Reika Hayashi, Shannon Neary, and Kate Neal of Bayonne; Hoboken resident Mary O'Brien; Aubrey Beam, Nancy Do, Sylvia Goldfond, Elena Gurczeski, Sadra Munir, and Layaly Saleh of Jersey City; Kearny residents Archini Desai and Alfonse Sessa III; Mellina Perez Vieta of North Bergen; and Weehawken resident Carina Cruz selected a country and topic (ranging from water scarcity to policy and governance) to research in order to trace the diverse impacts on food security. Students also developed solutions to achieve food security in light of these topical issues.
Before their presentations, students partook in community service activities, helping to prepare bags of donated food to distribute to the homeless in their communities. Students also had the opportunity to learn about Rutgers and the programs that the university offers. Afterward, students presented their research in small groups, sharing their findings with other students and vice versa. After their presentations, each student received a certificate that declared them Borlaug Scholars, an honor that commemorates Norman Borlaug, an American agronomist whose indefatigable work in many areas around the world helped to create sustainable agriculture that led to sustainable food supplies.
