About Us

In the United States, about 23 million people live within 6 meters of sea level. In many parts of the country, sea-level rise between 1960 and 2010 has already led to a 2-5-fold increase in the rate of ‘nuisance’ flooding. On top of rising seas, intensifying hurricanes and more frequent extremes of heat, humidity and precipitation pose additional risks to coastal societies, economies and ecosystems. The risks posed by changing climate conditions in coastal areas demand that we pursue innovative strategies that intersect multiple disciplines including engineering, ecology, communication, climate science, and community planning. Effective strategies also require engagement with coastal stakeholders in the development of research questions, the assessment of implications of research for planning and policy, and the communication of research results. Yet traditional, disciplinary programs are poorly configured to train the workforce needed to assess coastal climate risk and to develop and deploy integrated strategies for increasing coastal climate resilience.

The Coastal Climate Risk & Resilience (C2R2) graduate certificate program is designed to prepare the workforce that will build coastal resilience in the face of climate risks. Founded with support from the National Science Foundation and hosted at the Rutgers’ Institute of Earth, Oceans and Atmospheric Sciences, the C2R2 certificate program is a collaboration between EOAS and the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy, the School of Arts & Sciences, the School of Environmental & Biological Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the Graduate School–New Brunswick. The C2R2 certificate enables graduate students from multiple disciplines to better integrate all the elements of coastal systems and to communicate effectively with coastal stakeholders. Ultimately, C2R2 certificate students will acquire the knowledge and practical skills needed to become leading researchers and practitioners tackling the critical challenges of coastal resilience.

For all programmatic or administrative questions, please contact Lisa Auermuller, the C2R2 Certificate Program Coordinator, at auermull@marine.rutgers.edu or 732-932-6555.