Announcement by Dr. Josh Kohut, SEBS Dean of Research and NJAES Director of Research.

Dr. James Simon, Distonuished Professor in the Department of Plant Biology. Photo: Nick Romanenko

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Jim Simon, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant Biology, has been appointed Faculty Director of SEBS/NJAES Core Facilities, effective July 1.

In this role, Dr. Simon will provide strategic oversight and coordination across our shared core facility’s research infrastructure, working closely with each facility’s scientific directors to strengthen and expand the core facilities as a shared resource for the school and university. Under his leadership, SEBS/NJAES aims to position its core facilities as a central hub for scientific and research innovation, connecting faculty, students, and industry partners with the advanced instrumentation and expertise needed to advance research and extension across the school and beyond.

Dr. Simon, who was recently elected to the National Academy of Inventors, brings decades of experience leading large, multi-institutional research programs. His appointment reflects SEBS’s and NJAES’ continued investment in our research infrastructure, partnerships and team building, and training opportunities that support faculty, students and increase public trust in science.

Please join me in welcoming Jim to this new role!

    

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The LEO-15 research buoy, newly deployed in the Atlantic Ocean, is expected to bring forth a new era of ocean research, education and marine innovation in New Jersey. Photo: Rutgers Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RUCOOL)

A compact offshore research platform has been deployed off the Jersey Shore, revitalizing the historic Long-Term Ecosystem Observatory (LEO) site and advancing a new era of ocean research, education and marine innovation in New Jersey.

The Rutgers Marine Field Station will play a central role in research operations associated with the LEO-15 program. Photo: Rutgers University

Anchored about three miles offshore of the Rutgers Marine Field Station in Tuckerton, N.J., the platform, known as the PowerBuoy®, serves as a floating data hub that delivers real-time information on ocean conditions while supporting scientific instruments, education initiatives and emerging marine technologies.

“The PowerBuoy will help unlock significant opportunities for marine research, scientific discovery and economic growth, all of which will advance New Jersey’s innovation future,” said Evan Weiss, chief executive of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. “Under the leadership of Governor Mikie Sherrill, the NJEDA is proud to partner with Rutgers University and Stockton University to grow our green economy and position New Jersey as a national leader in sustainable technology.”

The deployment marks a major milestone in a collaborative effort among Rutgers University, Stockton University, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and Ocean Power Technologies Inc., a publicly traded, Monroe Township, N.J.-based provider of maritime technology and services. Together, the partners aim to position New Jersey as a leader in sustainable marine innovation while delivering tangible benefits for research, workforce development and economic growth.

Along the coast, scientists and researchers at two marine field stations will provide logistical and research support for the facility. The Rutgers Marine Field Station is located within the Mullica River-Great Bay estuary, one of the most pristine estuaries on the East Coast. Researchers there focus on fish ecology, coastal impacts and storm-related environmental change. Data from the offshore buoy will complement long-term estuarine observations, creating a more comprehensive understanding of coastal dynamics.

“The Rutgers Marine Field Station has long supported scientists working to understand the dynamic coastal environments and fisheries that define New Jersey,” said Thomas Grothues, director of the Rutgers Marine Field Station. “The revitalized LEO observatory extends that work from the estuary to the coastal ocean. By linking long-term observations near shore with new data from offshore, we can better study how fish, habitats, storms and changing marine conditions interact.”

In Port Republic, N.J., the Stockton Marine Field Station occupies an 8-acre waterfront site with laboratories, teaching and office space, dockage and a fleet of research vessels such as the R/V Petrel, which will support access to the LEO site. Research conducted at Stockton includes sediment transport, tidal dynamics, seafloor mapping, water quality monitoring and cultural resource investigations.

“Stockton University is proud to be part of this partnership that expands hands-on opportunities for our students,” said Amanda Norvell, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Stockton. “With direct access to advanced ocean technology and real-time data, our students can engage in meaningful research and fieldwork, helping prepare them to become the next generation of coastal scientists and innovators.”

Scientists and students from Stockton University will partner with Rutgers on the LEO-15 program, through the Stockton Marine Field Station. The station occupies an 8-acre waterfront site in Port Republic with laboratories, teaching and office space, dockage and a fleet of research vessels. Photo: Stockton University

Powered by solar and wind energy, the LEO-15 PowerBuoy® system is a compact, autonomous offshore platform built and designed by Ocean Power Technologies. Altogether, the buoy stands about as tall as a streetlight, but it has a small surface footprint suited for shallow-water research. Above the waves, a small, round platform holds solar panels, small wind turbines, weather instruments and real-time communication sensors, allowing the system to collect and send ocean data for long periods without the need for a large, fixed structure offshore. 

The system also will provide additional ports for scientists and educators to deploy their own instruments. The buoy can support sensors that track weather, waves, water quality and other ocean conditions while serving as a test site for emerging marine technologies. Researchers, students and companies will be able to use the site to evaluate instruments, gather data and develop tools that could improve coastal monitoring, marine sustainability and storm preparedness.

The buoy was deployed May 2, renewing activity at a pioneering marine observatory site with deep roots in Rutgers-led coastal research.

The initiative is expected to create opportunities for workforce training, attract investment in ocean science and support startups and inventors working within the ocean economy, project leaders said. 

By providing offshore infrastructure for testing and development, the project will give researchers, students and companies a place to evaluate sensors, communications systems and other marine technologies under real ocean conditions. That kind of access can help move promising ideas from the laboratory into the field, while preparing students for careers in coastal science, marine operations and the expanding blue economy.

The LEO program, originally known as LEO-15, was established in 1996 as a pioneering ocean observatory that delivered real-time data from two cabled seafloor platforms, or nodes. It supported research on storms, sediment transport, phytoplankton, fish ecology and broader coastal dynamics. The 15 refers to the site’s depth of 15 meters, about 50 feet, where the observatory was installed.

LEO-15 was among the first systems in the world to integrate cabled observatories with autonomous underwater vehicles for coordinated data collection. The cabled seafloor nodes provided continuous measurements from fixed locations, while autonomous underwater vehicles could be sent through the surrounding water to collect data across a wider area. Used together, the fixed instruments and mobile vehicles gave scientists a fuller picture of changing coastal conditions than either approach could provide alone.

Rutgers scientists said the legacy of LEO-15 continued as ocean-observing technology advanced in the mid-2000s, with researchers increasingly combining fixed sensors, mobile underwater vehicles, satellite data and shore-based systems to study coastal change. The new wireless monitoring system builds on that history, revitalizing the site and extending its role as a testbed for coastal science and marine technology.

This article first appeared in Rutgers Today.

    

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Tiny plant-like organisms (phytoplankton) living in the ocean waters around Antarctica are changing the way they handle sunlight — and the reason why reveals just how much climate change is reshaping one of Earth’s most remote ecosystems.

A new study published in the journal Limnology and Oceanography found that over the past 27 years, microscopic plant-like organisms from the ocean called phytoplankton along the West Antarctic Peninsula have dramatically increased their production of “sunscreen” pigments — special protective compounds that shield the cells from too much light that can damage these cells. The cellular concentration of protective pigments roughly doubled between the 1990s and late 2010s.

Oscar Schofield, professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences and affiliate of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute, is a co-author on the study.

So, what’s driving this change? Phytoplankton live in the upper layers of the ocean called the mixed layer where there is sufficient light for these tiny plants to grow. When the mixed layer is deep then there is less light as deep mixing results in the cells spending time in dark waters. As the climate warms, the mixed layer has been getting shallower. When that layer shrinks, these tiny organisms spend more time exposed to brighter sunlight — so they adjust their biology to cope. Using the data collected from the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research program, the authors determined that increased production in “sunscreen” pigments is due to their changing ecosystem.  

 “This biological shift in these plants reflects changes in the ocean in response to climate change that is warming this polar region.  The changes being observed at the base of food web has significant implications for ecology for this productivity oceanic region,” said Schofield.

These findings have food web implications. Phytoplankton are the foundation of the Antarctic food chain, supporting krill, fish, penguins, and whales. Shifts in which types of phytoplankton thrive, and how productive they are, ripples upward through the entire ecosystem.

As phytoplankton received more light, they also became more productive — meaning they will increase in number. As a result, phytoplankton have been able to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere into the ocean due to their photosynthesis. That matters because the Southern Ocean plays an outsized role in soaking up the world’s carbon dioxide. Phytoplankton play a key role in this process and understanding how it’s changing is critical for predicting how the ocean will respond to continued warming.

The data, collected annually by the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research program, provides a rare >25-year window into how a warming climate is reshaping polar ocean life in real time — the kind of long-term record that is essential for informing science-based policy decisions about ocean and climate health.

You can read the full study here: https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.70324

This article was written with assistance from Artificial Intelligence, was reviewed and edited by Kenneth Tam, and was reviewed by Oscar Schofield, a co-author on the study.

    

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Dr. James Shope (left) discusses the measurement of surface temperature with students. Photo credit: Sharon Kinsey

As summer temperatures climb, so does the risk of extreme heat—now recognized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. In cities such as Camden, where buildings, pavement, and other infrastructure trap heat and create higher temperatures than surrounding areas, understanding the impacts of urban heat has become increasingly important.

Rutgers researchers, Extension educators, humanities scholars, and community partners are working together to help address that challenge through the Community Heat Assessment and Monitoring Program (CHAMP), an interdisciplinary initiative that combines climate science, community engagement and creative storytelling.

Dr. Jillian Sayre (left) and Dr. Carla Giaudrone making zines with students in the Cooper’s Poynt 4-H STEM Environmental Ambassadors Program. 

Co-led by Ben Lintner, professor, and James Shope, assistant extension specialist in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers–New Brunswick, CHAMP has established a network of weather stations throughout Camden to collect neighborhood-scale temperature and environmental data. The information will help researchers better understand how extreme heat affects different parts of the city while supporting locally driven solutions.

According to Shope, “CHAMP’s goal is to both provide the scientific foundation for assessing extreme heat risk and to work with residents to use this information to improve or elevate community-led adaptations to extreme urban heat.”

Recognizing that data alone cannot fully capture the impacts of extreme heat, the CHAMP team has partnered with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities (MARCH) at Rutgers–Camden to better understand residents’ lived experiences.

One of those collaborations is the VOCES de La Comunidad Project, led by Carla Giaudrone, associate professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Rutgers–Camden, and supported by the Rutgers–Camden Urban Innovation Fund. The initiative engages Camden’s Spanish-speaking community through collaborative research, artistic expression, and the development of community resources.

By bringing together climate science, environmental humanities, and digital storytelling, the project demonstrates how creative practices can strengthen research, communication, and community engagement.

Giaudrone emphasized the importance of creating opportunities where scientific knowledge and community knowledge intersect, noting that “Art and storytelling help make complex environmental issues more accessible while also valuing the experiences and expertise that already exist within the community.”

Erielys Vicente teaching a workshop on digital zines. Photo credit: Carmen Benito-Asomoza.

That interdisciplinary approach recently came to life during an educational program at Neighborhood Collaborative Community Gardens’ Byron Street gardens. CHAMP researchers partnered with MARCH, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Camden County, and Neighborhood Collaborative Community Gardens to introduce students from Cooper’s Poynt School to the science behind urban heat islands.

Students learned from Shope, Lintner, and Stephanie Sharo, a doctoral student in the Graduate Program in Atmospheric Science, about the causes and impacts of urban heat islands before using infrared thermometers to collect surface temperature data throughout the gardens.

“It is integral for transdisciplinary research to include community members, and it is so much fun to watch the kids’ excitement as they find creative ways to explore their natural world,” said Sharo.

The students then transformed scientific observation into creative expression during a workshop led by MARCH Director Jillian Sayre, Giaudrone, Camden County 4-H Program Assistant and VOCES intern Erielys Vicente, and Rutgers–Camden undergraduate Carmen Benito-Asomoza. Through self-published zines combining artwork, writing, and educational content, students reflected on their own experiences with extreme heat in Camden.

For Sharon Kinsey, 4-H agent with Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Camden County, the event built on years of collaboration with Cooper’s Poynt School while demonstrating the value of experiential learning.

“We have been working with Cooper’s Poynt students for several years now teaching them about food systems, food access, and food insecurity. Introducing scientific concepts, such as urban heat islands, in a hands-on way helps them better understand how they are personally affected and what they can do to improve the environment. Programs like this prepare students to become changemakers in their own community.”

By integrating scientific research, community partnerships, youth engagement, and creative storytelling, the initiative demonstrates how Rutgers is helping communities better understand and respond to the growing challenges of extreme urban heat, a risk underscored by NOAA’s findings on the deadly impacts of extreme temperatures.

    

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

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. John Krasting as New Jersey State Climatologist, effective July 1, 2026. Dr. Krasting is joining Rutgers University–New Brunswick as an Extension Specialist in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.

Dr. Krasting succeeds Dr. David Robinson, a Distinguished Professor of Geography and one of New Jersey’s most trusted public voices on weather and climate, who is retiring.

Dr. Krasting, a Rutgers-trained climate scientist and New Jersey native, returns to Rutgers after more than 15 years at NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton. His expertise spans climate variability, climate modeling, sea-level rise, coastal inundation, ocean processes and the impacts of climate change on natural and human systems. Through his research and public engagement, he has contributed significantly to advancing our understanding of climate science and its relevance to communities, policymakers, and decision-makers across New Jersey and beyond.

Dr. Krasting earned his bachelor’s degree in meteorology from Rutgers in 2003 and his Ph.D. in atmospheric science from Rutgers in 2008. Throughout his career, he has contributed to research on climate risk, sea-level rise and Earth system modeling and helped lead NOAA research efforts focused on developing data and models to better understand sea-level rise and coastal inundation. Before focusing fully on climate research, he also worked as an on-air meteorologist in the New York and Philadelphia media markets, experience that strengthened his ability to communicate complex scientific information clearly and effectively.

Established at Rutgers in 1979, the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist serves as the state’s official source of weather and climate expertise.

As State Climatologist, Dr. Krasting will lead efforts to provide authoritative climate information, support climate-related research and education, and engage with government agencies, communities, and stakeholders throughout the state.

An important component of this work is the Rutgers New Jersey Weather Network (the NJWxNet), which provides real-time environmental data to support weather monitoring, climate research, agricultural decision-making, emergency management, and public information.

Dr. Robinson, who has served as New Jersey State Climatologist for 35 years, is the longest-serving state climatologist on record in the United States. During his tenure, Dr. Robinson provided invaluable expertise to government officials, the media, educators and the public. Over the course of his career, he gave an estimated 10,000 media interviews and played a key role in the development and growth of NJWxNet, creating a lasting resource for climate monitoring and public service across New Jersey.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Robinson for his exceptional service, leadership, and dedication to the people of New Jersey. His contributions have strengthened Rutgers’ reputation as a trusted source of climate information and created a lasting legacy that will continue to benefit the state for years to come.

Dr. Krasting’s appointment reflects the university’s longstanding leadership in meteorology, climatology and atmospheric sciences. For decades, Rutgers faculty, researchers and students have advanced understanding of weather, climate variability, climate change, hydrology and coastal resilience through pioneering research, education, and public service. As State Climatologist, Dr. Krasting will build upon that tradition while helping strengthen the university’s service to communities across New Jersey.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Krasting on his appointment and in thanking Dr. Robinson for his many years of outstanding service as New Jersey State Climatologist.

    

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Suzanne Sukhdeo speaks with participants at the 2025 STEM Ambassadors program.

Suzanne Sukhdeo has overseen myriads of students during her career at Rutgers, whether as an associate teaching professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources or as a coordinator for the Student Success Initiative.   

After 37 years at Rutgers, she is set to retire in July. Her impact resonates both in the parasitology research she published and the students she has taught and advised. 

One of them is Russell Gurland, a Rutgers Honors College student who graduated this year with a bachelor of science degree in ecology, evolution and natural resources and a minor in entomology.    

Gurland’s first course at Rutgers was Sukhdeo’s “Trees and the Environment” class. 

“I’ve heard from a lot of people that the way people get interested in the ecology, evolution and natural resources major is Dr. Sukhdeo,” he said. “[She] gets people into the program through her enthusiasm for the subject and the way she teaches and her advising.”    

He recalled always sitting toward the front of her class and always asking questions. 

“Eventually, she had to limit me, saying ‘let the other people get a chance,’” he said jokingly. 

This wasn’t the first time he met Sukhdeo. In high school, Gurland was connected to Rutgers through the Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s  4-H program in Union County. He also participated in the Rutgers 4-H STEM Ambassadors Program in 2020. That is when he met Sukhdeo for the first time. 

In the program, participants have the chance to meet many different Rutgers researchers in a roundtable session, and they usually have their choice of researchers to question, from equine science to microbiology to mathematics.

The one table that stood out to Gurland was “the one with a bunch of intestinal worms and jars” on the table.  

“A lot of people are grossed out by that,” he said. “I found it pretty interesting.” 

There he met Sukhdeo and her husband.  

Suzanne Sukhdeo (left) and Russell Gurland at the 2026 SEBS Convocation.

Gurland’s time in the program kickstarted his student research career. While in high school, he reached out to a Rutgers professor to learn more about a particular interest: herpetology, the study of amphibians and reptiles. That professor referred him to her graduate student, and soon enough Gurland was going into the field before he even went to college. 

He credited the program for introducing him to the world of research academia and giving him the opportunity to interact with people he wouldn’t have otherwise. He advised those coming after him to take advantage of Rutgers outreach opportunities like these. 

“It is very hard to build up the courage to talk to somebody who you see as such a professional in their field,” he said. “The STEM Ambassadors Program …  gets you in a room with so many different individuals – so many who are so incredibly passionate about what they’re doing. And they’re there to share what they do with you and they’re happy to do so.”  

Becoming a Rutgers Researcher    

With experiences like these, “I was just like Rutgers [is] 100% the university I wanted to go to,” he said.   

As an Honors College student, Gurland was encouraged to get out of the classroom and do research for his credits. Through his connections at Rutgers, he was able to secure an internship at New York’s American Museum of Natural History in its invertebrate zoology department. There, he helped organize massive, but delicate international collections. 

“After being there and doing stuff for a couple of years, I just asked if I could come back,” said Gurland, who reached out to the herpetology department to have a chance to work with his favorite creatures.   

His research didn’t stop there. In the days leading up to convocation, he was helping another professor collect salamander specimens to swab for an amphibious disease. 

Gurland is looking to stay close as he contemplates graduate schools. In the meantime, he continues to volunteer at the museum, now studying snake genetics. He said the more research experience, the better when it comes to graduate school applications. 

Gurland said he would be happy to find himself in a museum position. But he feels like a university is where he would like to end up. 

“There’s the opportunity for research [and] interacting with people who are very like-minded and love animals,” he said. 

Gurland spokes fondly of the connections he’s made at Rutgers. He still talks to the graduate student (now a doctor) who gave him his start in field work back in high school. 

“I was just sending him a message about the salamanders I found this morning,” Gurland said. “His mentorship has been one of the most incredible things about Rutgers.”  

Gurland has remained in touch with Sukhdeo throughout his undergraduate career. 

“I only did have two classes with her, but she did make an amazing impact,” he said. “Essentially, she has been my first introduction to actually being a student at Rutgers and one of my last courses, as well. 

“I’m very glad to have had the chance to take them since she is retiring.”    

And as for matters outside of academia? Gurland, who is fond of reptiles (especially snakes) and amphibians, hopes to care for one as a pet once he has the space to do so. 

“They scare most people, but I’m the one who just picks them up when I see them,” he said with a smile. 

This article was written by Mitaali Taskar, a science communicator and research project assistant with Rutgers Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, and 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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Scientists are solving the mystery of how rats and mice are growing resistant to conventional pest control methods.

For years, pest control professionals throughout the Northeast have reported a troubling pattern. In some neighborhoods, rodents seemed increasingly more difficult to eliminate, even when standard control methods were used.

Now researchers at Rutgers University believe they may know one reason why.

A study found that 84% of house mice sampled from urban areas in the Northeast carried at least one genetic mutation linked to rodenticide resistance, suggesting many mouse populations may be evolving ways to survive the poisons commonly used to control them. The research was published in the international journal Pest Management Science.

“Pest management professionals often told us that rodent control was becoming more difficult in some areas, even though they applied the effective rodenticides,” said Jin-Jia Yu, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Entomology at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the first author of the study. “I wanted to find out whether this was occurring in the northeastern United States, especially the metropolitan areas, and how widespread the problem might be.”

Yu works in the laboratory of Changlu Wang, an extension specialist in the Department of Entomology and one of the nation’s leading experts on the management of urban pests, including cockroaches, bed bugs and rodents.

Rutgers researchers Changlu Wang, right, and Jin-Jia Yu found that many urban rats and house mice in the Northeast carry genetic mutations associated with resistance to commonly used rodenticides. Credit: Wang Lab

The researchers analyzed DNA from 147 house mice and 143 Norway rats collected from urban areas in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. They focused on a gene called Vkorc1, where certain mutations have been associated with resistance to anticoagulant rodenticides, the most widely used rodent-control chemicals in the U.S.

The results were striking.

Among the house mice examined, 84% carried at least one mutation in the Vkorc1 gene, and nearly 70% carried mutations already known to help mice survive common rodenticides. About 35% of the Norway rats also carried mutations in the same gene.

“We found that resistance appears to be much more widespread in house mice than many people realized,” Yu said. “Norway rats also carried genetic mutations, but scientists do not yet know whether most of those mutations affect Norway rats’ susceptibility to rodenticides.”

The team also identified several genetic variants that had never before been reported in house mice or Norway rats. Scientists don’t yet know whether those newly discovered mutations contribute to rodenticide resistance.

The study emerged from several years of conversations between Rutgers researchers and pest-management professionals, many of whom reported persistent rodent problems despite repeated treatments.

The findings point to a long-running evolutionary contest between humans and one of their oldest urban adversaries. Anticoagulant rodenticides have been used for decades to suppress rat and mouse populations. Over time, rodents carrying mutations that help them survive exposure to those chemicals may gain an advantage, allowing resistance traits to spread through populations.

Researchers found that house mice appear to be adapting more rapidly than rats. One possible explanation involves behavior. Mice are naturally curious and more likely to investigate and consume unfamiliar food sources, including poison baits, Yu said. Rats, by contrast, tend to be cautious and suspicious of new objects.

“Rats are very clever,” Yu said. “They will approach the novel food many times before they really take the food or the bait.”

The findings have important implications for public health. Rodents, which contaminate food, damage buildings and infrastructure, can spread diseases and parasites. If commonly used rodenticides become less effective, communities may face greater challenges controlling infestations.

“This research provides some of the first information on rodenticide resistance in the northeastern United States,” Yu said. “By understanding how prevalent the mutations are and where resistance exists, pest management professionals and public health agencies can make better decisions about how to control rodents.”

Wang, a coauthor of the study, said the findings underscore the need for a broader approach to rodent management.

“Rodents are more than a nuisance,” Wang said. “As resistance becomes more common, it becomes even more important to use science-based management strategies that protect both public health and the environment.”

The scientists’ goal is to help communities manage rodent populations effectively while reducing environmental risks. “Studies like this help us understand how rodent populations are changing and how our management strategies need to evolve with them,” he added.

Rather than relying exclusively on chemical controls, researchers recommend combining multiple strategies, including sealing entry points, improving sanitation, modifying habitat and using traps when appropriate.

“Ultimately, we want to help communities maintain effective rodent control, reduce unnecessary pesticide use and protect public health,” Yu said.

Other Rutgers researchers who contributed to the study included: Alvaro Toledo, an assistant professor; Xiaodan Pang, a postdoctoral associate, and Babatunji Daramola, a graduate student, all in the Department of Entomology in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.

This article first appeared in Rutgers Today.

    

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Kathleen John-Alder walking in the Pine Barrens with her camera.  Her final project at Rutgers was serving as photographer for the October 2025 Landscape Architecture Magazine feature, “Revealing the not-so-barren Pine Barrens of New Jersey,” written by JohnBeardsley, the Director of Landscape Studies at Dumbarton Oaks. Image courtesy of Kathleen John-Alder.

After a distinguished career spanning more than fifteen years at Rutgers University, Kathleen John-Alder, associate professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture, is retiring, effective July 1. She leaves behind a legacy of scholarship, teaching and professional leadership that has shaped generations of students and advanced the field of landscape architecture.

A practicing landscape architect with degrees from Oberlin College, Rutgers University, and the Yale School of Architecture, John-Alder brought a rare combination of professional expertise, historical perspective and intellectual curiosity to her work. Throughout her career, she challenged students and colleagues alike to think deeply about the relationship between people, place, and the environment, helping to cultivate a broader understanding of landscape architecture as a design discipline, a cultural practice, and an ecological responsibility.

Known for her thoughtful teaching and interdisciplinary scholarship, John-Alder published widely in leading journals, including Landscape Journal, the Journal of Planning History, the Journal of Landscape Architecture, Site Lines, and Manifest. Her work earned design and research recognition from the Van Alen Institute, the National Park Service, and the American Society of Landscape Architects. In 2013, she served as a Fellow in Garden and Landscape Studies at Dumbarton Oaks.

Kathleen John-Alder was elevated by the American Society of Landscape Architects to its Council of Fellows in 2018. Photo: courtesy of ASLA.

Among the many honors she received, one of the most significant came in 2018, when the American Society of Landscape Architects elevated her to the ASLA Council of Fellows, one of the profession’s highest distinctions. The honor recognized her “exceptional contributions to the landscape architecture profession and society at large,” including her ability to inspire students and colleagues to critically assess the environmental impacts of their actions.

Those who have worked alongside John-Alder describe her as a gifted educator, accomplished designer, and talented artist with a remarkable understanding of the history and evolution of landscape architecture. Equally comfortable in the studio, classroom, and scholarly archive, she possesses a rare ability to communicate complex design ideas visually and in writing, helping students connect theory and practice in meaningful ways.

Her scholarly research frequently crossed disciplinary boundaries, exploring how ecology and environmentalism transformed the discourse of landscape design in the mid-20th century. This work includes her 2019 book, Ian McHarg and the Search for Ideal Order, a thoughtful examination of one of landscape architecture’s most influential figures. In 1969, McHarg published Design with Nature and established ecological planning as a guiding principle in landscape architecture. Intrigued by the similarities between McHarg’s message and the current discourse on anthropogenic climate change, John-Alder wondered if his methods and message were still relevant. Her attempt to answer this question led to the publication of her book.

Most recently, her research on color as a means to foster a more inclusive understanding of other-than-human agencies, and processes led to a project titled “Color Mosaics: A Natural History of the New Jersey Pine Barrens.” Landscape Architecture Magazine showcased the project for its creative blend of science, fieldwork, art, and archival research.

While her publications, research, and professional accomplishments have left an indelible mark on the discipline, perhaps John-Alder’s most enduring legacy lies in the many students she mentored and inspired throughout her Rutgers career. Through her teaching, scholarship and example, she encouraged future landscape architects to approach design with intellectual rigor, historical awareness, creativity, and a deep respect for the natural world.

    

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