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Building Capacity to Address Impacts of Climate Change on Health Inequities in New Jersey

Building Capacity to Address Impacts of Climate Change on Health InequitiesOn June 24, 2019, the New Jersey Climate Change Alliance and the New Jersey Society for Public Health Education convened a meeting of New Jersey leaders to discuss the synergies between climate change impacts and health inequities. This summary outlines the discussions of the participants at the convening.

Climate Change Policy in New Jersey at Duke Farms
On Wednesday, September 27th, 2017, the New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance hosted a conference to assess the state of New Jersey’s preparedness for a changing climate. Over 200 scientists, practitioners, and decisions makers came together to assess how far the Garden State has come in preparing for climate change and what critical decisions and stsrategies are needed now and into the future to protect our people, places, and assets. The conference agenda and presentations are below.
AGENDA AND PRESENTATIONS

9:00 AM Welcome and overview

9:15-9:45 AM State of New Jersey’s Climate

Professor Anthony Broccoli, Ph.D. Department of Environmental Sciences; Rutgers University
Broccoli Presentation

9:45-10:15 AM An overview of statewide policy recommendations

Marjorie Kaplan, Dr.P.H. Associate Director; Rutgers Climate Institute
Kaplan Presentation

10:15-11:15 AM Opportunities to Improve Quality of Life for all New Jerseyans. Facilitated by Dan Fatton, Executive Director, New Jersey Work Environmental Council
Fatton Presentation

Panelists:

  • George DiFerdinando, Jr.,M.D.,M.P.H,FACP, Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health.
    DiFerdinando Presentation
  • Ana Baptista Ph.D, Assistant Professor, The Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy
    Baptista Presentation
  • David Henry, Health Officer, Monmouth County Regional Health Commission
    Henry Presentation
  • Robert Laumbach, M.D.,M.P.H.,C.I.H, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Medicine Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
    Laumbach Presentation
  • Rob Freudenberg, Director, Energy and Environmental Programs, Regional Plan Association
    Freudenberg Presentation

11:30AM – 12:30 PM Opportunities to improve New Jersey’s Infrastructure. Facilitated by Mark Mauriello, Director of Environmental Affairs & Planning, Edgewood Properties
Mauriello Presentation

Panelists:

  • Jeff Perlman, Principal Planner, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
  • Rick Thigpen, Vice President, State Government Affairs, PSE&G Services Corporation
    Thigpen Presentation
  • Patrick Natale, Vice President, Mott McDonald
    Natale Presentation
  • Jennifer Senick Ph.D, Executive Director, Rutgers Center for Green Building
    Senick Presentation
  • John A. Miller, P.E, CFM, CSM, Legislative Committee Chair, NJ Association for Floodplain Management
    Miller Presentation

12:30 – 2:00 PM Lunch and Keynote

Keynote speaker introduction by Michael Catania, Executive Director, Duke Farms

Keynote Speaker
Mindy Lubber, President and CEO of CERES
Lubber Presentation

2:00 – 3:00 PM Opportunities to Protect the Places We Love — Facilitated by Patty Doerr, Director of Coastal and Marine Programs, The Nature Conservancy of NJ
Doerr Presentation

Panelists

3:00 – 3:45 PM Opportunities to Protect the Places We Love — Facilitated by Gary Sondermeyer, Vice President for Operations, Bayshore Recycling

Discussants:

  • Randall E. Solomon, Director, The Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey
  • Megan Linkin,Vice President, Swiss Reinsurance America Holding Corporation
  • Anthony MacDonald, Director, Urban Coast Institute Monmouth University
  • Dr. Nicky Sheats, Esq, John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy, Thomas Edison State College
  • Peter Kasabach, Executive Director, New Jersey Future

3:00 – 3:45 PM Wrap up and discussion— Facilitated by Jeanne Herb, Associate Director, Environmental Analysis and Communications Group, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University

Speaker Biographies

Gallery
Thank you to our conference sponsors:
Sponsors

4-H Climate & Environmental (Teen) Summit

The Rutgers University Climate & Environmental Change Teen Summit is a Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program for middle and high school students designed to increase knowledge and understanding of climate change science through interaction with Rutgers University scientists.

Since 2009, Rutgers has offered a multi-day on campus event for middle and high school students designed to increase knowledge and understanding of climate change science through interaction with Rutgers University scientists. Using an action planning process, youth develop community service projects to demonstrate their newly acquired knowledge of climate change and their creativity in addressing climate change.

The New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance, which is co-facilitated by Rutgers University, has supported the Summit since 2014.

Learn more about the Teen Summit here.

4-H Climate & Environmental (Teen) Summit

On Friday June 3, 2016, Rutgers University hosted a workshop for public health professionals to learn about how a changing climate may affect public health in New Jersey and about strategies to better prepare New Jersey’s public health practitioners and professionals to address these impacts. The workshop was planned planned by the New Jersey Climate Change and Public Health Working Group under the umbrella of the New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance which is facilitated by Rutgers University.

The workshop agenda and presentations are below.

Agenda and Presentations
9:00 AM Welcome and overview of the session

9:15-10:00 AM Climate Trends in New Jersey

  • Professor Anthony Broccoli, Ph.D. Department of Environmental Sciences; Rutgers University
    Broccoli Presentation

10:00-10:30 AM Implications of a Changing Climate on Public Health in New Jersey

  • Jerald Fagliano, Ph.D., M.P.H., Associate Clinical Professor and Chair; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University.
    Fagliano Presentation

10:45-11:15 AM Overview of Innovative Efforts Across the U.S. – Facilitated by Jeanne Herb, Associate Director; Environmental Analysis and Communications Group, Rutgers University Bloustein School

  • George Luber, Ph.D. Chief; Climate and Health Program, Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
    Luber Presentation

11:15 AM – NOON Experiences in Other States – Facilitated by Robert Laumbach, M.D., M.P.H., C.I.H, Associate Professor; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Rutgers University School of Public Health

  • Building a scalable and sustainable approach to evaluate climate-related health impacts in Massachusetts – Marc Nascarella, Director; Environmental Toxicology Program, Bureau of Environmental Health, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
    Nascarella Presentation
  • Implementing the BRACE Framework in Florida – Kristina Kintziger, Environmental Consultant, Florida BRACE Program, Public Health Research Unit, Florida Department of Health
    Kintziger Presentation

12:00-12:20 PM Challenges Facing Communities in New Jersey – Amy Goldsmith, New Jersey Director; Clean Water Action

12:20-1:00 PM Challenges and Opportunities in New Jersey: A Panel Discussion of New Jersey Public Health Professionals – Facilitated by Colette Lamothe-Galette, Acting Director of Population Health, New Jersey Department of Health

  • Kevin McNally; New Jersey Public Health Association
  • David Henry, New Jersey Association of County and City Health Officials
  • George DiFerdinando, MD, MPH, Adjunct Professor, Rutgers School of Public Health, Chair, Princeton Board of Health

Speaker Biographies

Gallery
Workshop Partners
Workshop partners
NJ Spotlight Breakfast Roundtable: How Well is NJ Prepared to Deal with Climate Change?

The New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance sponsored an NJ Spotlight breakfast roundtable open to the public in Trenton, NJ on February 13, 2015. NJ Spotlight is a non-partisan, independent, policy-centered, community-minded online news service that delivers insight and information on issues critical to New Jersey, with the aim of informing and engaging the state’s communities and businesses.

Panelists included:

  • Ana Baptista, Assistant Professor, The Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy, The New School
  • Jon Carnegie, Executive Director, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
  • Michael Catania, Executive Director, Duke Farms
  • George DiFerdinando, Adjunct Professor Department of Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health
  • Jess Melanson, Director of Energy Services, PSE&G
  • John A. Miller, Legislative Committee Chair, New Jersey Association For Floodplain Management

The panel was moderated by Tom Johnson, NJ Spotlight cofounder and energy & environment writer.

Read coverage of the event here.

Climate Change Preparedness in New Jersey:
Leading Practices and Policy Priorities

For a full review of conference events, including a summary of afternoon working sessions, read the conference proceedings.

Read this Rutgers article about the NJCAA’s May 22nd conference: Climate Change Preparedness in NJ. Also read about the conference here and poll results unveiled at the conference here

May 22 Sponsors
AGENDA & CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
7:45-8:15 Registration and Continental Breakfast 8:30 Welcome James H. Hughes, Dean, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
  • Anne Hoskins, Senior Vice President for
  • Public Affairs and Sustainability, PSEG
  • Honorable James J. Florio
8:45-9:30 New Jersey Insights Introduction: Gary Sondermeyer, Vice President of Operations, Bayshore Recycling, Inc.
9:30-10:45 Leading Practices and Trends Nationally (Panel 1)
  • Agriculture — William Hohenstein, Director, Climate Change Program Office, USDA (Hohenstein presentation)
  • Coastal Communities — Margaret Davidson, Director, NOAA Coastal Services Center (Davidson presentation)
  • Natural Resources — Bruce Stein, Director Climate Adaptation, National Wildlife Federation (Stein presentation)
Moderator: Nick DeNichilo, PE, President and CEO, Hatch Mott MacDonald
10:45-11:00 Break 11:00-12:30 Welcome Robert M. Goodman, Executive Dean, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Leading Practices and Trends Nationally (Panel 2)
  • Public Health — Michael A. McGeehin, Former Division Director, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (McGeehin presentation)
  • Transportation — John Posey, Director, East-West Gateway Council of Governments (Posey presentation)
  • Utilities — Sue Tierney, Managing Director, Environmental Analysis Group (Tierney presentation)
  • Water Resources — Paul Fleming, Manager Climate & Resiliency Group, Seattle Public Utilities and Chair, Water Utility Climate Alliance (Fleming presentation)
Moderator: Kathleen Ellis, Chief Operating Officer, New Jersey Natural Gas

Thanks to our Education and Outreach Lead Sponsors, Supporters and Contributors and NJCAA Underwriters

12:30-1:45 Lunch Overview of climate change adaptation activities in the United States at the state and federal level Introduction: James Bach, Chief Operating Officer, The Louis Berger Group, Inc.
    • Vicki Arroyo, Executive Director, Georgetown Climate Center (Arroyo presentation)
    • Reducing Risks to Vulnerable Populations Introduction: Nicky Sheats, Thomas Edison State College
    • Beverly Wright, Executive Director, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Dillard University (Wright presentation)
2:00-4:00 State of Climate Preparedness in New Jersey — Three concurrent panels Preparing for Climate Change in New Jersey: Preparing our Residents Moderator: Tony MacDonald, Director, Urban Coast Institute, Monmouth University
  • Public Health — George DiFerdinando Jr., Director, NJ Center for Public Health Preparedness at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Public Health (DiFerdinando presentation)
  • Insurance — Megan Linkin, Natural Hazards Expert, Vice President Global Partnerships, Swiss Re America Holding Corporation (Linkin presentation)
  • Social Services — Robert Kley, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Mental Health Association of New Jersey
  • Emergency Management — Bob Butkus, Domestic Preparedness Planner, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, Office of Emergency Management (Butkus presentation)
  • Water Resources — Daniel Van Abs, Associate Research Professor, Rutgers University (Van Abs presentation)
  • Underserved Communities — Roland Anglin, Director and Associate Research Professor, The Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies, Rutgers University (Anglin presentation)
Preparing for Climate Change in New Jersey: Preparing our Infrastructure Moderator: Jeff Perlman, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
  • Coastal and Inland Flooding — Mark Mauriello, New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management (Mauriello presentation)
  • Transportation and Planning — Jon Carnegie, Executive Director, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers University (Carnegie presentation)
  • Water Utilities — Dennis Doll, President & Chief Executive Officer, Middlesex Water Company (Doll presentation)
  • Energy Utilities — Kim Hanemann, Vice President for Transmission, PSEG (Hanemann presentation)
  • Natural Resource Restoration — Patty Doerr, Director of Coastal and Marine Programs, The Nature Conservancy of New Jersey (Doerr presentation)
  • Lands Management and Stewardship — Michael Catania, Executive Director, Duke Farms Foundation (Catania presentation)

Preparing for Climate Change in New Jersey: Preparing Our Communities
Due to technical difficulties, a video recording of this panel discussion is not available.

Moderator: Jennifer Gonzalez, Environmental Planner, County of Passaic Department of Planning & Economic Development

  • Community Engagement — Randy Solomon, Co-Director, The Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey (Solomon presentation)
  • Coastal Communities — Tim Dillingham, Executive Director, American Littoral Society
  • Urban Communities — Ana Baptista, Environmental & Planning Projects Director, Ironbound Community Corporation (Baptista presentation)
  • Agricultural Communities — Mark Robson, Dean of Agricultural and Urban Programs, Professor of Entomology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University (Robson presentation)
  • Community and Regional Planning — Lucy Vandenberg, Executive Director, PlanSmart NJ (Vandenberg presentation)
  • Community-based Tools — Lisa Auermuller, Watershed Coordinator, Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (Auermuller presentation)
Inaugural Conference Proceedings

For a full review of conference events, including a summary of afternoon working sessions, read the conference proceedings.

DOWNLOAD CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS HERE

Workshop Highlights
U.S. Navy Captain Tony Miller
U.S. Navy Capt. Tony Miller, Director of Task Force Climate Change, presented the keynote address (photo by Larry Levanti)

Climate scientists predict that heat waves, droughts, and heavy rains are likely to increase in frequency and severity as the climate changes, and sea level rise will lead to erosion and wetland loss as well as exacerbate the effects of coastal storms.

On Tuesday, November 29 a workshop at Rutgers University responded to a clear and compelling need to bring together public and private sector leaders to assess and discuss the most significant effects of climate change in New Jersey and to begin preparedness planning to minimize economic impacts.

Organized by Clean Air-Cool Planet in partnership with the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and the Rutgers Climate Institute at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, with support from PSEG, the workshop brought together a broad array of experts to discuss climate change impacts of particular importance to New Jersey at the workshop, Preparing New Jersey for Climate Change.

“This workshop takes the first step in the development of a common information base and the creation of a network of New Jersey leaders and practitioners who will be better prepared to serve New Jersey communities, businesses, and other stakeholders as we begin to address the challenges of climate preparedness,” said Dr. Anthony Broccoli, director of the Climate and Environmental Change Initiative.

The initiative is a university-wide multidisciplinary research, education, and outreach effort focused on understanding the mechanisms that drive global and regional climate change; predicting the future of the climate system and the impacts of change, including those on a densely populated, coastal society; and informing society about the causes and consequences of climate change.

In his keynote U.S. Navy Capt. Tony Miller, Deputy Director of Task Force Climate Change, noted that risk preparedness in the face of a changing climate change is emerging as priority in the military sector just as in the civilian sector. In May 2009, the Chief of Naval Operations created Task Force Climate Change (TFCC) to address the naval implications of a changing Arctic and global environment. The Task Force was created to make recommendations to Navy leadership regarding policy, investment, and action, and to lead public discussion on this serious issue.

Panelists at the workshop noted that July 2011 was recorded as one the state’s warmest, tied with 1955, and six of the 10 warmest Julys have occurred in the past 18 years. Hurricane Irene was ranked among the all-time top five precipitation events in the state, with streams and rivers rising to record or near-record levels. And August 2011 has been officially declared the wettest month of any on record in New Jersey—and that is only partly due to the effects of Hurricane Irene.

“Climate impacts are no longer just speculation. We are seeing the first clear signs of how more extreme and unpredictable weather will affect our communities, public health, and economic development. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to start preparing to address the coming challenges now,” explained Adam Markham, president of Clean Air-Cool Planet.

Clean Air-Cool Planet has a more than decade-long track record of working to explore and promote solutions to climate and energy challenges with leaders from different sectors. “Communities throughout the Northeast are crying out for hard information and good advice on how to prepare for climate change impacts and reduce their vulnerability,” said Markham. “We’re delighted to have helped get the ball rolling here in New Jersey today and to be playing a role in beginning to answer these important questions.”

“Climate change poses the greatest environmental threat to mankind,” said Anne Hoskins, PSEG’s senior vice president of public affairs and sustainability. “It is imperative that business executives, government officials and environmental leaders develop forward thinking plans and policies to prepare and adapt to changes in our climate.”

“We hope to communicate the outcomes of this workshop to the public, key policymakers, environmental leaders, and the non-profit sector,” noted Dr. Broccoli. “The ultimate goal is to develop and facilitate a consensus-based strategic planning process for climate change vulnerability assessment and preparedness for New Jersey through the development of sound and cost-effective public policies.”

Organized by Clean Air-Cool Planet in Partnership with Rutgers University Hosted at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, New Brunswick 7:30-8:30 Registration/Breakfast 8:30-9:00 Welcome and Opening Remarks
  • Dean James W. Hughes, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
  • Dean Robert M. Goodman, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
  • Anne E. Hoskins, Senior Vice President for Public Affairs and Sustainability, PSEG, and member of the Board of Air-Cool Planet
9:00-10:45 Panel: Assessing New Jersey’s Risks from Climate Change
  • Dr. Anthony Broccoli, Director, Climate & Environmental Change Initiative, Rutgers University (Anthony Broccoli presentation)
  • Adam Freed, Deputy Director, Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, Office of the Mayor, City of New York (Adam Freed presentation)
  • Dr. Kim Knowlton, Assistant Clinical Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University (Kim Knowlton presentation)
  • Dr. Joseph Seneca, Professor, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University (Joseph Seneca presentation)
10:45-11:00 Break 11:00-12:20 Panel on Anticipating Economic Impacts of New Jersey’s Climate Change Risks
  • Lindsey Ross, Policy Analyst, American Security Project (Ms. Ross was unable to attend)
  • Dr. Robin Leichenko, Director, Rutgers Initiative and Climate and Society (Robin Leichenko presentation)
  • Dr. Megan Linkin, Assistant Vice President at Allianz Risk Transfer, Inc. (Megan Linkin presentation)

12:30-1:45 Lunch at the Heldrich Hotel

Keynote Speaker: Captain Tony Miller, Deputy Director, Task Force Climate Change, US Navy

Remarks:

  • Honorable James J. Florio, former Governor of the State of New Jersey
  • Honorable Thomas H. Kean, former Governor of the State of New Jersey
  • President Richard L. McCormick, Rutgers University

2:00-3:30: Concurrent Working Sessions
For summary of working session discussions, dowload conference proceedings.

Moderator: Dr. Nicky Sheats, Thomas Edison State College (Nicky Sheats presentation)

Moderator: Dr. Michael Weinstein, Director, PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies, Montclair State

Moderator: Tony MacDonald, Director of the Urban Coast Institute (UCI), Monmouth University

Moderator: Michael Catania, Executive Director, Conservation Resources, Inc.

3:30-3:45: Break
3:45-4:30: Reporting out from the afternoon sessions

  • Session moderators with Jeanne Herb and Marjorie Kaplan
  • Adam Markham, President, Clean Air-Cool Planet

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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