Hunger on college campuses is a nationwide problem, with one in three students experiencing food insecurity. This episode of the Advance Rutgers podcast explores what food insecurity is, what makes students particularly vulnerable, and the steps Rutgers is taking to address this critical issue. The episode features Cara Cuite, an assistant extension specialist with Rutgers Cooperative Extension and an assistant professor in the Department of Human Ecology at Rutgers–New Brunswick, and Kerri Willson, associate dean of students and director of off-campus living and community initiatives at Rutgers–New Brunswick. Cuite has conducted several surveys to better understand the scope of student hunger at Rutgers, and Willson leads the team that operates the Rutgers Student Food Pantry in New Brunswick. Together, they help us understand the many ways the university is working toward the day when no student goes hungry. 

Visit Rutgers’ website to learn about more initiatives taking place at Rutgers and how you can support them.   

Every year in the United States, more than 40,000 people die by some form of gun violence. Still more tragic, firearms are the leading cause of death among children nationwide. In this episode of the Advance Rutgers podcast, Michael Anestis, Ph.D. describes how the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center (GVRC) uses evidence-based research to address the causes and consequences of gun-related violence, as well as potential solutions to this epidemic. He explains why this research has been so difficult to conduct, what we’ve lost because of a lack of research, and how legal, safe gun ownership and use is critical to making us all safer. 

 To learn more about the GVRC and gun violence prevention, visit the center’s website, and click “Get Involved” to participate in this important work. Visit Rutgers’ website to learn about more initiatives taking place at Rutgers and how you can support them. 

Sea level rise is the biggest threat to coastal communities when it comes to the effects of climate change, according to Alexander Gates. Gates is a distinguished service professor at Rutgers University–Newark and the founder of the Institute for Coastal Climate Change in Urban Areas. In this episode of the Advance Rutgers podcast, he explains why northern New Jersey and New York are at particular risk —plus how the institute will help communities, government agencies, and businesses prepare for the impacts of a changing climate.

Visit our website to learn about similar initiatives at Rutgers and how you can support them.