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Who we are, what we do

Our Mission

The New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center was established by statute in January 2020 to “create and support the use of impartial and actionable science to advance government, public, private, and nongovernmental sector efforts to adapt to, and mitigate, a changing climate.” To that end, our mission is to:

• Conduct research with real-world applications to New Jersey’s most pressing climate-related challenges;

• Create planning tools, develop technical guidance, undertake pilot projects, and provide practical support for addressing climate change in New Jersey;

• Connect actionable research to policymakers, planners, practitioners, the media, communities, students, and other individuals through outreach, training, and education.

Directors and Advisers

The Climate Change Resource Center is overseen by co-directors Jeanne Herb and Marjorie Kaplan, with faculty advisers Clinton J. Andrews, Anthony Broccoli, Jie Gong, Robert Kopp, Robert Laumbach, Robin Leichenko, and Julie L. Lockwood and the support of professionals in various fields.

Directors

Jeanne Herb

Jeanne Herb

Executive Director
Environmental Analysis and Communications Group, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Phone: 848-932-2725
Email 

Marjorie Kaplan, NJ Climate Change Resource Center

Marjorie Kaplan

Senior Associate Director
Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute
Phone: 848-932-5739
Email 

Faculty Advisers​

Clinton J. Andrews

• Professor and Associate Dean for Research, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy

• Director, Rutgers Center for Green Building
Anthony Broccoli

Anthony Broccoli

• Earth Systems Science Lead, Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute

• Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences
Jie Gong, Rutgers University

Jie Gong

• Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Robert Kopp

Robert Kopp​

• Professor, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences

• Co-Director, Office of Climate Action

• Director, Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub
Robert Laumbach

Robert Laumbach

• Associate Professor, Rutgers University School of Public Health

• EOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Robin Leichenko

Robin Leichenko

• Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences

• Former and founding Co-director, Rutgers Climate Institute

• Professor, Department of Geography

Julie Lockwood, Rutgers University

Julie L. Lockwood

• Professor, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources

• Interim Director, Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute

Leadership Team

Lisa Auermuller

Administrative Director
CoPe Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub (MACH)
Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Email

John Gattuso, NJ Climate Change Resource Center

John Gattuso

Communications Manager
Gattuso Media Design
Email

Lucas Marxen, NJ Climate Change Resource Center

Lucas Marxen

NJADAPT Project Manager
Associate Director, Office of Research Analytics, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station
Email 

James Shope, NJ Climate Change Resource Center

James Shope

Applied Climatologist
Research Associate, Department of Environmental Sciences
Email 

Vanessa Tropiano

Senior Research Specialist
Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy
Email 

Partners

Pritpal Bamhrah, NJCCRC

Pritpal Bamhrah

Senior Research Specialist
New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center
Email

Janine Barr

Research Project Coordinator
Environmental Analysis and Communications Group, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Email 

Garin Bulger

Garin Bulger

Research Analyst
Environmental Analysis & Communications Group, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Email

Matt Campo, xNJ Climate Change Resource Center

Matt Campo

Coadjutant Faculty
Environmental Analysis and Communications Group, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Email

Jon A. Carnegie

Executive Director
Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Email

Jonathan DeLura, Rutgers Climate Corps

Jonathan DeLura

Research Specialist
New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Office of Research Analytics
Email

Will Irving, Rutgers University

Will Irving

Professor of Practice
Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Email 

Carrie Ferraro, NJ Climate Change Resource Center

Carrie Ferraro

Assistant Professor of Professional Practice Director, Rutgers Science Explorer Program Email

Richard G. Lathrop Jr.

Director
Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing & Spatial Analysis
Professor of Environmental Monitoring
Rutgers University
Email 

Zoe Linder-Baptie

Zoë Linder-Baptie

Research Project Manager
Environmental Analysis and Communications Group, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Email 

Karen Lowrie

Associate Director
Environmental Analysis and Communications Group, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Email 

Janice McDonnell, Rutgers University

Janice McDonnell

Associate Professor
Science Engineering Technology (SET) Agent
Department of Marine & Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University
Email

Efthymios (Thymios) Nikolopoulos

Associate Professor
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rutgers University
Email

Mark Rodgers, Rutgers Business School

Mark Rodgers

Assistant Professor
Supply Chain Management Department, Rutgers Business School
Email

Grace Saba, Rutgers University

Grace Saba

Associate Professor
Department of Marine & Coastal Sciences
Email

Jennifer Senick

Senior Executive Director
Center for Urban Policy Research, Bloustein School of Urban Planning and Policy
Email 

Ashlyn Spector

Research Specialist
Environmental Analysis and Communications Group and NJ Climate Change Resource Center, Bloustein School of Public Policy and Planning
Email 

Michelle Stuart

Michelle Stuart

Application Developer
Office of Research Analytics 

Acknowledgments​

This website draws upon the work of organizations and individuals across Rutgers University and its partners throughout New Jersey and beyond, including:

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion​

The values of diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential in the work of the NJ Climate Change Resource Center. We are committed to creating a welcoming and collaborative environment where people of all backgrounds are encouraged to develop their ideas and abilities in the effort to address climate change in New Jersey.

Who We Are

The New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center helps address climate change issues in New Jersey from emissions reduction to building adaptation and resilience by providing actionable science, planning tools, technical guidance, and support to policymakers, practitioners, and communities.

New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center at Rutgers University

Contact

NJ CLIMATE CHANGE RESOURCE CENTER
Jeanne Herb, Co-Director
Phone: 848-932-2725
Email

Marjorie Kaplan, Co-Director
Phone: 848-932-5739
Email

Instagram Linkedin Youtube

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Meet the Climate Corps

Angel Alguera, Rutgers Climate CorpsAngel Alguera
I am a first-year Atmospheric Science master’s degree student in the Department of Environmental Sciences, and my work focuses on meteorology and applications of climate change resiliency. My professional interests include severe weather forecasting and community preparedness regarding weather-related disasters. I work with Dr. James Shope at the NJ Climate Change Resource Center to produce applied research and reports relevant to New Jersey stakeholders. I currently assist with climate change data analysis, large dataset management, and report writing.

Daniel GilkesonDaniel Gilkeson
I’m a second-year master’s student in the City and Regional Planning Program with a concentration in environmental planning. As a planner, I hope to build more resilient communities in the face of increased risk due to climate change. With the Climate Change Resource Center, I am working on a project to aid the state in an update of its floodplain buyout program, known as Blue Acres, to be more proactive and comprehensive. Prior to this position, I interned in the Community and Economic Development Office at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Association. I’m also an AmeriCorps alum, having completed a year of service working on affordable housing in Nashville, Tennessee.

Benjamin GoldbergBenjamin Goldberg
I am a second-year Master of City and Regional Planning student concentrating in climate adaptation and resiliency planning, with experience in sustainable food systems. I joined the Climate Corps last summer to help develop a GIS-based food waste recovery tool, and currently support community resilience through flood vulnerability analysis. I hold a B.A. from Middlebury College and a Certificate in Ecological Horticulture from UC Santa Cruz.

Surya Jacob, Rutgers Climate CorpsSurya Jacob
I am a graduate student in the Master of City and Regional Planning program at the Bloustein School concentrating in community development, focused on housing, land and finance, as well as pursuing the Real Estate Development/Redevelopment Certification. Prior to Bloustein, I worked as an architect and interior designer in India and Canada and am pivoting towards a career in urban planning to engage in extensive projects at the macro level. My interests include affordable and mixed income housing, urban redevelopment, and housing finance, and I am deeply passionate about climate resilience in community planning. Being part of Climate Corps is a foundational step towards helping to solve equity issues in vulnerable communities along the coastal region.

Vineesh Das Kodakkandathil, RutgersVineesh Das Kodakkandathil
I am an urban planner with five years of professional experience in community-led ecotourism development and land use and environment management planning in ecologically sensitive areas. I have worked on and conducted extensive environmental sensitivity analyses, flood and landslide vulnerability assessments, and human impact assessments with the help of GIS tools. I’m currently pursuing my master’s in City and Regional Planning at Bloustein School with a concentration in Transport Planning and GIS.

Douglas LeungDouglas Leung
I am working with the Climate Change Resource Center to identify vulnerable communities and places affected by climate-induced flooding in coastal New Jersey municipalities. I am a Master of City and Regional Planning candidate at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. As a planner, I want to develop strategies and solve problems affecting our cities and communities that enable more equitable outcomes in housing and transportation. I am also a recent Army veteran, having served as a company commander of recruiting in the northern suburbs of Chicago and as a reconnaissance platoon leader in the 10th Mountain Division. For fun, I enjoy weightlifting, running, reading fiction, and board games.

Nihar MhatreNihar Mhatre
I am a master’s candidate in city and regional planning at Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, focusing on urban design and land use planning. Before being accepted at Rutgers, I worked as an architect at JD Studio and had my own architectural practice, Vastu Insights. My research interests revolve around designing and developing climate change adaptation and resilience strategies to promote equity in urban landscapes. Having the opportunity to work on real-world projects through Climate Corps will be an essential step in the development of my understanding of addressing climate change issues in vulnerable regions.

Justin MorrisJustin Morris
Justin is a master’s student at Rutgers University studying discovery informatics and data sciences. He is working under Professor Mark Rodgers to develop an optimization model that will act as a decision support tool for university financial investments with the end goal of eliminating Rutgers’ scope 2 emissions. He is excited to apply his background in data analytics and mathematical programming to help the university fight climate change.

Josephine O'GradyJosephine O’Grady
I am a first-year student in the Master of Public Policy program. Through the Coastal Climate Risk and Resilience (C2R2) certification, I am focusing a significant portion of my graduate coursework on topics including coastal geomorphology, environmental justice, and hazard mitigation planning. Before beginning my studies at the Bloustein School, I received my bachelor’s degree in public health from Kean University, where I first became interested in how coastal dynamics shape lived experiences. I previously served as an intern at the New Jersey State Policy Lab and currently work for the Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub (MACH) team.

Jessica Parineet Jessica Parineet
I am a first-year Master of Public Policy student at the Bloustein School with a strong interest in climate change policy and related topics. In my previous work, I gained experience in a number of dimensions of climate change issues through carbon capture storage research, urban heat island research, and community level engagement as I am currently on the Student Advisory Board for the Rutgers Office of Climate Action. I am excited to expand on my interests in environmental justice and local level resilience planning through my involvement in the Climate Corps.

Dillon Patel Dillan Patel
I am a second-year Master of City and Regional Planning student concentrating in Environmental Planning and International Development. I have previously worked as an economist performing cost-benefit analysis and conducting monitoring and evaluation for renewable energy in developing countries. I have also spent a summer in western Massachusetts mapping stormwater infrastructure and working with planners to identify suitable places for green stormwater infrastructure.

Moira Sweeder, Rutgers Climate CorpsMoira Sweeder
I am a graduate student enrolled in the Master of City and Regional Planning program at the Bloustein School. My concentration is environmental planning with a focus on coastal resilience. Before pursuing my master’s degree at Rutgers, I studied sustainability at Stockton University. During this time, I interned for the PSEG Institute of Sustainability Studies, the Jacques Cousteau National Estuary Research Reserve, and NJ Audubon. I am thrilled to now be a part of the Climate Corps, researching coastal resilience as a part of the Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub (MACH) team.

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