Congratulations to Jessica Valenti who has been awarded the School of Graduate Studies Merit and Achievement Award for Excellence in Leadership and Teaching. This award recognizes Jessica’s excellent leadership and teaching at Rutgers, and her research in understanding the ecology of coastal fisheries and how they may respond to urbanization. Her dissertation work has been recognized externally through numerous awards for student posters and student oral presentations, as well as merit-based scholarship awards. Jessica has also distinguished herself in the leadership of group operations pertaining to her dissertation and to the wider profession. She served as the elected President of the Rutgers Student Subunit of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (AFS), led the Student Activities Committee for the 2018 AFS National Meeting, taught on the Rutgers Science Bus, and participated in various community outreach events (Rutgers Day, Rutgers University Marine Field Station open house). Congrats Jessica for excellent work!!!
