Xenia Morin
Biography
Dr. Morin is interested in working at the intersection of science, social science and society and also tackling the formidable challenge of feeding our growing population. As a trained plant biochemist, her research and teaching has grown increasingly interdisciplinary over the years and she now focuses on agriculture and food systems.
Dr. Morin currently teaches • Careers in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (11:020:205) (new! Spring 2020) • Introduction to Agriculture and Food Systems (11;020:210) • Special Topics in Ag and Food Systems (11:020:255) • Feeding the World (honors seminar) (11:020:296) • Sustainability: Tackling Food Waste (11:020:337) • Feeding America's Cities (11:020:465) • Independent study courses (11:020:495/496)
She supports other courses in the program, and, in 2019 helped launch our new Developing Ideas in Teaching Agriculture and Food Systems (11:020:425) along with a new major in Agricultural Science Education (teachag.rutgers.edu). She also helped to develop the new Sustainable Global Food Systems minor with Dr. Ethan Schoolman in Human Ecology. New in Spring 2020, Dr Morin is co-teaching an embedded study abroad course called "Tropical Environments and Society" (11:375:380) with Dr. Ben Lintner (environmental studies), Laura Schneider (geography), and Lena Struwe (ecology and evolutionary biology; plant biology) which includes a study abroad trip to Costa Rica to perform field work. In 2019, Dr. Morin was awarded the SEBS Teaching Award
Dr. Morin's current research interests include (with many wonderful collaborators):
- envisioning the future of sustainable agriculture, food systems, and climate change
- education including digital badging
- indoor cultivation and sustainability
- food systems, horticulture and nutrition
- food waste and the food-energy-water nexus
- public perception of genetically modified foods
- research and training to support mentoring of under-represented groups in higher education as well as agriculture
- science communication
While at Rutgers, Dr. Morin has had the privilege of serve as associate director for research the science/adventure documentary, Antarctic Edge:70 degrees South (beyondtheice.rutgers.edu), released in 2015. This NSF- and SEBS- funded documentary feature Rutgers Professor Oscar Schofield and the Long Term Ecology Research Team, and was directed by Dena Seidel. Xenia is also a founding member of the Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health and an active member of the new Center for Food System. She is also a member of Rutgers Climate Institute as well as the Institute for Earth, Oceans and Atmospheric Sciences. Previously, she has taught courses in Introductory Biology, Biology and Public Policy, Biochemistry, Environmental Studies, Writing, and Agriculture and Food Systems.
Dr. Morin obtained her Ph.D. at Cornell University in the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 1992. Her dissertation title was "Metabolite Transport across the Chloroplast Inner Envelope." Her postdoctoral work took her to the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany (plant cell biology), to the Research Institute of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada (membrane protein and cell biology studies in cystic fibrosis), and to Bryn Mawr College outside of Philadelphia, PA (RNA structure and function).
Dr. Morin joined Rutgers University in 2010 working on curriculum redesign for the Agricultural Sciences major and in 2011 took the position of Associate Dean and Liaison for Sponsored Program at SEBS and supervised the Office of Grants Facilitation at SEBS. In 2015, Dr. Morin was honored to join the Plant Biology Department and to resume her teaching and research
Prior to Rutgers, she was a lecturer at Princeton University for six years focusing on teaching writing and environmental studies on agriculture and food systems. There she supervised several senior undergraduate theses including "Why is Government in the Garden? Case Studies of Resilient Co-Governance in urban Community Gardening Programs" by Henry Barmeier (Rhodes Scholar) and "Planting the Seeds for an African Green Revolution: The Millennium Development Villages and Input Subsidy Program in Malawi" by Joseph Vellone.
In the News
Community Engagement
NJ National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) 2025 Star Planning & Budget Meeting
The purpose of this committee is for the state STAR team members to come together and, based on previous strategies, data and successes, identify the 2025 recruitment and retention priorities, assign 2025 strategy leads and set the NAAE STAR budget for 2025.
Dr. Xenia Morin is a committee member and supports recruitment activities for Ag Science Educators at Rutgers. Funds are provided by the National NAAE based on this meeting to be used in recruiting efforts.
New Jersey Food Agriculture and Natural Resources Education Advisory Committee Meeting, Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at Harrah's Waterfront Conference Center, Atlantic City, NJ.
Dr. Xenia Morin, Department of Plant Biology, SEBS, is a committee member and provides updates on the agriculture and food systems program at SEBS. This committee, chaired by John Neyhart, meets twice per year to share information and support FANR education in the state. Information is shared by members of the agriculture and landscape industries, researchers, high school Agricultural Science Programs, NJ Department of Education (Career and Technical Education), NJ Department of Agriculture, Youth groups (FFA, 4-H), community colleges, and universities.
FFA Advisory Meetings
Dr. Xenia Morin, Department of Plant Biology, serves on the following FFA Advisory Boards for the following K-12 Agricultural Science educators:
- Renee Stillwell, Instructor, Environmental Sustainability & Engineering Academy and FFA Advisor, Hunterdon County ESEA, Work-Based Learning Coordinator, Hunterdon County Vocational School District (last meeting 11/14/2024)
- Jennifer Obrizan (SEBS'22/GSE'23), School of Sustainable Sciences Lead Instructor, Union County FFA Chapter Advisor (last meeting 1/28/2025)
- Liam Ryan (SEBS'24) and Kylie Naylor, advisory committee for the agriscience programs at Piscataway and East Brunswick Magnet Schools. Liam Ryan has recently chartered a new FFA program in Piscataway.
Invited Guest at the following Events:
Teach Ag Recruitment Event, Rutgers University, Cook Campus Center, Saturday, December, 14, 2024. 8:30-5 p.m.,
Dr. Xenia Morin recruited undergraduate students at SEBS to attend this meeting. She also is a guest speaker at this event. This year we had a record number of undergraduates interested in learning more about a career in Agricultural Science Education. As of Feb 2025, three of these students have applied to enter Rutgers Graduate School of Education 4+1 BS/Ed.M or Ed.M. programs to pursue this career.
2025 Next Generation Ag Summit, Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at Harrah's Waterfront Conference Center, Atlantic City, NJ. The theme of this first Next Generation summit was "Cultivate. Innovate. Elevate."
Dr. Xenia Morin, Department of Plant Biology, was one of many Rutgers faculty and industry members to participate in a roundtable session for youth participants (FFA and 4-H) to learn about career and college opportunities. Guests at this event include New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Edward D. Wengryn, and the Austin Lange, American National Farm Bureau. This event was planned by folks representing various organizations and agencies, including the NJDA, SADC, Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, 4-H, and FFA. The host of this event, Brendan Pearsall, SADC, is a Rutgers Agriculture and Food Systems Program graduate.
New Jersey FFA 2025 Advocacy and Legislative Leadership Day held at the Brower Student Center at The College of New Jersey on Thursday, February 20, 2025.
Dr. Xenia Morin, Department of Plant Biology, and Serafina Smith, SEBS Office of Academic Programs, participated on behalf of Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. We joined forty-six agriculture industry, education, and legislative representatives and 260 FFA members and advisors who participated in this event. (Pictures of the event will be available at www.facebook.com/NJFFA shortly)
Title and Address
Senior Associate Dean for Learning
Associate Teaching Professor of Plant Biology and Pathology
SEBS250 Coordinator
Department of Plant Biology
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences,
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey