November–December 2011

George Carman Appointed BOG Professor of Food Science

George Carman (Food Science; director, Center for Lipid Research) was

appointed Board of Governors Professor of food science by the Rutgers

BOG on December 14. A faculty member of the school since 1978, Carman

is nationally known for his contribution to the understanding of the genes

and enzymes responsible for the synthesis and metabolism of lipids. Lipids

are energy-storing molecules – fats, waxes and fat-soluble vitamins – that

play a vital role in the metabolism and cellular structure of all living things.

He is the author of more than 170 articles in learned journals. Read more.

Paul Falkowski Holds Inaugural Chair in Business and Natural Resources

Paul Falkowski (Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences; Earth and

Planetary Sciences; director, Rutgers Energy Institute) was named the first

holder of the Bennett L. Smith Chair in Business and Natural Resources by the

Rutgers Board of Governors (BOG) on December 14. The university

established the endowed chair, which is funded by an anonymous donor.

The chair resides jointly in Rutgers Business School-Newark and New

Brunswick and the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences in the

School of Arts and Sciences and is intended to support a university faculty

member whose research has contributed to understanding the Earth and its

climate and who has been instrumental in shaping energy policy internationally. Read more.

School Faculty Named AAAS Fellows

Anthony Broccoli (Environmental Sciences) and Bingru Huang (Plant Biology and Pathology)

were among three Rutgers faculty named fellows by the prestigious

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), joining 49

other Rutgers faculty to be so recognized.

Broccoli's research focuses on climate modeling, with emphasis on the

simulation of past climates and climate change, and the use of such

simulations to evaluate the reliability of climate models.

Huang‘s research focuses on understanding turfgrass tolerance to

environmental stresses, especially heat and drought. She holds the Ralph

Geiger Endowed Chair in Turfgrass Science and is a member of the

university‘s Center for Turfgrass Science, a nationally recognized research,

teaching and service organization.

The new inductees will receive an official certificate and a gold and blue

rosette pin at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2012 AAAS Annual Meeting

in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on February 18. Read more:

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Keynote speaker Alex Prud‘homme.

L–R, foreground, Judith Enck, Bob Goodman, and

Congressman Frank Pallone.

Marking 40 Years of Environmental Protection

On October 28, the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the US EPA Region II

co-hosted ―Greening New Jersey Communities from the Ground Up,‖ a daylong conference

marking 40 years of environmental protection. Speakers and panelists included representatives

from government, education, green industry, and grassroots organizations in New Jersey.

Featured speakers included EPA Region II

Administrator Judith Enck; Executive Dean Bob

Goodman; US Senator Robert Menendez;

Congressman Frank Pallone: New Jersey Secretary

of Agriculture Douglas Fisher; and Rutgers

professors Laura Lawson (Landscape Architecture)

and Anthony Broccoli (Environmental Sciences).

The Executive Director of Environment New Jersey

Dena Mottola, EPA‘s Regional Climate Change

Program Advisor Paul Simon, and Co-Director of

the Institute for Sustainability Planning and

Governance at the College of New Jersey Randall

Solomon were also some of the many noteworthy

speakers and panelists.

Former New Jersey Department of

Environmental Protection Commissioner

and current US EPA Administrator Lisa

Jackson, who was not able to attend in

person, addressed the audience in a

video presentation. The keynote speaker

was Alex Prud‘homme, author of The

Ripple Effect: The Fate of Fresh Water in

the 21st Century who investigated the

state and fate of freshwater in the U.S. in

this century.

An underlying thread in the presentations

was that New Jersey has indeed come a

long way since the establishment of the

US Environmental Protection Agency in

1970. The Clean Air Act, The Clean Water

Act, Superfund, New Jersey‘s Right to

Know Law, and other legislation led to tightened controls and clean ups that have vastly

improved the environment, but we still have a long way to go and now face new threats.

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Executive Dean’s Distinguished Lecture: “What We Can Learn From a Single Cell”

The rapidly advancing field of genomics – particularly single cell research – presents vast

opportunities for our understanding of life, from evolution to human medicine. This was a strong

message conveyed by Debashish Bhattacharya (Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources)

during the Fall Executive Dean‘s Distinguished Lecture on November 10 in Winants Hall. Attended

by more than 100 guests, Bhattacharya listed some of the implications posed by genome

research: Genomics and Health – Nine out of 10 leading causes of

death in the United States have a basis in genomics.

Genomics and the Environment – The impacts of global

climate change affect the genetic makeup of organisms

and their distribution in the environment.

Genomics and the Quality of Life – Developing novel and

improved crops, biofuels and the like depend on the study

and application of genomics.

According to Bhattacharya, the accumulation of genome data

has skyrocketed. A respected international figure in genomics,

he‘s taken a multidisciplinary approach to his work at Rutgers,

which he joined in 2009. He operates the Bhattacharya Lab, or ―DBLab,‖ within the department,

and he is affiliated with the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences. He founded the Rutgers

Genome Cooperative, designed to make his well-equipped lab and scientists available to as

many researchers across the university as possible. He also is involved in the cranberry genome

project undertaken by the Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and

has affiliations with Rutgers‘ BioMaPS Institute for Quantitative Biology. By replicating and

examining the DNA of a single cell, scientists are able to better understand some basic mysteries

of life such as how individual cells interact with the marine environment. Bhattacharya related

these advances as well as other genomic methods to his own research, including unraveling the

distinct lives of single cells; the evolution of genes that produce deadly saxitoxin in harmful algal

blooms such as ―red tides;‖ and the origin of photosynthesis that led to the development of

plants and algae that feed our planet. Read more.

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Student participant, at left, works

alongside Lindsey Fenner to

identify bee species

RutgersScience Saturdays

Rutgers scientists are helping young people discover their inner scientist through the 4-H

Rutgerscience Saturdays program. Designed to spur youth interest in science, technology,

engineerin, and math, 4-H Rutgerscience Saturdays expose youth to the roots and global reach

of Rutgers‘ cutting edge science. In 2011, the Department of 4-H Youth Development offered its

third season of Saturday science events for middle school age youth, grades 6-9.

On October 15, 4-H welcomed 30 middle school youth and

their parents to learn about wildlife biology. Youth and

parents were treated to three programs exciting programs.

Alicia Shencko (graduate student with Rebecca Jordan –

Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources) used taxidermy

animals to explore the diversity of mammals in NJ; Nick

Pollack (graduate student with Peter Strom – Environmental

Sciences) used live snakes, frogs, and turtles to discuss

opportunities in the field of herpetology; and Lindsey Fenner

(laboratory manager for Rachel Winfree - Entomology)

conducted a number of hands-on activities exploring bees

as pollinators.

On November 19, 4-H welcomed 90 students and their

parents to explore the science of natural disasters. Steven

Decker (Environmental Sciences) led a hands-on program on

extreme weather prediction while Ben Lintner (Environmental

Sciences) explored tropical storms through laboratory

experiments. Alec Gates, vice chancellor of research and

professor of geology at Rutgers–Newark, led an exciting hands-on lesson on earthquakes and

tsunamis. The students included a large group from Youth Exposure, a mentoring program for

middle school students. Mentees are students at local middle schools in Plainfield and Atlantic

City, NJ, and mentors are recent college graduates who wish to give back to the community.

Youth Exposure and 4-H are working together to empower youth, ages 12-14, to strive for high

levels of success through pursuit of education, leadership development, and community service.

According to Janice McDonnell (Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) 4-H agent and

coordinator of the program), approximately 37% of the youth attended more than one 4-H

Rutgerscience Saturday program and 100% reported positive interactions with Rutgers scientists.

When asked what they value most about Rutgerscience Saturdays, students responded that

they enjoyed doing hands-on activities and projects, getting to see science in a fun way,

learning about different science careers, and getting to meet other kids who are interested in

science. 4-H Youth Development SET programs focus on encouraging young people to

experience and learn science by doing. New Jersey 4-H is doing its part to meet the national

mission mandate of ―one million new scientists and one million new ideas.‖ Visit the 4-H SET

website for more information the Rutgerscience Saturdays‘ program.

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L–R: Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, acting director of

NIFA, Kathleen Morgan, Virginia Krzyzanowski, Mary

Jane Willis, and Bob Goodman at the ceremony.

L–R: Jan Zientek, Amy Rowe, and New

Jersey Department of Environmental

Protection Commissioner Bob Martin, who

presented the awards.

USDA NIFA Honors Signature Rutgers Program

On October 6, Get Moving–Get Healthy New Jersey (GMGHNJ), a health promotion initiative

developed by Rutgers Cooperative Extension's (RCE) Department of Family and Community

Health Sciences and the Department of 4-H Youth Development, was honored by the USDA's

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

(NIFA) award for Innovative Program

Models. Presented at a ceremony hosted

by the USDA at NIFA headquarters in

Washington, DC, the 2011 NIFA Partnership

Awards honored four grantees for their

"exemplary work and outstanding

contribution in support of the USDA mission

and for their positive impacts on

agriculture." The award presented to

Rutgers credits the GMGHNJ health

initiative with "helping New Jersey families

improve their eating behaviors and

increase their physical activity for the past

four years." The awards were presented to the lead institution for each project. Attendees at the

awards ceremony were Executive Dean Bob Goodman, along with Morgan, GMGHNJ Program

Associate Virginia Krzyzanowski, and RCE Associate Director Mary Jane Willis. Read more.

Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award

Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) of Essex County won Honorable Mention in the Healthy and

Sustainable Communities Category in the 2011 Governor's Environmental Excellence Awards

ceremony for its Sustainable Landscape and Stormwater Management green job skills training

program at the East Orange Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital. The program, a partnership among

RCE, the Planetree Corporation, and the Veteran

Affairs New Jersey Health Care system, trains

unemployed New Jersey veterans through a green

job skills program focused on sustainable landscaping

and stormwater management. Accepting the award

on behalf of Rutgers were Jan Zientek (senior

program coordinator, Essex County) and Amy Rowe

(environmental and resource management agent,

Essex and Passaic counties). This is the fifth year in a

row, and sixth overall, that RCE has been recognized

by the Governor‘s Environmental Excellence Awards,

which honors individuals, organizations, institutions,

communities and businesses that have made

significant contributions in protecting New Jersey's

environment. The ceremony was held at the New

Jersey State Museum in Trenton, NJ, on December 8.

Read more.

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Gleaning at Giamarese Farm for Area Food Banks

On October 26, students, faculty and staff gathered at Giamarese Farms to harvest collard

greens and several varieties of apples for area food banks and Elijah‘s Promise in New Brunswick.

Volunteers included members of Alpha Zeta honor society, Jack Rabin (associate, director, Farm

Programs, NJAES) and students in his ―Sustainable Agriculture class;‖ graduate students from the

Department of Food Science; Diana Orban Brown (director, Office of Community Engagement

(OCE); Diane Jones (administrative assistant, OCE); and Kristina Guttadora, program director

with Farmers Against Hunger, who coordinated the food donations.

Student volunteers were Dayna Bertola, Erin Holswade, Lisa Izzo, Amanda Jones, Dan Kurz, Diana

Onuschak, Gianna Santelli, Lindsay Troyer, Christina Varghese, Kyle Walsh, Dominica Zhu,

Saifanassour Arabi, Aishwarya Balasubramanium, Jose Antonio Maldanado, Jennifer Merle,

Spurti Ravi, Maggie Rose, Malathi Lakshmi Vakkalanka, and Danielle Voss.

David Castle’s Visit to Rutgers

David Castle, professor and chair of Innovation in the Life Sciences, University of Edinburgh,

presented a lecture titled ―What‘s on Your Plate? Food Security—Food and Technology‖

followed by a panel discussion with Peter Gillies (founding director, New Jersey Institute for Food,

Nutrition, and Health), Rick Ludescher (Food Science; dean, Academic Programs), and Xenia

Morin (associate dean; director, Office of Grants Facilitation). Castle‘s lecture focused on

European policies and the challenges that farmers face in producing food in an environmentally

friendly way. The panel discussion explored a range of topics related to food security, food

technology, and the food decisions that people make. The event took place on October 27 in

the Alampi Room, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, and was sponsored by the New

Jersey Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health, the School of Environmental and Biological

Sciences, and the Centers for Global Advancement and International Affairs.

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Karyn Malinowski, on left, with Sandy Denarski

Equine Science Update

On December 8, the Rutgers Equine Science Center welcomed over 160 guests to the annual

Equine Science Update at the Cook Campus Center on the George H. Cook Campus. The

evening was a significant success as faculty and graduate student researchers provided an

update of their current and on-going research projects. Equine Science Center Director Karyn

Malinowski (Animal Sciences) also reviewed the many activities and accomplishments

throughout the year as the center celebrated its 10th anniversary.

The evening began with an unexpected surprise as Rutgers University Board for Equine

Advancement (RUBEA) Chairwoman Sandy

Denarski presented Malinowski with the RUBEA

―Visionary Award.‖ Respected as a vanguard

in the equine industry, Malinowski was

recognized for her foresight in establishing the

Equine Science Center and cultivating it into a

world-class hub for outstanding research,

education, and outreach.

Malinowski and Denarski then teamed up to

present the Equine Science Center‘s annual

―Spirit of the Horse Award‖ to Liz Durkin, a long-

time supporter of the center. The ―Spirit of the

Horse‖ award recognizes individuals whose lives

have been profoundly changed because of

their involvement with horses and who have

acknowledged the impact by giving back to

the horse industry. Immediately following dinner, Julie Vence, Warren County 4-H Horse Program

member and winner of the 2010 Eastern National 4-H Roundup – Individual Presentation

Competition, delighted guests with an interactive presentation titled ―Code Red!‖

Malinowski presented a year in review as she highlighted accomplishments of the Center during

its celebratory 10th anniversary, including a mention of the invitation-only VIP Gala that featured

Brian Cashman, senior vice president and general manager of the New York Yankees, as guest

speaker. The event, which raised over $50,000, was held at the MetLife Stadium in East

Rutherford, NJ.

Sarah Ralston (Animal Sciences) was the keynote speaker for the Equine Science Update and

presented ―Metabonomics: the New ―Omic‖ Tool‖. Ralston‘s talk was followed by a joint

presentation titled ―‘Shocking‘ New Research on Oxidative Stress and Inflammation‖ by

graduate students Ryan Avenatti and Danielle Smarsh (Animal Sciences). The final research

presentation of the evening was given by Carey Williams and Michael Westendorf (Animal

Sciences). They collaborated to present ―Love Your Horse, Love the Environment – Keeping it

Green.‖

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Aaron Woolf addresses the audience

prior to the screening of King Corn.

Screening of the Documentary “King Corn”

Do you know where your food comes from and who farms it? To stimulate discussion around this

question, students from four courses (Agroecology; the Agriculture + Landscape colloquium; the

SAS signature course called The Ethics of Food; and Principles of Organic Crop Production),

amongst others, gathered on November 19 at the Cook Campus Center for a screening of King

Corn, directed by Aaron Woolf. A documentary filmmaker and co-owner of the Urban Rustic

Café and Market in Brooklyn, Woolf was present at the screening. King Corn is a full-length

documentary made in 2007 that follows the journey taken by Curt Ellis, Woolf‘s nephew, and Ian

Cheney as they come to terms with the information that they are mostly made of corn. They

learn how to grow corn and how corn has become a

ubiquitous ingredient in the American food system. The

screening was followed by a lively discussion of food system

issues with Aaron Woolf. Questions ranged from ―Why are

young people interested in farming now?,‖ ―Do we want to

encourage that?,‖ to ―How do we want to grow food for 9

billion people?‖

Unlike some other food documentaries shown at Rutgers

this fall, this movie does not portray either science or

government as the bad guy. Woolf explained that although

movies tend to need a bad guy, he resisted that urge in

order to portray that the redesign of our food system is ours

to make as a society and should better reflect our values

and ethics. He went on to explain that the origins of the

food system crisis we are facing (our over-reliance on

corn) are likely the result of good people and good

decisions. Unfortunately, like all complex systems, Woolf

has concluded that they are difficult to fix. He sees moral issues deeply embedded in this crisis.

He explained to students that when he saw his first CAFO (confined animal feeding operation),

he immediately knew what God isn‘t. Questions of food justice (two-tiered food systems based

upon class) and corporate ownership of life forms were also problematic to Woolf.

In making King Corn, Woolf came to know Chuck Payatt, the corn farmer in Iowa who quickly

answered their letter agreeing to lease his land so they could grow an acre of corn. They came

to learn that Chuck represents a pretty broad section of Iowa corn growers who used to have

more control over what they grew. Despite their pride in their work, they all spoke with sadness

about the ways that farming had changed since they were kids. Today, only 1% of Americans

are now farming and this number continues to fall as farmers retire. When Payatt retired, his sons

did not follow him into the farming business. Woolf pointed out that we all lose their knowledge.

Woolf ended by asking the questions ―How do we put a value on farmers‘ knowledge?‖ and

―Who will produce our food in the future?‖ This event was co-sponsored by Technologies Without

Borders, the Office of the Executive Dean, and the Department of Landscape Architecture.

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Mark Robson is flanked by Debra Bennett (UC-Davis)

ISES Awards Committee chair (at left) and Dana Barr

(Emory University) ISES President.

Mark Robson Wins Mehlman Award

Mark Robson (Entomology; dean, Urban and

Agricultural Programs) won the Constance L.

Mehlman Award at the 2011 International

Society of Exposure Sciences (ISES) Meeting in

Baltimore, MD. The award recognizes

―outstanding contributions in exposure

analysis research that helped shape a

national or state policy or that provided new

approaches for reduction or prevention of

exposures.‖ Robson‘s work on pesticide

exposure that contributed to the EPA's

decision to eliminate most interior uses of

chlorpyrifos, plus his work in Thailand were

among the notable accomplishments that

led to the award.

William Hallman (chair, Human Ecology; director, Food Policy Institute), and Don Schaffner (Food

Science; director, Center for Advanced Food Technology) served as co-authors of a report by

the National Research Council titled ―The Potential Consequences of Public Release of Food

Safety and Inspection Service Establishment-Specific Data,” which was publicly released on

November 30.

During her sabbatical, Jean Marie Hartman (Landscape Architecture) has been working with the

Synapse Group, an organization dedicated to developing collaboration between artists and

scientists. With Professor Donna Webb (Ceramics, University of Akron), Hartman launched an

environmental art project titled "A Watershed Event."

In June, Nathan Heavers (Landscape Architecture), completed sections C and E of the

Landscape Architecture Review Exam toward

professional licensure within the State of Pennsylvania.

He has designed and is planting the entrance

courtyard of the former Coach House of

Drumthwacket, the official residence of the Governor

of New Jersey's in Princeton, NJ. The Coach House, built

by Moses Taylor Pyne in 1896, is now a private

residence and the newly planted courtyard includes a

variety of meadow species that fill the sunny opening

framed by the historic structure. His photographs of two

very distinct gardens, a residence in New Jersey, and a

farm in Rhode Island, have been submitted for

publication on the Landscape for Life website, a joint

venture of the United States Botanic Garden and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

10

Richard Bartolone (Landscape Architecture) was recognized by the Bartle School in Highland

Park, NJ, for donating his design of the outdoor teaching space. Bartolone is the president of the

New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Kathleen John-Alder (Landscape Architecture) has been asked by Elizabeth Barlow Rodgers of

the Foundation for Landscape Studies, to prepare an article on The Sea Ranch for Site/Lines,

which is published by The Foundation for Landscape Studies.

Peter Rona (Marine and Coastal Sciences) was appointed to the nine-member Science Planning

Committee for the NEPTUNE Canada Cabled Seafloor Observatory in the northeast Pacific

Ocean, the first such observatory extending across a continental margin to an ocean ridge.

Dawn Brasaemle (Nutritional Sciences) has been appointed to a 4-year term as a member of

the Scientific Advisory Board for the Doctoral College on Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disease,

which is located in Graz, Austria. This new doctoral program spans 3 universities including the

University of Graz, the Medical University of Graz, and the Graz University of Technology.

Nurgul Fitzgerald (Nutritional Sciences) was among the team members to receive the USDA

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) 2011 Partnership Award for Innovative Program

Models. The award was given to the Get Moving—Get Healthy New Jersey team for

encouraging improved eating behaviors and increased physical activity through a

multidisciplinary health promotion program. The program is implemented through the faculty

and staff in the departments of Family and Community Health Sciences and the 4-H Youth

Development.

The Department of Plant Biology and Pathology hosted the 71st Annual Meeting of the

Northeastern Division of America Phytopathological Society at The Heldrich Hotel in New

Brunswick, NJ, from October 12-14. The meeting was held in conjunction with the celebration of

the 100th Anniversary of Plant Pathology at Rutgers University.

Bruce Clarke (Plant Biology and Pathology) received the Visionary Leadership Award from the

Epsilon Sigma Phi National Extension Society at its annual meeting in Syracuse, NY, on October

12. This award is presented to an Extension professional whose visionary leadership has enabled

Extension to anticipate emerging needs and develop relevant programs to support stakeholders

in the state, region, or nation.

William Meyer (Plant Biology and Pathology) was awarded the Breeder's Cup Award for

developing Mallard Kentucky bluegrass by the Turfgrass Breeder's Association at the Crop

Science Society of America meeting in San Antonio, TX, on October 19.

Jim Simon (Plant Biology and Pathology) has been selected to receive the Natural Products

Association's (NPA) 2012 Burton Kallman Scientific Award, which honors individuals who have

made outstanding contributions to the field of human nutrition. Simon‘s work with new crops,

aromatic and medicinal plants, and nutraceuticals was cited as the basis for the award. He will

receive the award at the 19th annual NPA meeting on June 14-16, 2012.

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Gene Varney (emeritus professor, Plant Biology and Pathology) received the first Lifetime Service

Award of the New Jersey Mycological Association (NJMA) for his contributions in the

development of the Association, initiated some forty years ago. NJMA is a group of amateurs

and professionals dedicated to the study of mushrooms, ranging from gastronomy and ecology

to applications (e.g., sources of medicines, dyes, toxins, etc.). Varney, who was recognized

especially for his teaching on identification of mushrooms during field forays, continues to have a

central role in teaching about mushrooms at Rutgers (course 11.015.257) and short courses

through NJMA. Varney was recognized during the 100th Anniversary Celebration of Plant

Pathology at Rutgers University at the Northeast Regional Meeting of the American

Phytopathological Association held in New Brunswick, NJ, on October 14.

Students Participate in Undergraduate Scientific Research Symposium in Brazil

This year, five students traveled to Brazil from November 19-26 to participate in the 19th annual

Undergraduate Scientific Research Symposium through the University of Sao Paulo (SIICUSP). The

students presented original research from their respective majors in Biotechnology, Biomedical

Engineering, Genetics, and Marine Sciences. Students were able to share and learn through the

research exchange with our Brazilian counterparts as well as experience a new culture firsthand.

Highlights of the experience included visiting the University of Sao Paulo (USP) campuses, touring

an ethanol processing plant, perusing the TAM aviation museum, and trying delicious traditional

Brazilian cuisine. The University of

Sao Paulo and Rutgers University

have had a long-standing

research exchange that our

students were proud to be a

part of. The Office of

International Programs

anticipates welcoming and

hosting USP faculty and students

in the spring of 2012 at the 7th

annual ARESTY research

symposium.

Rutgers students display their

University of Sao Paulo T-shirts on

USP Sao Paulo campus.

Pictured, L-R: Kathryn Landy (Genetics), Amelia Snow (Marine Sciences), Pierre Muhoza (Marine

Sciences), Alyssa Kosmides (Biomedical Engineering), and Timothy Dinh (Biotechnology).

Aaron Robinson (Biochemistry and Microbiolgy 2005, completing his doctorate at Johns Hopkins

University) returned to Lipman Hall on December 2 to give the departmental seminar, part of the

Fermentation Club Seminar Series. His topic was "Ion pairs in the hydrophobic interior of a

protein: Can proteins dissolve salt in oil?" It is an extension of the work he did at Rutgers as an

undergraduate completing the Biochemistry major under Peter Kahn (Biochemistry and

Microbiology).

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Josh Caplan (Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources), a post-doc working with Jason

Grabosky (Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources), gave a seminar titled ―Invasive plants

and environmental resources: The case of Himalayan blackberry‖ at Temple University on

September 22.

Nick Pollock (Ph.D. candidate in the Henry John-Alder lab - Ecology, Evolution, and Natural

Resources) gave herpetology presentations to middle school students in a 4-H program at

Rutgers on October 15. He talked about herps from around the world, but focused mainly on

those from California and New Jersey. The live animals he brought to show the students included

crested geckos, his Russian tortoise (named Norman), and a Colombian red-tail boa.

Jeremy Feinberg (Ph.D. candidate working with Joanna Burger - Ecology, Evolution, and Natural

Resources) reports a publication:

Feinberg, J., K. Bartlett, D. Howe, J. Burger, and T. Green. 2011. Potential connections

between mosquitoes and the demise of a regional frog population on Long Island, New

York. In Proceedings of the 98th Annual Meeting of the New Jersey Mosquito Control

Association, Inc., edited by H. Rupp, pp. 50-53. New Jersey Mosquito Control Association,

Inc., Lindenwold, NJ.

Matt Niznik (graduate student; advisor Ben Lintner - Environmental Sciences) presented "Low-

level wind, moisture, and precipitation relationships near the South Pacific Convergence Zone in

CMIP3 models" to the Graduate Student Symposium, Department of Geosciences, Princeton

University, Princeton, NJ, on November 11.

Graduate students Lili Xia and Mira Losic (Environmental

Sciences) spent the month of October as visitors to the

National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in

Boulder, CO, accompanying Alan Robock (Environmental

Sciences), a Faculty Fellow on sabbatical at NCAR. The

graduate students each worked on their Ph.D. dissertation

projects, in collaboration with scientists at NCAR. Pictured

L-R: Xia, Robock, and Losic at NCAR.

Chengyi Yan (Ph.D. candidate working with Paul Falkowski - Marine and Coastal Sciences), has

the following publication:

Yan, C.; O. Schofield; Z. Dubinsky; D. Mauzerall; P.G. Falkowski; and M.Y. Gorbunov. 2011.

Photosynthetic energy storage efficiency in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, based on

microsecond photoacoustics. Photosynthesis Research 108:215-224. DOI:10.1007/s11120-

011-9682-9.

Anwar Bin Umer (graduate, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in Nilgun Tumer's lab (Plant

Biology and Pathology) won this year's Graduate Student Presentation Award for his

presentation titled "Trichothecene mycotoxins inhibit mitochondrial translation: Implication for

the mechanism of toxicity.‖

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James Hempfling (Plant Biology and Pathology) received 2nd place in the Graduate Student

Oral Paper Competition at the 71st Annual Meeting of the Northeast Division of the American

Phytopathological Society in New Brunswick, NJ. His presentation was titled "The effect of

mechanical injury on anthracnose severity of annual bluegrass turf," co-authored with Jim

Murphy and Bruce Clarke (Plant Biology and Pathology).

Rutgers Plant Biology graduate students won awards for the following presentations at the

Annual Meeting of the Crop Science Society of America held in San Antonio, TX:

David Jespersen - Turfgrass Stress Tolerance (Oral Presentations): Identification of proteins

associated with heat-induced and genetically-controlled leaf senescence in cool-

season grass species.

Lisa Beirn - Turfgrass Pathology (Oral Presentations): What Is the true identity of the fungus

that causes Dollar Spot on turfgrass?

Emily Merewitz - Turfgrass Stress

Tolerance (Poster

Presentations): Identification of

differentially expressed genes

in Creeping Bentgrass with

elevated Cytokinin content

under drought stress.

Katelyn Venner - Poster

Presentation: Response of Tall

Fescue cultivars to Mesotrione

applied at establishment.

James W. Cross - Poster

Presentation: Responses of Tall

Fescue Genotypes to heat and

drought stress.

A complete list of grants received can be found here.

Michael J. Camasso Jr. PI (Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics) was awarded a grant of

$100,000 from the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies Contribution Fund for “Nurture-

Nature: Opening pathways to science & health careers for New Brunswick elementary school

children.‖

Loredana Quadro PI (Food Science) and collaborators Michael Chikindas (Food Science), and

Paul Breslin and Daniel Hoffman (Nutritional Sciences) received a $100,000 award for ―Promoting

children‘s growth with b-carotene-rich probiotics‖ funded by the Grand Challenges Explorations

Round 7, of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Award-winning plant biology graduate students. Top, from

right to left: James Hempfling, David Jespersen, Katelyn

Venner, and Emily Merewitz. Bottom from right to left:

James W. Cross and Lisa Beirn.

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Clifford Weisel PI (UMDNJ-EOHSI), with Co-PIs Gedi Mainelis (Environmental Sciences) and P. Lioy

(UMDNJ-EOHSI), was awarded $1,256,453 for ''Training grant for the joint graduate program in

exposure science,'' the first such training grant in Exposure Science, funded by the National

Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

S.L. Shalat (UMDNJ-EOHSI), with Co-PIs K. Black (UMDNJ-EOHSI), Gedi Mainelis (Environmental

Sciences), and M. Ramagopal (UMDNJ-Pediatrics), received $909,137 for ''Validation of a robotic

surrogate for measurement of early childhood personal exposure'' from the National Institute of

Environmental Health Sciences.

Lisa Rodenburg and Valdis Krumins (Environmental Sciences) were awarded $300,000 by DuPont

Corporation to look for evidence of natural attenuation of organic contaminants in the

groundwater at some of DPont‘s manufacturing facilities.

Daniel Hoffman PI (Nutritional Sciences) and Beverly Tepper Co-PI (Food Science) received

$100,000 from the Wrigley Science Institute to study ―The influence of gum chewing on energy

expenditure and food intake in adults.‖

Daniel Hoffman (Nutritional Sciences) and Beverly Tepper (Food Science) received a 2-year

award totaling $110,000 from the Wrigley Science Institute for their project titled ―Influence of

gum chewing on daily energy expenditure and food intake.‖

The Joint Management Authority of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument

(ENPI CBC MED program) has announced that they will award a contract of up to 2 million Euro

for the Bio-Xplore Project. The agreement was signed on October 24. This project, initiated and

directed by Hadassah College, Jerusalem, Israel, will be implemented in partnership with the

Biodiversity and Environmental Research Center (www.berc.ps) of the Palestinian Authority,

Leitat Technological Center in Spain, and the Hellenic Regional Development Center in Greece.

Two US-based universities, Rutgers University (Department of Plant Biology and Pathology - Ilya

Raskin lab), New Jersey, and the North Carolina State University, will also participate in the

project.

Ning Zhang (Plant Biology and Pathology) and Debashiish Bhattacharya (Ecology, Evolution,

and Natural Resources) were awarded a five-year, $544,963 grant from the NSF for ―Systematics

of Magnaporthaceae: Understanding Evolution of the rice blast fungus and allied species using

phylogenetic, phylogenomic and comparative genome analysis,‖ from January 2012.

Dipak Sarkar (Animal Sciences; director of the Endocrine Program) recently traveled to the

National Institutes of Health and presented a special seminar on alcoholism and cancer. His

presentation included his lab‘s recent discovery that a group of neurons known as beta-

endorphin (BEP) neurons prevents the growth and metastasis of mammary, prostate, lung and

liver cancers. Sarkar explained how alcoholism destroys these neurons, thereby promoting

various cancers, and he presented preclinical data to show the potential therapeutic use of BEP

15

cell therapy in preventing cancers in normal and alcoholic

patients. These findings were published in the October 1 issue of

Cancer Research, as the journal‘s cover story; the report was co-

authored by D.K. Sarkar, C. Zhang, S. Murugan, M. Dokur, N.

Boyadjieva, M. Ortigüela, K.R. Reuhl, and S. Mojtehedzadeh. Sarkar

and his graduate student

Changqing Zhang (Endocrinology and Animal Biosciences)

designed the illustration that appears on the cover of that issue.

Kenneth McKeever (Animal Science; Equine Science

Center) was the invited guest lecturer during the

November meeting of the Philadelphia Society for

Promoting Agriculture (PSPA) held at the historical

Union League of Philadelphia, PA, on November 3.

McKeever presented ―The role of horses in human

medicine‖ to more than 40 PSPA members and

guests. McKeever is pictured, on the left, with PSPA

President-elect John Frazier Hunt.

Sarah Ralston (Animal Sciences) gave the keynote address ―Metabonomics: The new ‗omics‘

tool‖ at the Equine Science Center‘s Research Update on December 8.

Douglas Eveleigh (Biochemistry and Microbiology) attended the 4th Nantucket Biodiversity

Initiative Symposium, in Nantucket, MA, in relation to studies of mercury in graveyards (noting

photographic documentation of biodiversity through www.discoverlife.org.

Siobain Duffy (Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources) gave the following invited

presentations:

―The speed and mechanisms of geminivirus molecular evolution‖ at the 22nd Brazilian

Virological Society Annual Meeting, in Atibaia, Brazil, on October 25.

―How do geminiviruses viruses evolve as quickly as RNA viruses?‖ at the 4th European

Whitefly Symposium, Faculty of Agriculture, in Rehovot, Israel, on September 15.

Steven Handel (Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources) was invited to present the 2011

Howland Memorial Lecture at the University of Virginia‘s School of Architecture on November 6.

He lectured on the links between restoration ecology and designing sustainable landscapes.

Mark Robson (Entomology; dean, Urban and Agricultural Programs) presented the keynote

address ―Food insecurity: Past and present‖ at the Preventing Food Insecurity: the Role of Media

16

and NGO‘s‖ event at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY, on November 29. The

event was organized by World Information Transfer and co-sponsored by the Government of

Ukraine, with support from the governments of Laos and Southern Sudan.

Karl Maramorosch (professor emeritus, Entomology) was invited to participate in the World

Science Forum in Budapest, Hungary, from November 16-19. In addition, Maramorosch

presented a one-hour lecture titled "From laboratory to the tropics: Failure and success" to the

participants of the Postgraduate International Network (Pi-Net) conference on "The alternatives

of the postdoctoral students' future" at Corvinus University in Budapest on November 17.

Anthony Broccoli (Environmental Sciences ) presented ―The climate ahead: An overview of the

science at the EPA conference titled Greening New Jersey Communities from the Ground Up, a

day-long conference marking 40 years of environmental protection by the EPA. The conference

was held at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, on October 28.

Mark Miller (Environmental Sciences) was invited to present ―Amazon convection and the

cumulus life cycle‖ at the Atmospheric Systems Research Program Fall Working Group Meeting,

in Annapolis, MD, on September 16.

Beth Ravit (Environmental Sciences) and Keith Cooper (Biochemistry and Microbiology) were

invited to present ―Eastern Oyster restoration in the New Jersey portion of the Hudson-Raritan

Estuary‖ at the NOAA Sandy Hook lab, on October 26. In addition, Ravit organized and

presented ―Restoring the Hudson-Raritan Estuary: The planet's most urban ecosystem‖ to the

CERF 2011 Biannual Conference of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, in Daytona

Beach, FL, on November 6.

Gedi Mainelis (Environmental Sciences) presented ―Health-related Aerosols: New ideas for

measurement and characterization‖ at a seminar sponsored by the New Jersey Department of

Environmental Protection, Trenton, NJ, on November 30.

Gedi Mainelis, Yevgen Nazarenko (Environmental Sciences), and Paul Lioy (UMDNJ-EOHSI)

made platform presentation on ―Evaluation of potential consumer exposure to airborne

nanoparticles released from nanotechnology-based products‖ at the 21st Annual Meeting of

the International Society for Exposure Assessment, in Baltimore, MD, from October 23-27.

Alan Robock (Environmental Sciences) was invited to present ―Smoke and Mirrors: Is

Geoengineering a Solution to Global Warming?‖ at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration, Boulder, Colorado, November 2. In addition, he was invited to present a paper

on ―Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP)‖ at the 15th Session of the

Working Group on Coupled Modeling, in Boulder, CO, from October 19-21.

Don Schaffner (Food Science) participated in a meeting on Research Protocols for Variances in

Manure Application and Foliar Water, in Davis, CA, October 20‐21. In addition, he was a peer

reviewer of EPA's draft Microbial Risk Assessment Guideline: Pathogenic microorganisms with a

focus on food and water, and participated in a meeting in Washington, DC, on November 7.

17

Beverly Tepper (Food Science) gave an invited talk titled "Consumer acceptance and

willingness to buy foods with nanotechnology benefits‖ at the Symposium on Understanding

Consumer Acceptance of Food Nanotechnology: Research and Dialogue, at Rutgers University,

New Brunswick, NJ, in October.

Naa Oyo Kwate (Human Ecology) was invited to give a presentation titled ―How to create

health inequalities in three easy steps: Improving the quality and safety of care for diverse

patient populations‖ at the American Conference on Diversity in Princeton, NJ, on November 4.

Melanie McDermott (Human Ecology) was invited by the Food and Agriculture Organization of

the United Nations (FAO) to give a presentation titled ―Regional synthesis of community forestry

experiences in the Caribbean‖ at the Regional Workshop on Community Forestry in the

Caribbean, in Kingston, Jamaica, on November 23-24.

Bonnie McCay (Human Ecology) took part in the web-based meeting of the Scientific and

Statistical Committee of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council on December 5.

Cymie Payne (Human Ecology) presented ―Inter-governmental issues in the Gulf of Mexico and

Caribbean‖ at the International Offshore Oil and Law Conference at The Institute for Energy Law

of The Center for American and International Law, in New Orleans, LA, on December 8.

Pamela McElwee (Human Ecology) presented ―Forests are gold: Exploring the legacies of

political forests in Vietnam‖ at the Annual Vietnam Update Conference at the Australian

National University, Canberra, Australia, from November 17-18. The theme for 2011 was The

Environment: Change, Challenges, and Contestations.

Cuite, C.L., McWilliams, R.M., & Hallman, W.K. (2011, December 7). Reassuring the public after a

contamination incident: Public perceptions of microbiological testing and reconditioned food

products. Paper presented at the Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, Charleston, SC.

Hallman, W.K. and Cuite, C.L. Egg recall of 2010: High awareness did not match behavioral

impact. Paper presented at the Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, in Charleston, SC, on

December 7.

Cuite, C.L., Johnson, B.B., McWilliams, R.M., and Hallman, W.K. Human Ecology) presented

Experimental investigation into public response to food terrorism vs. accidental contamination at

the Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, in Charleston, SC, on December 5.

Johnson, B.B., Cuite, C.L., and Hallman, W.K. presented ―Trust and responsibility attributions:

Variations across hazard managers in accidental and intentional food contamination incidents‖

at the Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, in Charleston, SC, on December 5.

Peter Rona, Karen Bemis, and graduate student Guangyu Xu (Marine and Coastal Sciences)

made three presentations at the Fall American Geophysical Union Meeting in San Francisco, CA,

on December 5. They presented initial scientific results of their acoustic measurements of

18

seafloor hydrothermal flow using their NSF-sponsored Cabled Observatory Vent Imaging Sonar

(COVIS). COVIS is connected to the NEPTUNE Canada cabled observatory at a seafloor

hydrothermal field on an ocean ridge in the northeast Pacific. Their results showed for the first

time that seafloor hydrothermal flow varies on all time scales.

Dawn Brasaemle (Nutritional Sciences) attended the first annual scientific retreat of the Doctoral

College and presented a plenary lecture on "Control of Lipolysis by Perilipins" at Schloss Seggau,

in Graz, Austria, from October 20-22. In addition, she presented a seminar titled "Control of

Lipolysis by Perilipins" at the Diabetes Center of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, on

December 2.

Patty Mojta (Prevent Child Abuse-NJ) and John Worobey (Nutritional Sciences) gave a

presentation titled ―Over-nourishment: The new abuse?‖ at the New Jersey Conference on Child

Abuse and Neglect, in East Brunswick, NJ, on October 21.

Sue Shapses (Nutritional Sciences) gave an invited lecture on "How does obesity affect bone

and mechanisms of loss due to caloric restriction" in the Department of Medicine at Boston

University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, in October.

Malcolm Watford (Nutritional Sciences) served as an invited member on the Merit Award Panel,

Endocrinology A, of the Office of Research and Development, Department of Veterans Affairs,

in November 2011. In addition, he completed his eleventh year as a judge (Stages 1-1V and

semi-finalist selection) for the Siemens High School Competition in Mathematics, Science, and

Technology this fall.

John Worobey (Nutritional Sciences) gave a plenary address titled "Sugar intake and child

behavior" at the Challenging Behaviors in Early Child Care Conference, sponsored by Programs

for Parents--Prevent Child Abuse, in Montclair NJ, on October 1. In addition, he gave an invited

presentation on ―Measuring motor activity in human infants‖ to the Department of Pediatrics,

Irvine Medical Center, University of California, in Irvine, CA, on November 14.

Jim White (Plant Biology and Pathology) gave a plenary presentation ―Symbiosis-related

reactive oxygen species and stress resistance in plants' at the International Congress of Biology,

Chemistry and Agronomy at the Autonomous University of Guadalajara, Mexico, September 30.

Ari Novy (Plant Biology and Pathology) gave the invited lecture ―Balancing agricultural

development resources: Are GM and organic agriculture in opposition in Africa?‖ at the 5th

International Conference on Coexistence of Genetically Modified Crops (GMCC-11), in

Vancouver, Canada, October 26-28.

Laura Cortese (Plant Biology and Pathology) was invited to present "Biomass Yield and energy

characteristics of switchgrass cultivars grown In New Jersey" and a poster titled "Broad-sense

heritability of bioenergy traits in 50 switchgrass clones grown on marginal land" at the ASA CSSA

SSSA Annual International Meeting in San Antonio, TX, October 16-20.

19

Nilgun Tumer (Plant Biology and Pathology) organized and chaired the session titled "Gene

Discovery and engineering Resistance to Fusarium mycotoxins" at the 2011 National Fusarium

Head Blight Forum in St. Louis, MO, on December 4-6. John McLaughlin from her lab presented a

talk on "Activation tagging to identify novel genes for fusarium resistance" and Anwar bin Umer

from her lab presented a talk on "Trichothecene mycotoxins inhibit mitochondrial translation."

Jillian Thompson and Sara Mellor (Water Resources Program) were invited to present information

on rain gardens and nonpoint source pollution at Ethel Jacobson Elementary School in Surf City,

NJ, on October 19.

Jeremiah Bergstrom, Ben Pearson, and Amy Boyajian (Water Resources Program) were invited to

present at the ―Rain Garden Training Program‖ at Isles, Trenton, NJ, on October 19‐20.

Caitrin Higgins, Hae‐An Chyun, and Jillian Thompson (Water Resources Program) installed a

demonstration rain garden in the Parkside community, Camden, NJ, on October 20.

Sara Mellor and Amy Boyajian

(Water Resources Program) were

invited to make a presentation at

the Rain Garden Training Program

at Ridge and Valley Charter

School, in Blairstown, NJ, on

October 22. They were also

invited to give a presentation on

―Rain Gardens,‖ followed by

daffodil planting (pictured) in the

school‘s rain garden, at Birches

Elementary School, in Turnersville,

NJ, on December 1.

Ben Pearson and Sara Mellor (Water Resources Program) were invited to conduct a Build a Rain

Barrel Workshop for the Brielle Environmental Commission and the Surfrider Foundation, Jersey

Shore Chapter, at the Curtis House in Brielle, NJ, on October 27.

Ben Pearson and Steve Yergeau (Water Resources Program) installed a research rain garden for

enhanced nitrogen removal at Georgian Court University, Lakewood, NJ, from November 30–

December 2.

Christopher C. Obropta (Rutgers Cooperative Extension/Department of Environmental Sciences),

Amy Boyajian, Sara Mellor, and Ben Pearson (Water Resources Program) were invited to present

information on the efforts of the Water Resources Program at the Greening New Jersey

Conference co-hosted by the US EPA, on the George H. Cook Campus, in New Brunswick, NJ, on

October 28.

20

Christopher C. Obropta (Water Resources Program; Environmental Sciences) and Elaine

Rossi‐Griffin (Water Resources Program) were invited to present information on the efforts of the

Water Resources Program at the New Jersey League of Municipalities Conference, Atlantic City,

NJ, on November 15‐16.

Christopher C. Obropta (Water Resources Program; Environmental Sciences) and Jeremiah

Bergstrom (Water Resources Program) were invited to present information about stormwater

management retrofits and recommendations to the Hamilton Township Planning Board at its

public meeting in Hamilton Township, NJ, on November 10.

Gore, A.C., Walker, D.M., Zama, A.M., Armenti, A.E., Uzumcu, M. (Animal Sciences). Early life

exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals causes lifelong molecular reprogramming of the

hypothalamus and premature reproductive aging. Molecular Endocrinology 12: 2157-68.

Xia, Lili (graduate student, Atmospheric Sciences Program) and Alan Robock (Environmental

Sciences). 2011. Impacts of regional nuclear conflict on rice production in mainland China.

Submitted to Climatic Change.

Collow, Thomas W. (graduate student, Atmospheric Sciences Program), Alan Robock

(Environmental Sciences), Jeffrey B. Basara, and Bradley G. Illston. 2011. Evaluation of SMOS

retrievals of soil moisture over the central United States with currently available in-situ

observations. Submitted to J. Geophys. Res. DOI: 10.1029/2011JD017095.

Barkay, T. (Biochemistry and Microbiology), N. Kroer, and A. Poulain. "Some like it cold: Microbial

transformations of Hg in polar regions.‖ Accepted for publication in Polar Research.

Männistö, M.K., Rawat, S., Starovoytov, V., Häggblom, M.M. (Biochemistry and Microbiology).

2011. Granulicella arctica sp. nov., Granulicella mallensis sp. nov., Granulicella sapmiensis sp.

nov. and Granulicella tundricola sp. nov., novel Acidobacteria from tundra soil of Northern

Finland. Int. J. System. Evol. Microbiol. In press.

Jordan, Rebecca (Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources), Maria Ruibal-Villasenor, Cindy E.

Hmelo-Silver, and Eugenia Etkina (Rutgers Graduate School of Education). 2011. Laboratory

materials: Affordances or constraints? J Res Sci Teach 48: 1010–1025. DOI: 10.1002/tea.20418.

Sharma, J. Wang, S. Duffy (Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources), S, Zhang, M. Wong, A.

Rashed, M. Cooper, K. Daane, and R. Almeida. 2011. Hierarchical genetic analysis of a plant

disease caused by a virus complex. PLoS One 6:e26227.

R. Acosta-Leal, S. Duffy(Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources), Z. Xiong, R. Hammond, and

S.F. Elena. 2011. Advances in plant virus evolution: Translating evolutionary insights into better

disease management. Phytopathology 101:1136-1148.

21

Aronson, M. F. J. (2006 Ph.D., Steven Handel advisor– Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources),

and S. N. Handel. 2011. Deer and invasive plant species suppress forest herbaceous communities

and canopy tree regeneration. Natural Areas Journal 31:500-507.

Jordan, R.C. (Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources), D. Howe, S. Gray, W.R. Brooks, and J.G.

Ehrenfeld (posthumous). Knowledge gain and behavioral change in citizen science programs.

Conservation Biology. DOI:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01745.x.

Jordan, R.C. (Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources), M. Ruibal-Villasenor, and E. Etkina. 2011

Laboratory materials: Affordances or constraints. Journal of Research in Science Teaching

48:1010-1025.

Vattam, S., A. Goel, S. Rugaber, C. Hmelo-Silver, R. Jordan (Ecology, Evolution, and Natural

Resources), S. Gray, and S. Sinha. 2011. Understanding complex natural systems by articulating

Structure-Behavior-Function models. Educational Technology and Society14: 66-81.

Kuebbing, S., D. Simberloff, and J.L. Lockwood (Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources). 2011.

Species origins do matter. The Scientist. September 28.

Blackburn, T.M., T.A.A. Prowse, J.L. Lockwood (Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources), and P.

Cassey. Passerine introductions to New Zealand show a positive effect of propagule pressure on

establishment success. Biodiversity and Conservation 20:2189-2199.

Meixler, M. S. (Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources) and M. B. Bain. 2011. Predicting

ecological outcomes of stream creation using fish community attributes. Ecological Engineering

37:1420-1424.

Winfree, R. (Entomology). 2011. The pollinator crisis: What's best for bees. Nature 469:164-165.

DOI:10.1038/479164a.

Winfree,R, I. Bartomeus, and D. P. Cariveau (Entomology). 2011. Native pollinators in

Anthropogenic habitats. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. 42:1-22.

DiNezio, P. N., A. C. Clement (University of Miami), G. A. Vecchi (NOAA/GFDL), B. Soden

(University of Miami), A. J. Broccoli (Environmental Sciences), B. Otto-Bliesner (National Center for

Atmospheric Research), and P. Braconnot (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et

l'Environnement). 2011. The response of the Walker circulation to LGM forcing: Implications for

detection in proxies. Paleoceanography 26: PA3217. DOI: 10.1029/2010PA002083.

Cerruti, B. J. (Ph.D. graduate, Graduate Program in Atmospheric Science, currently with

NOAA/National Weather Service/Meteorological Development Laboratory) and S. G. Decker

(Environmental Sciences). 2011. A statistical model of weather-related damage to a major

electric utility. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology. In press.

22

Decker, Steven G. (Environmental Sciences) and David A. Robinson (Geography; New Jersey

State Climatologist). 2011. Unexpected high winds in Northern New Jersey: A downslope

windstorm in modest topography. Weather and Forecasting 26, 902-921.

Fennell, D.E., Du, S. (Environmental Sciences), Liu, H. (Biochemistry and Microbiology), Liu F.

(University of California Los Angeles), and Häggblom, M.M. (Biochemistry and Microbiology).

2011. ―Dehalogenation of polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins and Dibenzofurans,

polychlorinated biphenyls and brominated flame retardants and potential as a bioremediation

strategy.‖ In Comprehensive Biotechnology: Principles, Applications and Regulations in Industry,

Agriculture, Medicine and the Environment, second edition, Volume 6 Environmental

Biotechnology, Chapter 6.13. S. Agathos, volume editor; M. Moo-Young, editor-in-chief.

Rodgers, K. B., S. E. Mikaloff-Fletcher, D. Bianchi, C. Beaulieu, E. D. Galbraith, A. Gnanadesikan, A.

G. Hogg, D. Iudicone, B. R. Lintner (Environmental Sciences), T. Naegler, P. J. Reimer, J. L.

Sarmiento, and R. D. Slater. 2011. Interhemispheric gradient of atmospheric radiocarbon reveals

natural variability of Southern Ocean winds. Climate of the Past 7, 1123-1138.

Han, T. and Mainelis, G. (Environmental Sciences). 2011. Investigation of inherent and latent

internal losses in liquid-based bioaerosol samplers. Journal of Aerosol Science.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jaerosci.2011.11.001.

Wang, Z. (Environmental Sciences), Shalat, S., Black, K., Lioy, P.J. (UMDNJ-EOHSI), Stambler, A.,

Emoekpere, O.H. (School of Engineering), Hernandez, M. (UMDNJ-EOHSI), Han, T., and Mainelis,

G. (Environmental Sciences). 2011. Use of a robotic sampling platform to assess young children‘s

exposure to indoor bioaerosols. Indoor Air. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0668.2011.00749.x.

Nazarenko, Y. (graduate student, Environmental Sciences), Han, T. (Environmental Sciences),

Lioy, P.J. (UMDNJ-EOHSI), and Mainelis, G. (Environmental Sciences). 2011. Potential for exposure

to engineered nanoparticles from nanotechnology-based consumer spray products. Journal of

Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology 21(5): 515-528.

Obropta, C.C. (Environmental Sciences; Water Resources Program) and Yergeau, S. (Water

Resources Program). 2011. Training organizations in use of a modified stream visual assessment

protocol. Journal of Extension 49(5): Article No. 5TOT8.

Kardos, J.S. and Obropta, C.C. (Environmental Sciences; Water resources Program). 2011. Water

quality model uncertainty analysis of a point‐point source phosphorus trading program. Journal

of the American Water Resources Association 47(6):1317–1337.

Zhu, W. (Wofford College) and Reinfelder, J.R. (Environmental Sciences). 2012. The microbial

community of a black shale pyrite biofilm and its implications for pyrite weathering.

Geomicrobiology Journal 29: 186-193.

Sandy, A.L., Guo, J., Miskewitz, R.J. (Environmental Sciences), McGillis, W.R. (Columbia University),

Rodenburg, L.A. (Environmental Sciences). 2012. Fluxes of polychlorinated biphenyls volatilizing

23

from the Hudson River, New York, measured using micrometeorological approaches. Environ.

Sci. Technol. In press.

Callaghan, A.V., B.E.L. Morris, I.A.C. Pereira, MJ Mcinerney, J.J. Kukor, J.M. Suflita, G.J. Zylstra, R.N.

Austin, J.J. Groves, L.Y. Young (Environmental Sciences), and B. Wawrik. 2011. The genome

sequence of Desulfatibacillum alkenivorans AK-01: A blueprint for anaerobic alkane oxidation.

Environ Microbiol. DOI:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2011.02516.x.

Li, Y., A.W. Porter, A. Mumford, X. Zhao, and L.Y. Young (Environmental Sciences). 2012. Bacterial

community structure and bamA gene diversity in anaerobic degradation of toluene and

benzoate under denitrifying conditions. J Appl Microbiol. In press.

Rogers, M.A. (Food Science). 2011. Co-operative self-assembly of cholesterol and γ-

oryzanol composite crystals. CrystEngComm 13, 7049-7057. DOI:10.1039/C1CE05818E.

Lam, R.S.H and Rogers, M.A. (Food Science). 2011. Activation energy of crystallization for

trihydroxystearic acid, stearic acid and 12-hydroxystearic acid under non- isothermal cooling

conditions. Crystal Growth and Design 11, 3593-3599.

Grahame, D.A.S., Olauson, C. Lam, R.S.H., Pedersen, T., Borondics, F. Abraham, S. Weiss, R.G.,

and Rogers, M.A. (Food Science). 2011. Influence of chirality on the modes of self-assembly of

12-Hydroxystearic acid in molecular gels of mineral oil. Soft Matter 7, 7359-7365.

Rutherford, H., Low, N.H., Borondics, F., Pedersen, T., and Rogers, M.A. (Food Science). 2011.

Dependence of liquid crystal morphology on phospholipid hydrocarbon length. Colloids and

Surfaces: Biointerfaces 87, 116-121.

McCay, B. J. (Human Ecology). 2011. ―Enclosing the fishery commons: From individuals to

communities.‖ In Property in Land and Other Resources, edited by D. H. Cole and E. Ostrom, 219-

251. Cambridge, MA: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

McCay, B. J. (Human Ecology) and Jones, P.J.S. 2011. Marine protected areas and the

governance of marine ecosystems and fisheries. Conservation Biology 25, 1130-1133.

Saudiel, R. S., McCay, B. J., (Human Ecology) Johnson, T., and Weisman, W. 2011. Surgimiento,

formación, y persistencia de organizaciones sociales para la pesca ribereña de la península de

Baja California: un enfoque antropológico. Region y Sociedad 23(51), 71-99.

Onyango, B., Hooker, N., Hallman, W.K. (Human Ecology), & Mohammed, I. (2011) Americans‘

potential responses to deliberate food contamination: A risk perception and communication

study. Journal of Bioterrorism and Biodefense S5:001. DOI:10.4172/2157-2526.S5-001.

Caviglia, J. M., Betters, J.L., Dapito, D. H., Lord, C.C., Sullivan, S. P., Chua, S., Sekowski, A., Yin, T.,

Mu, H., Shapiro, L., Brown, J.M., and Brasaemle, D. L. (Nutritional Sciences). 2011. Adipose-

24

selective over-expression of CGI-58 does not increase lipolysis or protect against diet-induced

obesity. J. Lipid Res. 52, 2032-2042.

Fitzgerald, N. (Nutritional Sciences), Hromi-Fiedler, A., Segura-Pérez, S., and Pérez-Escamilla, R.

2011. Food insecurity is related to type 2 diabetes among Latinas. Ethnicity & Disease 21 (3):328-

334.

Fitzgerald, N. (Nutritional Sciences), Grenci, A., Turner, C., Edelman, R., Mincher, D. 2011.

Developing a web-based educational environment for consumers and professionals to prevent

diabetes: Diabetes communities of practice. J Nutrition Education & Behavior 43 (Suppl. 1):S4-5.

Shapses, S.A. (Nutritional Sciences) and Rosen, C.J. 2011. Optimal vitamin D levels in health and

disease: Current understanding based on IOM guidelines. Vitamin D Update. Translational

Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Endocrine Society 2(3): 13-42.

Shapses, Sue A. (Nutritional Sciences), Lewis, R.D., and Pollack, N. 2011. ―Relationships between

fat and bone in children and adults.‖ In Diet, Nutrients and Bone Health, edited by J.B. Anderson,

S.C. Garner, and P.J. Klemmer. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis.

Torres, M.S., White, J.F. (Plant Biology and Pathology), Hinton, D.M., and Bacon, C.W. 2011.

Endophyte-mediated adjustments in host morphology and physiology and effects on host fitness

traits in grasses. Fungal Ecology. DOI:10.1016/j.funeco.2011.05.006.

Mejía, L.C., Castlebury, L.A., Rossman, A.Y., and White, J.F. (Plant Biology and Pathology). 2011.

New species, phylogeny, host associations, and geographic distribution of genus Cryptosporella

(Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales). Mycologia 103: 379-399.

Mejía, L.C. (Plant Biology and Pathology), Rossman, A.Y., Castlebury, L.A., Yang, Z.L., and White,

J.F. Jr. (Plant Biology and Pathology). 2011. Occultocarpon, a new monotypic genus of

Gnomoniaceae on Alnus nepalensis from China. Fungal Diversity. DOI 10.1007/s13225-011-0108-y.

Krings, M., T. N. Taylor, J. F. White, Jr. (Plant Biology and Pathology). 2011. Fungal sporocarps from

the Carboniferous: An unusual specimen Traquairia. Rev. Palaeobotany and Palynology 168: 1-6.

Mejía, L.C., Castlebury, LA.., Rossman, A.Y., and White, J.F. (Plant Biology and Pathology). 2011.

Systematic review of the genus Plagiostoma Fuckel (Gnomoniaceae) based on morphology,

host-associations, and a four-gene phylogeny. Studies in Mycology 63: 1-72.

Guohong Cai, (Plant Biology and Pathology), Kevin Myers, William E. Fry, and Bradley I. Hillman.

(Plant Biology and Pathology). 2011. A member of the virus family Narnaviridae from the plant

pathogenic oomycete Phytophthora infestans. Archives of Virology. DOI: 10.1007/s00705-011-

1126-5.

Beirn, L. A. (Plant Biology and Pathology), Moy, M., Meyer, W. A., Clarke, B. B. (Plant Biology and

Pathology), and Crouch, J. A. 2011. Molecular analysis of turfgrass rusts reveals the widespread

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distribution of Puccinia coronata as a pathogen of Kentucky bluegrass in the United States. Plant

Dis. 95:1547-1557.

Koch, M.J., B. Huang, and S.A. Bonos (Plant Biology and Pathology). 2011. Salinity tolerance of

Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and selections using an overhead irrigated screening technique.

Crop Science 51(6):2846-2857.

Elena V. Shabrova, Olga Tarnopolsky, Ajay P. Singh (Plant Biology and Pathology), Jorge Plutzky,

Nicholi Vorsa (Plant Biology and Pathology), and Loredana Quadro (Food Science). 2011.

Insights into the Molecular Mechanisms of the Anti-Atherogenic Actions of Flavonoids in Normal

and Obese Mice. PLoS ONE 6(10): e24634. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0024634.

Ferren, W.R. (Plant Biology and Pathology) and F. Roberts. 2011 The genus Sueda

(Chenopodiaceae) and conservation of estuaries in the Baja California peninsula and Sonora,

Mexico. Proceedings of the CNPS Conservation Conference Jan. 17-19, 2009: pp. 56-70.

ISE Coordinator in Nigeria visits Rutgers

At the invitation of Rutgers‘ International Science and Education (ISE) team, Dr. Victor Adetimirin,

professor of Plant Breeding at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, and coordinator of

Rutgers‘ ISE program in Nigeria visited the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences from

October25-28. Adetimirin‘s visit was in fulfillment of ISE‘s requirement to invite collaborators to

Rutgers for academic interaction with faculty and students. Highlights of his visit included:

Teaching of our International Ag: New Crops and New Uses class on ―Vegetable Crops of

West Africa: Diversity, Adaptation and Nutraceutical Values,‖ meeting with the Director

of Center for African Studies, Dr. Ousseina Alidou, a guided tour of Rutgers Gardens and

Horticultural Research Farm II (Turfgrass Research Center) on Ryders Lane (October 25);

Guided tour of Rutgers Agricultural Research & Extension Center (RAREC) at Upper

Deerfield, RCE of Monmouth County office at Shrewsbury, and Rutgers Plant Science

Research and Extension Farm in Adelphia (October 26);

Meeting with ISE team, guided tour of faculty laboratories in Foran Hall, and the nut tree

research plot at Horticultural Farm 3 on Ryders Lane (October 27), and

Seminar presentation at the Plant Biology Graduate Program Seminar Series on Trends in

Crop Improvement Research in West Africa: Perspectives from the University of Ibadan,

Nigeria (October 28).

Adetimirin expressed satisfaction with the conduct of Rutgers interns Nicholas Greene and Syed

Abbas whom he supervised in Nigeria in the summer of 2009 and 2010. He was pleased with the

accomplishments of the students and has maintained contact since the students completed

their internship. He assured the ISE team of his determination to explore the possibility of the

University of Ibadan, Nigeria, also sending students to Rutgers to maximize the benefit of the ISE

program as a fully interactive initiative for students and faculty. Adetimirin is also Rutgers‘ chief

contact in Nigeria for the Excellence in Higher Education for Liberia‘s Development initiative, led

by Jim Simon (Plant Biology and Pathology). The ISE program, which started in 2008, is jointly

funded by USDA/NIFA and Rutgers NJAES, and managed by Michael Lawton, director and

Albert Ayeni, co-director (Plant Biology and Pathology).

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Dr. Victor Adetimirin at Rutgers‘ Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Upper Deerfield, NJ, in

the company of Tom Orton (extension specialist and vegetable breeder)

This report is produced by the Office of Communications. For information or to provide

comments, please contact Paula Walcott-Quintin at quintin@aesop.rutgers.edu, or 848-932-

4204.