100 Days Initiatives - Academic Symposia | Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

July 23, 2014

Dear Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce the selection of the initial academic symposia to be offered as part of the First 100 Days Initiatives of the University Strategic Plan. These symposia were selected after recommendations were received from a committee of faculty from New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden. The choice was not an easy one, as many fine proposals were submitted and only two could be funded for the 2014-15 academic year. In early September we will issue another call for proposals for symposia to be offered during the 2015-16 academic year. We look forward to continuing to work with all of you on these and other initiatives as we move the university forward together.

The 2014-15 academic symposia on the integrating themes are described below:

Global Climate Change and Inequality: Local to Global Perspectives

Submitting faculty: Steven R. Brechin, School of Arts and Sciences; Robin Leichenko, School of Arts and Sciences; Thomas Rudel, School of Arts and Sciences and School of Environmental Sciences; Karen O’Neill, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences

This symposium will explore, in an interdisciplinary manner, global climate change and related socio-environmental disasters with regard to their differential impact on regions, nations, communities, individuals, and natural ecosystems, with an emphasis on those who will suffer the most and how best to address the vulnerabilities of those populations and systems most at risk.

An International Symposium for Sustainable Biotechnology, Bioenergy and Biomedicine

Submitting faculty: Eric Lam, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; Pal Maliga, Waksman Institute of Technology; Eric Garfunkel, School of Arts and Sciences

In partnership with the Ohio State University and the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, Rutgers will host the 9th Tripartite Workshop held by this group in November of 2014. The Workshop will be expanded to a symposium format via funding provided by the 100 Days Initiatives. The additional funding will permit participation by colleagues from the Camden, Newark, and RBHS communities. Faculty and graduate students from Rutgers as well as Ohio State and Sao Paulo will meet to discuss their current research on the issues surrounding sustainable biotechnology, bioenergy, and biomedicine.

Congratulations to all those involved in these symposia; we look forward to the submissions for next year’s symposia on the University Strategic Plan’s Integrating Academic Themes.

Thank you for all that you do for Rutgers.

Richard L. Edwards, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Chancellor, Rutgers University–New Brunswick