Since 2005, the UCI has been a staunch supporter of the public interest, serving as a forum for research, education, and collaboration in the development and implementation of science-based policies and programs. The UCI supports the stewardship of healthy, productive, and resilient coastal ecosystems and communities.

The UCI, a Center of Distinction, builds on the University’s growing strengths in environmental science, business, economics, and public policy, and collaborates with the faculty and students of all disciplines on projects that relate to its mission.

On an already densely populated coastline, development continues to grow in New Jersey. Although this development is beneficial to the economy, it also places significant strains on already stressed coastal ecosystems and places an increasing number of people at risk from coastal hazards.

The UCI seeks to balance these demands by educating the public about how better to initiate and steward policy change to ensure natural resources are protected.

“All the communities are facing big questions and challenges about how we retain everything we love about the Jersey Shore, but also make sure that we’re planning for the future,” said MacDonald.

“We can take some of the studies concerning the health of the Barnegat Bay, or the New York Harbor Estuary Program, and we can sit down with the communities, and say, ‘What can they do differently at the local level that can have a positive influence on their environment?’” he added.

In an effort to broaden its scope and carve out significant change in environmental policy and sustainability, the UCI exceeded a $5 million challenge grant in 2014 to support a new marine science and policy initiative. The challenge grant, which was the first of its kind for the UCI and one of the largest for the University, has since funded infrastructure improvements that positioned Monmouth’s marine programs and the UCI to flourish in the future. The grant has also funded new faculty positions, several scholarships and innovative student research projects each year, and a research partnership with The Rockefeller University on topics including ocean exploration, marine environmental DNA and the impacts of noise in the ocean

“We have to invest in the coast,” said MacDonald, who added that the UCI’s top priority is coastal and ocean policy and management.

The UCI also received over $2 million in grant funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to continue its work over two years to engage ocean stakeholders in the region in the development of the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal.

The Portal provides state-of-the-art mapping and visualization tools to better understand the ocean, reduce potential conflicts, and support regional ocean planning in collaboration with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) and the Mid-Atlantic Committee on the Ocean.

The UCI continues to stay on the cutting edge with three research vessels, including the 49-foot R/V Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe, and sophisticated sonar and hydrographic mapping equipment.

With these tools available, MacDonald stresses the importance of education: “Since we’re a mile from the shore, it is a great place to study marine science and to study the real environment.”

Jim Nickels, marine scientist for the UCI, teaches courses in maritime archaeology and marine science field methods.

“The students are not only learning about marine biology, but they’re actually learning how to study in the field, which is fantastic,” said MacDonald.

Looking ahead at the next 10 years, MacDonald said, “Flooding is a huge issue, has always been in New Jersey. That gets worse as you increase impervious surface, and increase development upland in the watershed. How much development can we sustain, and also sustain the environment? We have some big challenges.”

“I do think you see a change in the next generation to think about how to live sustainably on an individual basis, how to live sustainably in their community, and at Monmouth we increasingly are asking students to have a global perspective. How are we going to have a sustainable world in the future?”

Katarina Kneer ’16 knew that she wanted to sharpen these skills when she set out to fulfill the experiential education requirement of her psychology major at the Polling Institute. She knew she had a strong attention to detail, a passion for research, and an interest in finding new and creative research topics. Kneer became a second set of eyes for Timothy Tracey, the institute’s former research associate, and Tina Johnsen, the project coordinator.

“I would double, triple, quadruple check all of the numbers to make sure that they were entered correctly because the slightest mistake would result in an error that might later be published,” Kneer said.

Kneer was also able to guide some of the research herself and answer some of her own questions in compared the relationships between post-traumatic distress levels and income levels among victims of Superstorm Sandy.

“My favorite part of the internship was getting hands-on experience and being able to say hey, I found this result, did you know that? Did you know that despite any difference in demographics, people affected by Superstorm Sandy were still depressed?” said Kneer.

Kneer was surprised by the outcome and felt that there could be valuable lessons in the results. The original assumption was that participants with more resources who were affected by the storm would have less distress. These findings showed that the emotional impact of the storm may be more widespread than originally thought. She submitted the results to Patrick Murray, director of the institute, to be included in a future, in-depth study.

Kneer was also able to relate her research directly to her psychology major in many ways. In addition to studying human behavior through statistical patterns and the mental health impact of Superstorm Sandy, she learned the art of creating a survey. Her work at the Polling Institute further inspired her to become part of a research institute.

“Declaring a minor in marketing made me want to do research on consumer behavior and why people act the way that they do. Interning at the Polling Institute gave me the opportunity to get hands-on experience,” said Kneer. “Tim, Tina, and Patrick inspired me even more. I don’t think I would have been as passionate about it if I did not get that experience and have the three of them as mentors.”

Kneer’s greatest memory from the Polling Institute is also one of her biggest takeaways. Director Murray asked her to collect information on job approval ratings for several politicians and present her findings. At first she found the task daunting, but quickly realized that meeting this challenge would be important to her future in many ways.

“I think that, in my career, this is going to be a realistic assignment. I’m going to have a boss who needs me to find something and present it in front of esteemed professionals,” said Kneer. “This was just a great experience and although I was intimidated, it was a valuable lesson in the end, to stay calm, cool, collected, find what I was asked, and present it.”

In the end, Murray gave her positive feedback on her findings.

Kneer said, “It was a great feeling to have helped an institute that is so much bigger than myself.”

Katarina’s experience at the Polling Institute proved to be an asset for her future. She was chosen by her classmates to speak about her internship at the Department of Psychology Semiannual Undergraduate Conference and was presented with the Excellence in Internship Award.

“They’re such a strong institute and they’ve been featured on so many nationally known programs, such as CNN and NBC. Patrick Murray has such a great reputation so I think that when I apply for jobs, people will see that I served as an intern there for months and that I won an award,” said Kneer. “By gaining experience and professional skills through my internship, I’ll be at an advantage.”

The phrase “something is happening here” is often heard around Monmouth’s Woods Theatre, where the music industry program is housed, as both a nod to pop culture and a statement of fact. The music industry program is without doubt making things happen that are benefitting students as performers, producers, marketers, and more.

Monmouth is one of only a handful of institutions in the country to offer a concentration in music industry. Few students have this opportunity to study applied music along with the business methods behind music production and distribution.

Driving the energy of the program for the past two years is the chair of the Music and Theatre Arts Department, Joe Rapolla, who himself is a talented musician, music industry veteran, world-class marketer, and a passionate teacher.

But what Rapolla brings most to the students at Monmouth University is his personal charisma and confidence. He has been where students want to be, and he knows how to get them there.

“There are a new economics, a new language, and a new structure to the music business today,” Rapolla said. “The merging of all those elements means students have got to be able to organize, collaborate, and execute the direct exposure of themselves or the artists they will be working with. Students come away from this program knowing they can be in control of their careers.”

Rapolla said that by providing students with direct exposure to what is going on in the music industry today, they will be able to reach and engage audiences across all platforms.  To that end, students at the University can become involved with the student-found and student-run Blue Hawk Records.

Blue Hawk Records is an independent record label and music organization designed to provide music and hands-on experience for the students. Its mission is to equip music industry majors, as well as others in the University, with relevant, real-world experience and familiarize them with the typical workings of different occupations in the music industry. Students are able to capitalize on this specialized experience as they function in performing and recording, talent, scouting, artist promotion and development, live music and record release, as well as artwork, packaging, sales, and marketing.

Music industry graduate, Kitty Dorsey ’13, said, “I chose the music industry concentration because it had exactly what I wanted: music AND business classes in one major. I felt that having both types of classes would prepare me for any role in the music business, whether it’s performance, management, producing, publishing, or marketing.”

And it is that mix of music, entertainment, and business that makes the program exceptional. “As music, media, and new technologies continue to converge, we are continually updating our program to keep pace with the changes that are happening in the business,” said Rapolla.

He added that it is a goal to have students “real world ready” by not only nurturing their creative talents and energy but by also ensuring their critical thinking and networking skills are honed to a sharp edge. “With the growing number of platforms and devices, it is essential to be able to leverage elements like data to improve customer contact and to efficiently spark the interest of music fans,” Rapolla said.

Rapolla is a lover of music and the joys of performance, but he has one eye firmly on the developments that are making up the “new normal” of the industry, and the broadening base of opportunities they are creating.

After interning at a law firm in New York City, conducting mentored research that was eventually published, traveling to India with the Debate Hawks, and presenting her research at an international conference, former soccer midfielder Esther Wellman ’20 can say she made the most of her Monmouth experience.

Tepedino and her classmate worked together to explore Turner’s writing and to understand the critical academic reviews discussing his work. She said Associate Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences Michael Thomas gave her the confidence to face a large audience of Turner fans and share with them their appreciation of, and insights into, his writings.

“It was nerve-wracking but also rewarding,” said Tepedino, who is completing her master’s degree in English at Monmouth while working as a public relations brand manager. “Where else do you get to do something like that as an undergraduate?”

Associate Dean Thomas, who serves as the director of the Visiting Writers Series, said the series provides a vital link between writers and the public. “It provides an arena in which writers and the audience feel more alive, less lonely, and where emotions from joy to suffering can be collectively aired,” he said. “And by hearing these thoughts and feelings revealed, we are given the opportunity to learn how to better inhabit our world.”

Thomas added that, “by far, the largest impact of the Visiting Writers Series on students is in the small, craft workshops and discussions that students get to have with national and internationally recognized creative writers.”

Tepedino agreed. She said throughout her time at Monmouth, she sought out the Visiting Writers Series as a way to be deeply involved in cultural activities that resonate with her interests. As a writer herself, she found that the variety of writers that come to campus is inspiring and helps students focus on their own goals. “It has been eye-opening to be one-on-one with writers whose work and success I admire and also to be in a small group with writers who got me out of my comfort zone.”

As Tepedino learned, the arts at Monmouth are not a sideline experience for passive bystanders. In the performing arts, Monmouth offers pop-up shows, bands to join, musicals and plays to act and sing in, and world-class performers to meet with in small seminars before these artists perform to sold-out audiences.

Additionally, students with an interest in the written word can publish original stories, poems, and critiques in the quarterly Monmouth Review, and can find expression in the exuberance of a one-of-a-kind performance art group that features poetry slams and other interactive expressions.

The visual and fine arts also thrive at Monmouth on the walls of multiple galleries, through meet-and-greets with national and international artists, and in the annual shows that draw acclaim and attention to original work by students and faculty.

These platforms are supported throughout the Monmouth curriculum. Students wishing to embrace the arts academically find thoughtful and involved faculty dedicated to turning dreams into reality and passions into careers.

According to Vaune Peck, associate director of the Center for the Arts, students work with this center in a variety of functions that have led alumni to jobs in the entertainment industry. She said that she has students working in all areas of the production of live performance such as artist relations, stage management, ticket sales, selling artists’ merchandise before and after shows, working with stage managers and crews, dressing room set-up, and more, from small stages to larger arenas.

“All of these work experiences are relevant to finding employment in the arts after our students leave Monmouth,” Peck said. “They get to work with experts and take that expertise into the job market.” She added that students who have worked with the Center for the Arts have found employment as box office managers for live music giant AEG, in broadcast entertainment news, as stage managers, and more.

Liz Rimassa, who currently works in ticket management for AEG after earning her bachelor’s in business administration with a concentration in accounting in 2012 and her MBA in 2014, said, “Working for the Center for the Arts at Pollak Theatre was a rewarding experience. It was a great chance to interact with many talented people and to build lasting relationships with the performers and tour managers that I worked with.”

For students interested in the fine arts, Chair of the Department of Art and Design Andrew Cohen explained that the department as a whole is “committed to providing our students the best possible education.”

“In recent years we have enhanced our digital emphasis. Ranging from animation, to graphic design, to photography, to 3D printing and other directions, students receive a thorough education in both digital and traditional skills,” he said.

Graphic design major Olivia Greco ’14, who is working as a graphic designer and a marketing assistant, said it was the interest shown to her by the faculty that was critical in her progress from student to professional.

“Monmouth’s faculty had a genuine interest in my future and in how I developed as an artist and a human being,” Greco said. “My professors kept my classes current by focusing on changing trends in design, technology, and workplace practices. They were also wonderful mentors, especially when it came to connecting me with internships and jobs opportunities.”

Life outside of the classroom is also active and dynamic with the arts at the core of many student groups, such as Artists for Change, a forum for the exchange of ideas about the world of art and a vehicle for student artists to utilize their abilities. There is also the performance-driven CommWorks, which was established for all students who enjoy and are committed to performance as a means to transform, educate, entertain, and empower both performers and audiences. Boom Roasted Productions, a wholly student-run theatre group, has staged new works by emerging artists and recently presented a production of the musical Rent.

A number of partnerships with local and international theater companies provide access to new works, classic theater, and Broadway productions. Students may purchase discounted tickets to Red Bank’s Two River Theatre throughout the year; view a slate of various productions, from the Metropolitan Opera to Britain’s National Theatre, available on campus in HD; and take trips to Broadway that are affordable, engaging, uplifting, and just fun.

Students Learning from Professional Musicians, Dancers, and Conductors

• Marc Muller performed “Hippy Jazz” at Woods Theatre.
• Catherine Baggs’ dance company “Aries In Flight” performed Ailey Studio Theatre as part of Kat Wildish’s Performing in NY Spotlight Series.
• Bob Boyd (drums) performed at Tim McLoone’s Supper Club in Asbury Park for a benefit concert for the Monmouth County Food Bank and Jazz in the Park in Red Bank.
• David Tripold directed the 2015 All Shore Chorus
• George Wurzbach performed at the University of Maryland with his folk music trio, Modern Man, and with folk legends Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul, & Mary), Chad Mitchell, and Tom Paxton at a tribute concert for Dick Cerri.
• Joe Rapolla performed at the Songwriters by the Sea concert

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