Oceanographers Joe Gradone (at left) and Corday Selden will serve as co-chief scientists on a 25-day Atlantic research expedition aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too).

Two early-career scientists will lead an international team on a 25-day expedition in the Atlantic Ocean 

Oceanographers Joe Gradone and Corday Selden are preparing to step into the most consequential assignment of their careers so far.

Corday Selden, an assistant professor in the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, brings expertise in biological and chemical sampling to the expedition, helping connect ocean mixing with marine life and chemistry. Photo: Luca Mostello

On Aug. 7, they will board the research vessel Falkor (too) in Bridgetown, Barbados. Two days later, the ship will leave port, carrying Gradone and Selden into the Atlantic Ocean as co-chief scientists leading an international team of 19 scientists on a 25-day research expedition.

Related: Inside the science at sea

The voyage is being made possible by Schmidt Ocean Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to oceanographic research that operates the 363-foot R/V Falkor (too) as a global platform for ocean science. Through a competitive selection process, the institute provides researchers with access to ship time, advanced technology, and technical support at no cost.

For Rutgers, the result is a rare opportunity: Two early-career oceanographers will lead an international team aboard a vessel equipped for ambitious, round-the-clock science. The ship carries eight laboratories, advanced sonar systems and high-performance computing capacity, allowing researchers to collect, process and interpret data while working far from shore.

“Schmidt Ocean Institute’s support gives Rutgers scientists and students access to extraordinary shipboard capabilities,” said Josh Kohut, dean of research at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and director of research at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. “For Joe Gradone and Corday Selden, this expedition is both a major scientific opportunity and a defining career moment as they lead an international team studying processes that are difficult to observe but essential to understanding the ocean and its global reach.”

Joe Gradone, an assistant research professor in the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, studies physical oceanography and autonomous ocean platforms, including gliders that help scientists observe conditions beneath the ocean surface. Photo: Luca Mostello

The expedition will be Gradone and Selden’s first as chief scientists. Gradone is an assistant research professor, and Selden is an assistant professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences at the school. Together, they will plan daily science operations and manage dozens of interconnected research projects aboard a vessel moving through a changing sea.

Their partnership brings together distinct but closely connected areas of expertise. Gradone’s work centers on physical oceanography and autonomous platforms, including robotic ocean gliders that help scientists observe the ocean beneath the surface. Selden brings expertise in the biological and chemical sampling that will occupy much of the team’s time at sea. Together, they are trying to connect the ocean’s fine-scale physical structure with its chemistry and biology.

That combination will matter once the ship reaches the open ocean. The scientists will be studying a form of mixing called salt finger mixing, which occurs when water layers with different temperatures and salt levels interact. These small-scale movements may influence marine life, ocean chemistry and the movement of carbon through the sea.

The goal is to capture a range of those mixing conditions and understand how ocean circulation impacts mixing and, in turn, how it affects the living ocean.

“Do we capture the spectrum in salt finger mixing that we’re trying to capture?” Selden said, describing one of the central measures of success.

Some of that answer will come in real time. Instruments lowered into the water will send back information that can help the scientists decide where to sample next. If the team isn’t seeing what they hoped to find, they will work with the ship’s crew to adjust course.

“We’ll know that while we’re on the ship,” Selden said.

R/V Falkor (too) sails the South Pacific off the coast of Chile during a research expedition. Photo: Misha Vallejo Prut/ Schmidt Ocean Institute

Other answers will take longer. Some samples must survive the voyage, return to shore and undergo laboratory analysis before the scientists know what they contain. That delay is part of what makes ocean research both powerful and precarious.

Selden has experienced the risk before. She has been at sea when a freezer malfunctioned and samples were lost. She has seen samples contaminated or destroyed when an instrument failed.

“You can’t get them back once they’re gone,” she said.

Gradone knows a different version of such uncertainty. His work often involves sending autonomous platforms into the ocean and waiting for them to return.

“The ocean has a way of keeping what you send into it, that’s just the nature of the work,” he said. “I kind of jokingly, with gliders, say that, so far, my number of deployments equals my number of recoveries, and I probably just jinxed it by saying so. Knocking on wood it holds until we get the data we’re after this summer.”

The expedition will require scientific judgment, logistical endurance and a tolerance for uncertainty. 

For Gradone, the emotional weight of that responsibility is clear. When he imagines the ship leaving Barbados and turning toward the first research station, the feeling isn’t merely excitement.

“It’s awe,” he said.

He described the moment as a mixture of “anxiety,” “responsibility” and “gratitude.”

An aerial view of equipment stored in the Seawater Lab at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. The gear shown represents most of the 10,112 pounds of equipment being shipped for the upcoming Atlantic research expedition aboard the R/V Falkor (too). Photo: Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences

The scale of the task has become clearer as departure approaches. So has the importance of the people joining them.

The Rutgers group includes Gradone, Selden and oceanographer Travis Miles, along with doctoral students and technical staff. Other members of the party will contribute expertise in physical oceanography, marine biology, chemistry and zooplankton ecology.

Some are former advisers and long-time collaborators. Others are scientists at earlier stages of their careers whom Gradone and Selden are helping to train.

Selden sees the expedition as an expression of a distinctive culture within Rutgers oceanography.

Senior researchers actively support scientists at earlier stages of their careers. Former students become colleagues. Academic relationships continue across multiple generations. She herself first arrived at Rutgers as a postdoctoral researcher, ultimately earning a spot in the Presidential Postdoctoral Program.

Gradone entered Rutgers as a doctoral student of Miles, who had once been a student of Rutgers oceanographer Kohut. Selden’s own professional network aboard the cruise will include a former doctoral adviser with whom she has already completed several voyages.

The resulting department feels “familial,” Selden said, particularly at moments when an instrument fails or a plan must change quickly.

“You have a team that you trust,” she said, “because they’re people who just really, honestly, in a non-self-interested way want to help support you.”

The expedition arrives during what Selden calls a “building phase” in both of their lives. They are establishing laboratories, choosing research directions and deciding what kind of colleagues and mentors they want to become.

“This project is very important for both of us,” Selden said. “This is going to be a big component for both of us as we’re moving forward, establishing ourselves.”

This article first appeared in Rutgers Today.

    

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

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

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

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

Building on Years of Collaborative Partnership

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

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

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

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

Significance of the Work

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About the Green Climate Fund SAP020 Project

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

    

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Faculty and staff from Rutgers Department of Animal Sciences and Rutgers Gardens gathered with undergraduate and graduate student mentors and incoming cohort of students from LAGCC, OLLU, Texas State, Bergen County College and UPR for USDA NIFA NEXTGEN Animal Science Discovery Program on June 22 at Cook Campus Center MPR.

New Sustainable Urban Agriculture track, expanded student cohort and growing institutional partnerships highlight the USDA-funded initiative preparing the next generation of agriculture professionals.

The USDA NIFA NEXTGEN Animal Science Discovery Program (ANSCId) concluded its third summer on July 10 with a closing ceremony at the Douglass Student Center, Trayes Hall, on the Rutgers–New Brunswick campus. The intensive residential experience served 36 students across three experiential learning tracks while bringing together faculty, mentors and leaders from partner institutions across the country, underscoring the program’s growing national reach.

Animal Science Discovery Program students with horse from the RU Teaching Herd.

Now in the third year of its five-year, $4.5 million USDA NIFA NEXTGEN award, ANSCId is a joint initiative between LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC)—a federally designated Hispanic-serving institution within the City University of New York system—and Rutgers University. Through immersive experiential learning, research, and mentoring, the program prepares a highly skilled workforce for careers in agriculture, food systems, veterinary medicine, and related sciences. It creates an educational pathway from New York City high schools to LAGCC and ultimately Rutgers, providing under-resourced students opportunities to pursue careers in the food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences (FANH) workforce.

“Each year we see students arrive unsure whether there is a place for them in this field, and leave knowing that there is,” said Aparna Zama, ANSCId Project Director and teaching professor and director of the undergraduate program in animal sciences at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS). “Watching that transformation happen for a third cohort—and now across three different tracks—tells us that this model works.”

Preethi Radhakrishnan, ANSCId PI/Project Director at LAGCC noted that “this pipeline model has led to the first ever animal science major being established in NYC. Over 200 students are now enrolled in the environmental science major-animal science track at LAGCC.” Ten students have transferred from LAGCC to Rutgers University on ANSCId scholarships with one student graduating in January 2026, three more expected to graduate in Spring 2027, and six others by Spring 2028.

Students participating in cell and tissue culture labs in Foran 104.

ANSCId was launched in 2024 with two tracks—the Summer Experiential Learning Program (SELP) and the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE). This year it added a third, Sustainable Urban Agriculture (SUA), expanding its focus to include community gardens, urban food production and food security.

“I’m so glad Rutgers Gardens was able to host the urban agriculture pilot program,” said Lauren Errickson, director of Rutgers Gardens and Campus Stewardship. “Connecting students and community members around food and gardening is at the core of our work at Healthy Harvest, and it was wonderful to have the LAGCC students make meaningful contributions alongside our team while gaining hands-on learning experience.”

Assistant director, Meagan Terry, added “The LAGCC urban agriculture students jumped right in with our teams on both the Rutgers Gardens Student Farm as well as our Healthy Harvest urban agriculture expansion of both the community garden and in-ground food production. Through rain, extreme heat, and everything-in-between they displayed positivity, tenacity, and grit alongside our crew seven hours each day. We are grateful for their contributions to expand our growing areas with Healthy Harvest, and for participating in all farm activities during their three weeks.  We hope to continue learning from each other and stay connected as they progress in their urban agriculture journey”. 

This summer’s cohort included 29 students in SELP, four in SURE and three in the inaugural SUA track. Participants explored veterinary and human health careers through anatomy laboratories, animal handling and husbandry, cell culture, laboratory and field research, sustainable urban agriculture, community gardens and farmers market operations. All three tracks incorporated USDA workforce development activities, including résumé writing, interview preparation and career exploration.

From left to right, Ed Sanchez (BCC), Aparna Zama (Rutgers), Douglas Morrish (Texas State University), and Chuck Keeton (Vice Provost of Experiential Learning, Rutgers-New Brunswick).

A hallmark of the program’s growth this year was the participation of students and faculty from Our Lady of the Lake University, Texas State University, the University of Puerto Rico, and Bergen Community College. Speakers at the closing ceremony included Doug Morrish, associate dean for Student Success in the College of Science and Engineering at Texas State University and project director of the Texas State RAISE NEXTGEN grant, and Edward Sanchez, project director of the Bergen NEXTGEN Program for Food and Agricultural Sciences. Their participation reflected ANSCId’s growing role within a national network of institutions preparing the next generation of agriculture professionals.

Morrish said, “We were honored to participate in the USDA NIFA NEXTGEN Animal Science Discovery Program offered by Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. This program provided six Texas State University Department of Agricultural Sciences students with an exceptional experiential learning opportunity. Through hands-on exposure to animal science research, industry innovation, and career development, these students gained valuable skills and professional networks that will help prepare them to become the next generation of leaders in agriculture. This investment by USDA NIFA strengthens our commitment to developing a highly skilled agricultural workforce capable of addressing the evolving challenges and opportunities facing animal agriculture.”

“Animals are special creatures who need special people to understand and care for them,” said Sanchez. “The Rutgers Animal Science Discovery Program successfully united a cohort of students with the compassion to provide that care. They are the next leaders in animal stewardship.”

Morrish and Sanchez were joined by Rutgers leaders Laura Lawson, Executive Dean of SEBS; Ann Gould, Dean of Academic Programs at SEBS; Chuck Keeton, Vice Provost of Experiential Learning at Rutgers–New Brunswick; and Carolyn Moehling, Senior Vice Provost and Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education at Rutgers–New Brunswick.

“The students had incredible experiences and learned so much about animal science as a field and a career,” said Keeton. “They worked really hard and flourished thanks to support and encouragement from many Rutgers faculty, staff and students. All in all, this program is a model of immersive, hands-on learning.”

Christopher Nytch, project director of the IINSTAR-AS NEXTGEN Project at the University of Puerto Rico, said, “We are thrilled and appreciative that two undergraduate fellows from the IINSTAR-AS project at the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras Campus could participate in the Summer 2026 Animal Science Discovery Program at Rutgers University. The experience provided unmatched practical training in animal sciences, offering a unique perspective that enriches our students’ academic journeys in environmental sciences and directly aligns with the goals of the USDA-NIFA NEXTGEN program.”

With three established learning tracks, expanding institutional partnerships and a growing network of NEXTGEN collaborators, ANSCId enters the second half of its USDA NIFA award positioned to deepen its impact. The initiative reflects Rutgers’ commitment to experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and preparing a workforce equipped to address the future challenges of FANH careers.

“This is bigger than any one campus,” Zama said. “It takes faculty, staff, undergraduate peer mentors, graduate student mentors, community college partners, and now sister programs in other states all pulling together in the same direction. We are grateful for the continued funding from USDA NIFA, which supports American farmers, ranchers and producers while strengthening veterinary education and biomedical research.”

Students holding piglets in front of the farrowing house at the Rutgers Farm.

ABOUT ANSCId
The Animal Science Discovery Program (ANSCId) is a five-year, $4.5 million initiative funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under its “From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals” (NEXTGEN) program. A partnership between LaGuardia Community College and Rutgers University–New Brunswick, ANSCId provides paid experiential learning, transfer scholarships, peer mentoring, and career development to build a  pipeline of professionals in animal science and related fields. ANSCId is one of 33 programs funded under the USDA-NIFA NEXTGEN initiative, a $262.5 million investment supporting training for more than 20,000 future food and agricultural leaders nationwide. At Rutgers, the program builds on an articulation agreement that allows LAGCC students who earn an associate’s degree in environmental science with an animal science focus to seamlessly transfer and complete an undergraduate degree in animal sciences. The program also supports its participants through ANSCId scholarships for LAGCC students, reinforcing the transfer-and-completion pipeline at the heart of the initiative.

    

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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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• Antarctic Plankton Are Adapting to a Brighter Ocean — And It’s Telling Us Something Important About Climate Change

 

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 (CC’03, GSNB’08), 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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