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The "Discovery Initiative" of the Office of Community Engagement invites you to join fellow alumni, current and retired faculty and staff, students, and the public for any or all of the "Discovery" events and programs offered by the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Click on the links below to read more about our upcoming events. Please check our website often for updates to our event calendar.
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Would you like to receive announcements?
If you would like to receive announcements about upcoming events, please take a moment to complete our interest survey, which will place you on our master invitation list. See upcoming events below.
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Discovery Tour: Grapevines and Fine Wines
May 25, 2011, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center
(RAREC), Bridgeton, New Jersey
 Don your gardening gloves and learn the art of grapevine pruning to allow for uniform sun exposure to the grape cluster, which leads to superior flavor development. Each participant will get hands-on experience pruning and positioning vines for the best results. Your farm experience will also include a wagon tour of the farm. A representative from Bellview Winery will join us during lunch for a tasting of four varieties of his finest wines and an introduction to the New Jersey wine industry. Each participant will receive a souvenir wine glass.
The registration fee, which includes lunch, wine tasting, and a souvenir glass, is $30 per person.
Register here
For more information, please contact the Office of Community Engagement at 732-932-2000, ext. 4205, or discovery@aesop.rutgers.edu.
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What's happening in the Cook Community...
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Screening of "Atlantic Crossing: A Robot's Daring Mission" Documentary
 On April 4, an audience of more than 100 alumni, faculty, staff, retired faculty, retired staff, families, and students watched with amazement as Scott Glenn, visionary oceanographer, led a team of world-renowned ocean scientists and students from the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences on a race against time to launch the first transatlantic autonomous underwater robot. Destined for Spain, the 8-foot underwater glider named RU27, or "Scarlet," is launched off the coast of New Jersey into the immense Atlantic Ocean. Engulfed by the powerful ocean, Scarlet faces extreme weather conditions, ship traffic and aggressive sea life that can terminate her mission at any moment.
This feature-length film, which has won numerous awards, takes viewers inside the world of the scientists and follows them through the daily preparations for the launch and the tense 221-day voyage across the ocean to Baiona, Spain, where Christopher Columbus landed in the Pinta. Scarlet is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D. "Atlantic Crossing" will be broadcast on educational television stations in the coming months. Check your TV listings.
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A Celebration of Excellence Awards Ceremony
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2011 Excellence Awards, which were presented at the Cook Campus Center on April 27. The program is fresh and new in many ways, while still respecting the customs of the past.
 Campus Dean Richard Ludescher was hilariously entertaining as Master of Ceremonies with comments like "buckets of fun," when he referred to the Great Tomato Tasting Event, or "herding a team of cats," when trying to photograph the winning team. We even learned that Wolfram Hoeffer likes "rusty things."
But on a serious note, the awards ceremony provided our community with an opportunity to acknowledge the extraordinary contributions of our faculty, staff, and students. Executive Dean Bob Goodman said during his opening remarks that "this event recognizes and salutes some of the best work of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, and Rutgers Cooperative Extension."
After the presentation of awards, guests mingled with friends and colleagues while they enjoyed a delicious reception featuring New Jersey wine by Heritage Winery.
Visit our website for a list of the 2011 award recipients and to view more event photos.
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Rutgers Day
The great weather on April 30 brought lots of visitors  to the G. H. Cook Campus for Rutgers Day, many of whom stopped by the Deans' Tent to meet Executive Dean Bob Goodman, and deans Bob Hills, Mark Robson, Kelly Watts, Brad Hillman, Larry Katz, and Rick Ludescher -- or was it the free salsa and ice sculpting by Dining  Services in the next tent. One will never know!
Rutgers Day provides a great opportunity for the university to showcase all the wonderful things it has to offer the residents of New Jersey.
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Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort Five-Year Reunion
 It's hard to believe that five years have passed since Mother Nature wreaked havoc on New Orleans in the form of Hurricane Katrina. Those were difficult days for the residents. But for 82 students, faculty, and staff from Rutgers University, it was a call to duty.
On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, following Rutgers Day on April 30, 2011, friends got together at the Cook Campus Center to reminisce about those life-changing experiences when they dedicated their blood, sweat, and tears to help a devastated community in Louisiana. Five years have passed, but the camaraderie remained the same. This time there were tears of joy as friends hugged and said hello. Don Heilman was instrumental in organizing the group. The group was welcomed by Executive Dean Bob Goodman, and President Richard McCormick attended to show his appreciation for their dedication as the nation came together to help a community in need. |
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As a continuing feature in our newsletter, we will be highlighting the research and activities of each of the departments within the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. This month's featured department is Nutritional Sciences.
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Rutgers Nutritional Scientist Helps State Combat Top Disease Killers
 Nurgul Fitzgerald, a registered dietitian, is administering a new U.S. Department of Agriculture grant aimed at addressing food insecurity in New Brunswick.
One unembellished statistic drives Rutgers Professor Nurgul Fitzgerald: An estimated 79 million people in the United States - roughly one in three adults - have a condition known as pre-diabetes. Untreated, it will lead to type 2 diabetes, with its attendant complications: blindness, kidney failure, loss of limbs, and heart disease.
The part that makes Fitzgerald gnash her teeth? It's hugely preventable. Read more here.
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Did you know Rutgers has its own preschool? The Nutritional Sciences Preschool on the Cook/Douglass Campus
 Each class has a certified head teacher along with a student teacher who is also enrolled in a child nutrition course. The teacher/student ratio is approximately one to three. The curriculum is based on discovery learning and meaningful social interaction through developmentally appropriate activities.
The preschool fosters the self-esteem of the individual child by encouraging independence and healthy growth. Click here for more information. |
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Office of Community Engagement
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
57 U.S. Highway 1, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8554
Phone: 732-932-2000
Email: discovery@aesop.rutges.edu
Website: www.discovery.rutgers.edu
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