Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s Family and Community Health Sciences (FCHS) SNAP-Ed Team members were among the more than 40 employees honored with Presidential Employee Excellence Recognition Awards in December at the Rutgers Club. The universitywide awards recognized both individuals and teams for their service to students and employees, for their role in cultivating a beloved community, […]
Animal Sciences Professor Mike Westendorf to Retire after 31 Years at Rutgers
Dr. Mike Westendorf, Animal Sciences Extension Specialist and Professor, retired on January 1, 2025, after 31 years at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. Dr. Westendorf grew up on a small dairy farm in Idaho before studying animal science at the University of Idaho as an undergraduate, then earning his PhD at the […]
RCE Associate Director Kathleen Howell Recognized with Rutgers Gateway Award
Kathleen Howell, associate director, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, was one of more than 40 employees honored with Presidential Employee Excellence Recognition Awards in December at the Rutgers Club. The universitywide awards recognized both individuals and teams for their service to students and employees, for their role in cultivating a beloved community, for making a lasting difference […]
In Mark Robson’s Science Class, Hands-on Learning Brings Students into the Heart of Nature
Robson’s path to students loving science involves cranberries, craisins and cran-apple juice. It was Cranberry Night for the students of Mark Robson’s evening science course, “Plants and People,” and the instructor wasn’t entirely happy with himself. On this cool fall evening, the professor and administrator at Rutgers University-New Brunswick had toted in whole cranberries […]
Thomas Leustek to retire after four decades at Rutgers
Thomas Leustek, professor of plant biology, will retire next semester after more than forty years at Rutgers University, including a bachelor’s and doctorate in 1981 and 1987, respectively, followed by decades of research, instruction, and administration. After completing his Ph.D. Leustek went on to perform postdoctoral research at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology’s […]
Announcement: Appreciating Peggy Brennan-Tonetta’s 28-year Career at Rutgers
Announcement from Laura Lawson, SEBS Executive Dean and NJAES Executive Director Dear SEBS & NJAES Community, After a rich and rewarding career of 28 years with Rutgers, Margaret (Peggy) Brennan-Tonetta has announced her intention to retire at the beginning of the new year. Please join me in congratulating Peggy and celebrating her many accomplishments. Peggy […]
Rutgers Seeks Volunteers to Become Master Gardeners
Rutgers Cooperative Extension is seeking volunteers to train as Master Gardeners, who will help the school deliver horticulture programs and information to the public. Enrollees can expect to complete training and start service by the second week of January. Anyone interested in gardening and volunteer service can become a Rutgers Master Gardener by enrolling in […]
Horse-Caring Helps Veterans With PTSD
A study by Rutgers University-New Brunswick researchers has shown that military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who participated in a program caring for horses, experienced an improved mental outlook and easing of symptoms. Reporting results of the study in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, researchers said the insights could open the door to a new approach in […]
Rutgers Awarded $250,000 USDA NIFA Grant to Prepare Students for Vet School
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to make strides to diversify the agricultural workforce, and the Rutgers Department of Animal Sciences continues to answer the call. Just over a year after being awarded funding through the NextGen grant for the Animal Science Discovery Program, Aparna Zama, undergraduate program director, has secured a five-year $250,000 […]
Rutgers Feeds the Future Celebration Launches Initiative and Honors Supporters
University leadership announced the Healthy Harvest Initiative, which will establish a hub for community and student food security, and honored alumni donors Robert and Harriett Druskin and corporate partner Johnson & Johnson for longstanding support in fighting hunger. With a backdrop of red barns bathed in setting sunlight, chickens clucking in their pens, and […]
