Brian Shilling, director Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE), addresses participants in the 2026 RCE Annual Conference. Photo: OPOC
The 2026 Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) Annual Conference convened on January 15 at the Busch Student Center, bringing together faculty, staff, and stakeholders from across New Jersey. The annual gathering provided a shared space for networking, professional development, research collaboration, and the exchange of best practices in delivering research-based educational programming with service excellence.
The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Rhonda Breen-Simone, RCE Department Administrator, and Kathleen Howell, Associate Director of Administration. Their greetings set the tone for a day focused on impact, innovation and collaboration across the Extension community.
Addressing conference attendees, RCE Director Brian Schilling reflected on a year defined not by obstacles, but by progress.
2026 RCE Annual Conference attendees. Photo: OPOC
Despite the challenges of 2025, Schilling emphasized that Rutgers Cooperative Extension has much to be proud of. He pointed to growing partnerships, increased visibility across the university, and expanding recognition of RCE’s essential role in research translation and community engagement. He highlighted exciting new technologies and discoveries emerging from Rutgers’ agricultural programs—from drone initiatives developed in partnership with community colleges to artificial intelligence collaborations with Rowan University and Rutgers’ School of Engineering. Advances in breeding programs and production techniques, he noted, are strengthening both innovation and farm viability across the state.
Schilling underscored the importance of demonstrating measurable impact, describing new investments in measuring impact and strategic engagement with university leadership. He also stressed that strengthening internal partnerships and increasing student engagement remain central priorities. Above all, he reaffirmed RCE’s mission of expanding its expertise, resources and presence in communities across New Jersey, ensuring that Rutgers research continues to make a visible and meaningful difference statewide.
Hanh La, Senior Program Administrator, and Janice McDonnell, SEBS/NJAES Associate Dean of Research Impact, delivered a featured presentation on Impact, highlighting measurable outcomes across RCE programming and underscoring the importance of data-driven storytelling in demonstrating Extension’s value to communities statewide.
The morning breakout sessions offered attendees a range of practical and forward-looking topics while midday programming featured a dynamic Customer Service overview presented by John Eric Jacobsen, coach and president of Jacobsen Business Seminars, Inc., who emphasized communication, professionalism and relationship-building as cornerstones of Extension’s public-facing mission.
2026 RCE Annual Conference attendees participate in the poster sessions. Photo: OPOC
Following lunch, Laura Lawson, Executive Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and Executive Dean of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, delivered the Executive Leadership Address. She reflected on the strategic priorities of RCE, reaffirming its leadership in advancing science-based solutions, strengthening partnerships, and expanding statewide impact. She emphasized that RCE remains central to the land-grant mission of Rutgers University, serving as a critical connector that brings research and educational expertise into communities across New Jersey.
The afternoon workshops continued the day’s focus on applied learning and collaboration followed by the annual RCE Awards Ceremony, which recognized excellence across faculty, staff, volunteers and collaborative teams. The awardees are:
Wilbur V. Runk Graduate Student Excellence Award – Jin-Jia Yu, a Ph.D. candidate in Entomology
Excellence Award – Administrative/Support Staff – Cynthia Triolo, Office Administrator for Morris County
Excellence Award – Paraprofessional – Kristine Rappaport, Somerset County 4-H Program Coordinator
Excellence Award – Programmatic Staff – Sabrina Subhit, Senior Program Coordinator, Family and Community Health Sciences
Excellence Award in Volunteerism – Eileen McEnroe, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Essex County
Faculty of the Year Award – Marissa Staffen, 4-H Agent and County Extension Department Head in Essex County,
Mary Jane Willis Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award – Food is Medicine for South Asians (FIMSA) Team led by Nurgül Fitzgerald (PI), Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences & Extension Specialist, and Soko Setoguchi (co-PI), Director, Rutgers Health-RWJBarnabas Health Center for Climate, Health, and Healthcare
Merle V. Adams Award – James Shope, Assistant Extension Specialist in Climate Service
Best of the Best Award – Rutgers Nursery and Green Industry Working Group: Agricultural Agents Timothy Waller (Cumberland); William Errickson (Monmouth); Jean Epiphan (Morris); Hemant Gohil (Gloucester); Salvatore Mangiafico (Salem); Steve Rettke (Monmouth); Extension Specialist Raul Cabrera, RAREC; Richard Buckley and Sabrina Tirpak of the Plant Diagnostic Lab; Stephanie Murphy of the Soil Testing Lab; and Erin Quinn, Intern and Ph.D. candidate in Plant Biology and Human Health
The closing sessions highlighted innovative, community-centered programming and brought the day’s focus on collaboration and impact full circle. From welcome remarks to final presentations, the 2026 RCE Annual Conference reflected a unified commitment to research-based education, inclusive engagement and measurable impact across New Jersey communities.
View a photo gallery of the 2026 RCE Annual Conference.
