Research Centers

Center for Environmental Management and Analysis (CEMA)

The Department of Earth and Environmental Studies created the CEMA in 2000. The Center is charged with fostering study and new research of urban environmental management issues and problems through the sponsorship of colloquia, research projects, and educational programs. It serves as a valuable resource for Environmental Management doctoral students. Dr. R. Taylor serves as the Director of the Center.

Passaic River Institute (PRI)

The Passaic River Institute serves as an important repository of knowledge as related to the severely impacted Passaic river basin in Northern New Jersey. PRI, directed by Dr. K. Barrett conducts scientifically sound research, monitoring and assessment, publishing findings in technical reports and peer-reviewed journals. Research areas include contaminant biological uptake, ecotoxicology, pollutant fate, transport and distribution, ecosystem degradation and restoration, and effectiveness of environmental policy. The Institute vigorously seeks external funding to support this research. PRI also develops scientific content for environmental education programs and supports science teachers in delivering this content. PRI organizes academic and public conferences to facilitate exchange of ideas and information regarding the basin – three Passaic River Symposia have been organized between 2004 and 2008. PRI cooperates and collaborates with public and private sectors including federal, state and local agencies, corporations, schools and environmental advocacy groups.

Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL)

RSL is located in the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies and promotes the goals of the graduate and doctoral education in Environmental Management. Research activities in the lab, headed by Dr. M. Chopping are sponsored by NASA. Current projects include: using data from NASA's Earth Observing System satellite instruments to map carbon pools in arid environments of the southwestern US; exploiting data from the Compact High Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (CHRIS) flown on the European Space Agency's PROBA satellite. A current research focus is the use of data from the unique NASA/JPL Multiangle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR), including cutting-edge work on mapping forest canopy height as well as crown cover; and mapping woody plant cover and community type in desert grasslands. Equipment comprises Sun and Mac Unix workstations linked via high speed networking to CSAM servers, as well as PCs, plotters, and a high resolution drum scanner. Software includes ERDAS Imagine, Arc/INFO, ENVI, IDL, ArcGIS, and proprietary codes.

New Jersey School of Conservation (NJSOC)

NJSOC is the Environmental Education Field Campus of Montclair State University. It is the oldest university-operated environmental education center in the US. It is located 57 miles (92 km) from the Montclair campus on a 240-acre (0.97 km2) tract located in Stokes State Forest in Sussex County, New Jersey, with dormitories and complete food service. Directed by Dr. William Thomas, the mission of the School is to convey knowledge of how Earth systems operate and how human actions affect these systems. The School’s goal is to educate and cultivate environmentally responsible behaviors that lead to the resolution of current environmental problems, the avoidance of future environmental problems, and the promotion for sustainable environmental practices. The environmental education programs provide field experiences in the environmental sciences, humanities, outdoor pursuits, and the social sciences. Each academic year the School provides environmental education programs for nearly 9,000 elementary/secondary school students, and nearly 1,000 teachers from about 100 schools. It serves as an excellent field site for research projects conducted by the masters and doctoral students in Environmental Management.