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Retired Faculty and Staff Return to Cook Campus for Annual Holiday Tradition
2026-01-01 16:50 UTC by Office of Public Outreach and Communication

L-R: SEBS/NJAES retirees, Robin Brumfield, Daryl Minch, Roberta Moseley, Gary Huntzinger and Jo Ann Hoffman, gather for the 2025 Retired Faculty Luncheon at Nielson Dining Hall on the George H. Cook campus.

On December 4, 2025, retired faculty and staff of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) gathered for the annual Retired Faculty and Staff Luncheon at Nielson Dining Hall on the George H. Cook campus. Smiles and fond memories filled the Rectangle Room as former colleagues embraced, reconnected and reminisced.

Executive Dean Laura Lawson was on hand to greet attendees and share appreciation for our school and experiment station community. Guests shared their thoughts on relationships they developed at SEBS/NJAES that have had a lasting impact on their lives. A few SEBS student ambassadors, who also served as greeters, shared a little about themselves and what their goals are as well.

Margaret “Peggy” Brennan-Tonetta (UCNB’94, GSNB’96, ’10), who most recently served as Senior Associate Director of NJAES/Director of Resource and Economic Development, retired in 2025 and attended for the first time. “It was amazing to see so many retirees that I haven’t seen in years and to catch up with dear friends!”

Guests were treated to a buffet lunch while a stringed duo, comprised of Mason Gross students, played light music in the background. Coffee and dessert complemented the joyful conversations taking place at each table.

As in previous years, retirees were invited to take home a festive poinsettia to mark the holiday season.

Albert Ayeni, retired ethnic crops research specialist in the Department of Plant Biology, attended the event for the first time. “It was such a great pleasure to meet our many friends at SEBS and enjoy the variety of foods offered to us. Even more heartwarming was to learn from Dean Lawson that the school is making steady progress with advancing its vision, mission, and goal of delivering first-class teaching, research, and service to the New Jersey community and beyond.”

We look forward to reconnecting with our retirees again in December 2026. View photo gallery of the 2025 luncheon below.

SEBS/NJAES retirees and guests

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