The Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) has awarded grants to support six students conducting summer research as well as one faculty research effort through its Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Scholars program. Projects this year will explore issues including the economic and real estate impacts of climate change in coastal New Jersey communities, biodiversity in state ecosystems, and seabed mining in a sacred Indigenous area. 

Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Scholars grants support students and faculty mentors of all disciplines to work on research projects of their own design that advance the UCI’s mission and Monmouth’s strategic plan. Each year, the program supports several paid positions that provide hands-on, real-world research experience for students while helping make a positive impact in coastal communities. 

Student Summer Research Projects

Assessing the Impacts of Sea-Level Rise along the N.J. Coastline: A Look at Atlantic City

Student Researcher & Major: Sophia Ianno, political science

Faculty Mentor: Professor Kevin Dooley, Department of Political Science and Sociology

This project will examine a range of environmental exposure variables and socioeconomic vulnerability values to determine how sea level rise impacts low-income communities along the New Jersey coastline, with a focus on Atlantic City.

The Economic Impact of Flood Risk in Monmouth County

Student Researcher & Major: Noah Wilson, business administration with a concentration in economics and finance

Faculty Mentor: McMullen Family Professor in Economics Tjeerd Boonman, Department of Economics, Finance, and Real Estate

Combining data from multiple sources, the project will analyze how the residential real estate market in Monmouth County is affected by flood risk and what socioeconomic factors play a role.

eDNA Comparative Analysis of Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone Biodiversity

Student Researcher & Major: Lillian Cole, marine and environmental biology and policy

Faculty Mentors: Endowed Professor of Marine Science Jason Adolf, Department of Biology/Marine and Environmental Biology and Policy Program; UCI Resilience and Outreach Project Lead Richard Kane

Building upon ongoing biodiversity research by Save Barnegat Bay, the student will complement the organization’s manual sampling work in the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone with environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling. The results of both methods will be compared and studied to inform potential future monitoring plans. (This project is also supported by Save Barnegat Bay and a federal grant secured by Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr.)

Impacts of Terrestrial Isopod Invasions on Detritivore Diversity Across Coastal Land-Use Gradients

Student Researcher & Major: Kylie Feeney and Mia Stapleton, marine and environmental biology and policy

Faculty Mentor: Adjunct Professor Kelly Zimmerman and Professor Pedram Daneshgar, Department of Biology/Marine and Environmental Biology and Policy Program

This study will examine how non-native, terrestrial isopods (woodlice) influence coastal habitats in New Jersey.

Mining Moana: Marine Mineral Extraction in Tonga

Student Researcher & Major: Amelia Benol, anthropology

Faculty Mentor: Rechnitz Family/UCI Endowed Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy Peter Jacques, Department of Political Science and Sociology

The government of Tonga has entered into an agreement with a private company to mine the deep seabed in the Clarion Clipperton zone, an area some contend is sacred in the island’s culture and should be left undisturbed. This project will produce a sustainable policy framework that provides analytical clarity for transparent decision-making that considers the economic, social, and ecological concerns and impacts.

Faculty Enrichment Grant

An Archaeological Investigation into Oyster Exploitation in New Jersey and Delaware from the Late 17th to 20th Centuries

Faculty Researcher: Associate Professor Adam Heinrich, Department of History and Anthropology

The research aims to assess how humans impacted local oyster resources throughout this time period, as well as if characteristics of historic shell samples at regional repositories reflect strategies taken to maintain economic productivity throughout various periods of exploitation.

Additional Funding Opportunities

Monmouth University students and faculty are invited to apply now for additional summer and fall Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Scholars funding opportunities. Grants available include:

• Faculty Enrichment Grants for the enhancement of existing curriculum, new curriculum development, research and scholarship, and team-teaching opportunities. Proposals for fall grants will be accepted through Aug. 21.  
• Mini-Grants are also available to faculty and students for conference fees, symposia, guest speaker honoraria, equipment and supplies, and other needs to be determined on a case-by-case-basis. Applications can be submitted at any time and are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Those interested can find more information and application requirements via the UCI Funding Opportunities page on the MyMU Portal (Monmouth University sign-in credentials required). For more information, contact UCI Acting Director Tom Herrington at therring@monmouth.edu.

These opportunities have been made possible through the generous support of many corporate and private donors. If you would like to make a tax-deductible gift to the UCI, please use our Give a Gift Now form.

With the first two decades of our voyage complete, the Urban Coast Institute (UCI) is sailing ahead to an exciting new horizon. It’s a moment of significant change for the UCI, but also of continuity for the core work and programs we’ve excelled at for 20 years.

Browse the 2025 UCI Annual Report for a look back on our accomplishments over the last year and a peak ahead at what’s to come in 2026. You can view the report as a digital flipbook or in a print-friendly PDF format.

• View in digital flipbook format
• View/download PDF

Hard copies are also available upon request. To obtain one, email uci@monmouth.edu.

Monmouth University is seeking applications for the open director position at the Urban Coast Institute (UCI). Applications received by May 18, 2026, will receive full consideration.

The UCI was founded in 2005 as one of Monmouth’s centers of distinction. Its mission is to serve the University and the public as a forum for research, education, and collaboration in the development and implementation of science-based policies and programs that support stewardship of healthy, productive, and resilient coastal ecosystems and sustainable communities.

The director will have a unique opportunity to build on the UCI’s past success and play the leadership role in positioning the UCI for its next phase of growth translating its vision into strategy and strategy into execution. This person will manage the UCI’s daily operations and core team of professional staff, and work with collaborating faculty and students. The director will be expected to build on and expand current external partnerships, donor and funding networks, collaborate with academic programs, and deepen the UCI’s engagement with and impact on the local, regional and federal coastal and ocean policy and science landscape.

Click here for full details about the position and instructions for applying.

The U.S. offshore wind industry continues to evolve rapidly, shaped by policy developments, market dynamics, technological advances, and shifting political, legal, and economic conditions. On March 18, the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) hosted a webinar that provided a timely overview of the current state of offshore wind, focusing on the Mid-Atlantic region.

Panelists highlighted the evergreen issues and challenges to the sector, but also discussed recent federal and state actions, major project milestones, supply chain considerations, and emerging challenges and opportunities. Key focus area that were addressed include:

• General status of the industry and relative market confidence
• Legal challenges to projects
• State energy goals, policy implications, and how the states are re-grouping

Panelists were Special Initiative on Offshore Wind Executive Director Kris Ohleth, Troutman Pepper Locke Senior Counsel Josh Kaplowitz, and UMass Clean Energy Extension Director Kira Lawrence. The session was moderated by UCI Senior Ocean Policy Fellow Tony MacDonald. Scroll below for bios of the panelists.

Speaker Bios

Josh Kaplowitz, Esq., Senior Counsel, Troutman Pepper Locke

Josh Kaplowitz focuses his practice on regulatory, policy, contractual, and litigation matters related to offshore wind and renewable energy. With extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, he has a deep understanding of what it takes to guide major clean energy infrastructure projects through the federal environmental law review process and survive judicial review – including permitting and litigation involving the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), and Clean Water Act (CWA). Kaplowitz previously served as vice president for offshore wind at the American Clean Power Association (ACP), where he led ACP’s offshore wind advocacy efforts, working to advance the organization’s policy, legislative, and regulatory priorities for offshore wind, with a particular emphasis on advocating for permitting reforms before a wide range of federal agencies and Capitol Hill. He also facilitated ACP’s collaboration with state and local governments, stakeholders, and the public. After working in private practice as an environmental, toxic tort, and commercial litigator, Josh served for five years in the Office of the Solicitor at the U.S. Department of the Interior as legal counsel for BOEM’s Office of Renewable Energy Programs and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). He also serves as an adjunct professor at the George Washington University College of Law, where he teaches a seminar on offshore wind law.

Kira Lawrence, Director, UMass Clean Energy Extension

Kira Lawrence was hired as director of the UMass Clean Energy Extension in 2026. She joined UMass after five years at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU), where she served in the Division of Clean Energy as Senior Scientist, then acting deputy director of offshore wind and most recently as senior policy advisor to the president of the BPU. During her time at BPU, she co-developed the New Jersey Research and Monitoring Initiative, served on and then lead the team that developed offshore wind generation and transmission solicitations and managed awarded projects, oversaw the BPU’s Office of Federal and Regional Policy, and worked on policy to support the fossil-to-clean-energy transition in New Jersey. Prior to her work with BPU, Lawrence was the John H. Markle Professor of Geology at Lafayette College, where she served as co-chair of the Environmental Science and Studies Programs, chair of the Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, and the faculty lead on Lafayette’s second Climate Action Plan. She holds an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College, master’s degrees from University of California Santa Cruz and Brown University, and a Ph.D. from Brown University, all in earth sciences.

Kris Ohleth, Executive Director, Special Initiative on Offshore Wind

Kris Ohleth has worked in the offshore wind industry for over 15 years, since the days of the industry’s inception in the U.S. Holding senior positions with offshore wind developers, NGOs, and state agencies, she has gained critical insights into the policy and regulations that shape offshore wind activities at the state, regional, and federal levels. She has extensive experience working with offshore wind stakeholders and has expert knowledge of such engagements, having worked on offshore wind and ocean policy issues at all levels. In her current role as the director of the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind, she leads the organization on to develop strategies to support the responsible and sustainable development of the offshore wind industry. Originally from New Jersey, she is a Rutgers graduate, has a master’s degree from the University of Rhode Island, and currently lives in Morris County, New Jersey, with her husband and retired-racing greyhounds.

Tony MacDonald (Moderator), UCI Senior Ocean Policy Fellow

Tony MacDonald is the UCI’s senior ocean policy fellow and served as its director from 2005-25. He was previously the executive director of the Coastal States Organization (CSO) from 1998-2005. CSO, based in Washington, DC, represents the interests of the governors of the nation’s 35 coastal states and territories on coastal and ocean policy matters. Prior to joining CSO, Tony was the special counsel and director of environmental affairs at the American Association of Port Authorities, where he represented the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) at the International Maritime Organization on negotiations on the London Convention. Tony has also practiced law with a private firm in Washington, DC, working on environmental and legislative issues, and served as the Washington, DC, environmental legislative representative for the Mayor of the City of New York.

The Urban Coast Institute (UCI) invites Monmouth University students of all majors to apply for 2026 Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Scholars Summer Research Grants. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 3.

Funding is available for projects proposed by undergraduate and graduate students that will be completed under the supervision of a faculty mentor, or projects proposed by a faculty member that will be completed with the support of student researchers. All proposals relevant to the mission of the UCI will be considered. Some specific topics of interest to the UCI include:

• Enhancing consideration for comprehensive community wellbeing as coastal communities adjust to changing coastal hazards
• Impacts of sea level rise on coastal environments and communities
• Social impacts of coastal disasters
• Coastal ecosystem adaptation planning
• Financing resilience
• The blue economy and blue tech
• Marine and environmental arts and humanities
• Furthering the U.N. Decade of the Ocean Sustainable Development Goals at the international, national and local level
• Urban ocean issues and opportunities
• Sustainable fisheries in a changing climate

Applications, submission instructions, and more information can be found on the Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Scholars Summer Research Grants application site (Monmouth student/staff login credentials required). Completed applications should be submitted to UCI Associate Director Tom Herrington at therring@monmouth.edu. For additional questions, email therring@monmouth.edu.

The Urban Coast Institute (UCI) Advisory Committee, with support from additional donors, has established the Tony MacDonald Internship and Experiential Education Fellowship Fund to support research and educational opportunities for Monmouth University students. The fellowship fund was endowed in recognition of MacDonald’s 20 years of service as UCI director and his work building the institute into a national leader in areas including marine science and policy, ocean planning, and coastal resilience.

Proposals for the first fellowships will be solicited in the fall. Recipients will receive paid fellowships to engage in internship projects (internal or external), research, policy analysis, or applied projects related to coastal, marine and environmental science, law or policy.

The selection of fellows will be based on academic merit, project quality, and demonstrated commitment to the work and principles embodied by the UCI and Monmouth’s Marine and Environmental Biology and Policy (MEBP) program. Support may include, but is not limited to, stipends or research assistantships; fieldwork and data collection expenses; and conference, travel, or publication costs related to fellowship projects.

“This will be a unique opportunity for students to engage in projects and activities that help them develop the skills and experience they need to succeed in their chosen careers,” said MacDonald, who transitioned to a role as the UCI’s senior ocean policy fellow in November. “I am deeply grateful to the UCI Advisory Committee for creating this unique, ‘only at Monmouth’ opportunity in my name and excited that the UCI will be able to collaborate with this special cohort of students.”

The fellowships advance the University’s strategic plan by endowing academic excellence and student access while also aligning with Monmouth’s recent Carnegie Classification as a national research college and university (RCU).

MacDonald was hired as the UCI’s inaugural director upon its launch in 2005. He expanded what started as an organization with two employees into a team of a dozen dedicated professionals with expertise in marine science and policy areas, while growing external collaboration and partnerships. Under his guidance, the UCI attracted extensive donor support and research funding for projects that have made important impacts on coastal communities while providing opportunities for hundreds of students. See the UCI’s 20-year retrospective report for more on its accomplishments.

“Tony has made a lasting impact on the University, its students, and the many communities that benefited from the UCI’s work throughout his two decades of leadership,” UCI Advisory Committee Chairman Ken Pringle said. “The Committee felt it was appropriate to honor Tony in a way that would have an equally lasting impact at Monmouth and help students achieve their dreams for years to come.”

Support the Fellowship on Giving Days

You can make a one-time or recurring gift to the Tony MacDonald Internship and Experiential Education Fellowship Fund on Giving Days, to be held March 24 and 25. Giving Days is Monmouth’s annual fundraising event dedicated to supporting and celebrating all of the academic programs, clubs, activities and people we love on campus. Save the dates and stay tuned for more details.

For questions or more information about the fellowships, contact UCI Acting Director Tom Herrington at therring@monmouth.edu.

Love Blue Monmouth President Siena Zisa and Vice-President Grace Schleiden and Urban Coast Institute Communications Director and Ocean Data Manager Karl Vilacoba presented on the panel “From Data to Dialogue: Communicating Science and Solutions in the Marine Debris Space” at the 2025 Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Summit on Nov. 13.

Hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) in Dewey Beach, Delaware, the two-day event assembled leaders from state and federal agencies, tribes, non-profit organizations, academia, and other regional partners to strengthen coordination, share updates on current and emerging marine debris issues, and highlight effective prevention and reduction strategies. Additional information and presentation videos can be found on the summit website.

Zisa and Schleiden, both senior marine and environmental biology and policy students, discussed the impacts that the student club’s cleanups have made on reducing beach litter and building student awareness of the issue. They also shared their work with Love Blue Monmouth during a poster session at the summit. Vilacoba presented on his work using the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal as a tool for public engagement and education.

The session was moderated by MARCO Mid-Atlantic Ocean Planning Committee Tribal Co-chair Aiyana Coard of the Shinnecock Indian Nation. Additional panelists included Storm Water Systems Marketing Manager Ian Carson, and Green Fin Studio Vice President Dave Jasinski and Environmental Communication Manager Allison Burbach.

The Jersey Shore Partnership will honor former Urban Coast Institute (UCI) Director and current Senior Ocean Policy Fellow Tony MacDonald with its Hon. S. Thomas Gagliano Founder Award at the organization’s annual Summer Celebration on May 18.

In recognition of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the 2026 celebration will honor America and its coastline under the theme “America’s Shore: 250 Years of Coastal Legacy,” celebrating the leadership, stewardship, and enduring spirit that have shaped the nation and its defining coastal communities. The Summer Celebration brings together corporate leaders, nonprofit organizations, environmental advocates, academics, and elected officials who share a commitment to protecting and preserving New Jersey’s coastline. Held against the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean at Sandy Hook, the Summer Celebration honors the people, partnerships, and purpose that sustain the Shore.

Fellow 2026 honorees will include the New Jersey Food Council, recipient of the Business and Industry Award; and New Jersey State Sens. Vin Gopal (D) and Declan J. O’Scanlon Jr. (R), recipients of the Legislative Leadership Awards. The Hon. Joe and Susan Kyrillos will serve as honorary dinner chairs. Frank and Valerie Montecalvo of the Montecalvo/Bayshore Family of Companies will serve as dinner chairs. Jeanette Hoffman, president of Marathon Public Affairs, and Sharon Franz, sales and marketing director of Steel Pier in Atlantic City, will serve as event chairs for Summer Celebration 2026.

For additional details, visit jerseyshorepartnership.com or contact Jersey Shore Partnership Executive Director Grace Hanlon at 732-910-5000 or grace@jerseyshorepartnership.com.

Seven outstanding Monmouth University students have been awarded endowed scholarships for the 2025-26 school year from the Urban Coast Institute (UCI). Three received support for the first time beginning this semester: Chiara Cocoziello (Rita Mangan UCI Endowed Scholarship), Morgan Davis and Maggie Raymond (Ann and Alfred Ferguson ’13HN Scholarships).

In addition, the UCI renewed an Urban Coast Institute Endowed Scholarship for Sage Phelps, a Rita Mangan UCI Endowed Scholarship for Rebecca Pimentel, an Ann and Alfred Ferguson ’13HN Scholarship for Christopher Reigel, and a MacDonald Family UCI Endowed Scholarship for Siena Zisa. All four are marine and environmental biology and policy students. 

The UCI established endowed scholarships at Monmouth to support undergraduate students with a demonstrated interest in coastal, marine, and environmental studies. The scholarships are intended to encourage Monmouth students to become active, global citizens while fostering an understanding of the coastal and marine environment and communities, legal studies, public policy, and research methods.

Scroll below to meet this year’s new endowed scholarship recipients below. View profiles of last year’s recipients.

First-Time Recipients

If the vast majority of scientists believe that climate change is happening and human activities are the main driver, why do so many Americans doubt it? Monmouth University Professor Peter Jacques recently completed a 12-year analysis of over 100 books rejecting climate science in an attempt to understand the roots and reasoning of the arguments.

Jacques, the University’s Rechnitz Family/Urban Coast Institute (UCI) endowed chair in marine and environmental law and policy, pored over climate denial books going back to the 1980s along with co-author and Oklahoma State Regents Professor of Sociology Emeritus Riley Dunlap and undergraduate students in Jacques’ research lab. The team coded the books and cataloged whether they made arguments in one or more of the four following categories:

• Trend Denial (81 percent): Global warming never occurred, stopped, or that the data describing it is unreliable.
• Attribution Denial: (94 percent): Climate change may be happening, but it’s not at all or not primarily the fault of humans.
• Impact Denial (76 percent): Increased warming/carbon dioxide levels will actually be beneficial, not harmful, or not as harmful to society as science claims.
• Policy Denial (94 percent): Climate mitigation policies are ineffective or harmful.

Jacques said the most common argument in the books was that greenhouse gases were not a cause of climate change, which is consistent with attribution denial claims being made in 94 percent of the books. The high rate of policy denial claims logically follows; if human activities such as burning fossil fuels aren’t causing warming, then there would be no need to change behaviors. However, the study found that criticisms of specific aspects of climate science were usually presented as symptoms of broader issues.

“It’s never really about the science – it’s always about something bigger,” Jacques said. “For example, you’ll have a claim that greenhouse gases don’t cause climate change, but it will be connected to a claim that there’s a foundational problem with the integrity of science.”

Jacques said many of the arguments examined were introduced with a reasonable premise – for example, that climate change is happening, but is not as severe as some say. Upon reading on, though, the books inevitably attacked the basics of climate science, alleged it was being manipulated by outside forces, or raised questions that have already been studied as something new. For a layman who doesn’t have access to the scientific literature or the time or training to make sense of it, Jacques said it is natural to conclude from the back and forth that there is a legitimate scientific divide on matters that are settled.

“The problem is what I call ‘the science trap,’” Jacques said. “We often can’t tell apart a genuine dispute inside the technical science from a politically manufactured controversy, especially if that narrative is coming from credentialed scientists.”

The study explores the origins of climate science denial, concluding that it picked up significant momentum around 1992. That year, the United Nations held its landmark Rio Summit, which established the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change that was later responsible for the Kyoto Protocols and landmark Paris Climate Agreement.

What was different about climate denial than earlier and less successful battles against environmental causes was that it wasn’t tied to economic grievances or the loss of liberties, such as rights to take natural resources that were proposed for protections. Instead it attacked science head on.

“The climate change countermovement changed tactics and it hid the anti-environmental element,” Jacques said. “It was no longer initially saying something like protecting the wilderness was bad, but your science is bad. That engages the broader public. We all want to have good information to make policies that are rational and based in reality.”

The paper concludes much of the opposition to climate science is motivated by “anti-reflexivity,” a resistance to change course in response to new societal problems. The anti-climate science movement is also the most organized in economically powerful nations with entrenched fossil fuel industries, with the U.S. being foremost among them, according to Jacques.

The full study, “Foundations of climate change denial: Anti-environmentalism and anti-science,” was published in the journal PLOS One.