactful ways individuals can reduce their carbon footprint.

“These kids genuinely care about the environment; they just haven’t been shown how their everyday food choices are part of the picture. If we can connect what they eat to the things they already care about, like reducing waste, we have a real opportunity to shape healthier habits and a more sustainable food system at the same time,” stated Downs.

The study’s findings carry direct implications for education policy. In 2020, New Jersey became the first U.S. state to require climate change education in schools — and this research was designed to help shape how that curriculum addresses food and diet. The authors suggest that effective messaging should focus on taste and texture of plant-based foods, connect environmental impact to tangible behaviors students already understand (like “this meal uses as much water as leaving your tap on for X minutes”), and tie food choices to protecting animal habitats — something the students cared deeply about. Involving families alongside students could also amplify impact, particularly in communities where parents have strong influence over what kids eat.

As states across the U.S. begin integrating climate education into their schools, this kind of research offers a roadmap for making those lessons stick — by meeting students where they are and connecting big global issues to the everyday choices they already care about. Read the full study here.

This article was written with assistance from Artificial Intelligence, was reviewed and edited by Oliver Stringham, and was reviewed by Shauna Downs and Sara Elnakib, co-authors on the study.

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