Science Mondays

Science Mondays

Science Monday lectures will be held at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Monday of the month in September, October and November, January, February, March and April. All lectures are held in the Twin Lights Rooms of the Student Life Center at Brookdale Community College. They are free and open to the public; light refreshments are served.

Watershed management: Green and sustainable infrastructure for stormwater management

January 26, 2026, 6:30 p.m.

Speaker: Christopher C. Obropta, Professor in Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University

Join Dr. Christopher C. Obropta from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program for an engaging presentation, “All About Rain Gardens.” Learn how rain gardens help reduce flooding, improve water quality, and beautify communities by capturing and filtering stormwater naturally. Dr. Obropta will also share information about the Green Infrastructure Champions Program, which trains and supports local leaders, municipal staff, and residents in implementing green infrastructure projects throughout New Jersey. Whether you’re interested in improving your community’s resilience or creating a rain garden at home, this talk will provide the knowledge and inspiration to get started!

Christopher C. Obropta, Ph.D., P.E. is the Extension Specialist in Water Resources with Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and he is a Professor with the Department of Environmental Sciences at the School of Environmental & Biological Sciences, Rutgers University. Prior to joining Rutgers, Dr. Obropta was an environmental consultant for 12 years at Omni Environmental Corporation. Dr. Obropta has a background in watershed management, water quality modeling, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, and coastal engineering. His specific experience includes watershed restoration, wastewater treatment system design and management, TMDL studies, stormwater management, wetland design, longshore sediment transport, and geographic information systems (GIS).

Habitat conservation for endangered species in NJ

February 23, 2026, 6:30 p.m.

Speaker: William Pitts, Senior Zoologist with NJ DEP Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered & Nongame Species Program

New tools and technologies are being applied to habitat conservation in New Jersey, to help endangered species such as the kestrel (our smallest falcon), the bog turtle, and the tiger salamander. Different species and the ecosystems they depend upon will be covered. The eDNA project (uses samples collected from the environment to assess the presence of species), GIS modeling of habitat suitability, and other tools are enriching the reach of our state’s wildlife biologists to study and protect the breeding and survivorship of endangered species.

William “Bill” Pitts is a Senior Zoologist with NJ DEP Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered & Nongame Species Program. He has been with the program since 2005, and manages several projects across various species groups including, eastern tiger salamanders, migratory shorebirds, and American kestrels. He has coordinated with and developed partnerships with organizations in New Jersey such as the Conserve Wildlife Foundation and Raritan Headwaters Association, and in so doing has educated the public and supported the development of citizen and community science programs.

Creating healthier, sustainable communities through clean energy and community planning

March 23, 2026, 6:30 p.m.

Speaker: Ben Haygood, Director of the Johnson Center for Learning & Policy

Revitalizing communities by working alongside local residents to plan their neighborhood’s future and to develop energy infrastructure, affordable and healthy homes, parks, gardens, shared facilities, and more. The use of community-based planning to steer redevelopment of energy infrastructure and healthy homes, former factories, open spaces, and safe streets. (Mr. Haygood’s lecture date may be switched with one of the other lectures, due to his legislative schedule. An update will be posted, if needed.)

Ben Haygood is the Director of Policy & Partnerships at Isles, a community development organization out of Trenton that fosters healthy sustainable communities, where he works with government, coalitions, and communities to create and implement policies protecting children from lead poisoning, and to create healthier homes and communities through cleaner energy and equity-driven policy. Previously, Ben was at the Housing & Community Development Network of NJ, on Sandy and Katrina Disaster Recovery, and was a firefighter in Texas and a Cavalry Scout in Bosnia and Haiti.

Oyster Breeding Program at the Rutgers Cape Shore Laboratory

April 27, 2026, 6:30 p.m.

Speaker: Samuel Ratcliff, Cape Shore Operations Manager, Rutgers University, Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory

Mr. Ratcliff will talk about the production and evaluation of Rutgers’ disease-resistant oyster lines, the production of tetraploid lines and other experimental crosses in support of genomic research and genomic selection, and the coastal environment benefits of aquaculture.

The Rutgers Cape Shore Laboratory is a New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and a field station located on the shore of Delaware Bay in Cape May, NJ. Laboratory facilities at the site include two hatcheries with 3000 sq. ft. of quarantine hatchery. The lab provides summer paid internships for students.

Samuel Ratcliff is the Operations Manager & Researcher at Rutgers University Cape Shore Laboratory in Cape May, NJ. He has worked with a wide range of species, from finfish and ornamental crustaceans to bivalves, which shaped his passion for sustainable aquaculture and coastal ecology, deepening his appreciation for the complexity of marine systems and the importance of hands-on research. He manages the Rutgers Cape Shore Laboratory, where he combines his scientific background with fieldwork, mentoring, and coordinating projects that support both research and the commercial sector of shellfish aquaculture in New Jersey.

Science Monday at Brookdale Community College

Logistics:

The program begins at 6:30 p.m.
Free pizza for lecture attendees in Warner Student Life Center (SLC) Twin Lights Rooms I and II.

Brookdale Address:

Warner Student Life Center
Twin Lights Rooms 1 and 2, ground (lowest) floor
Brookdale Community College
765 Newman Springs Road
Lincroft, NJ 07738

Directions to Brookdale’s Lincroft campus & the campus building

Take Parkway Exit 109 to Route 520 West (Newman Springs Road, which becomes E. Main Street at the Lincroft campus). Take the traffic circle into the campus and follow the signs to the Warner Student Life Center (“SLC” on the map below) and parking lot 7. As you walk eastward towards the building complex, Warner will be down a slight incline to your left.

View: Campus Map