Rutgers' Cook College is the land-grant college of Rutgers, The
State University of New Jersey. Directly descended from the Rutgers
Scientific School, the original land-grant unit at Rutgers, Cook
College was created in 1973 and designated a professional school in
1982. It is named in honor of George Hammel Cook (1818-1889), a
renowned geologist and teacher at the Rutgers Scientific School. Cook
College is closely aligned with Rutgers' other land-grant component,
the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station/Rutgers Cooperative
Research and Extension (RCR&E), the state-mandated research and
outreach arm of the university.
Undergraduate programs are
designed to promote the study of challenges facing society in the areas
of agriculture and food systems; environment and natural resources;
food, nutrition, and health; and human and community development.
Faculty members from Cook College and RCR&E pursue mission-based
teaching, research, and outreach to solve problems faced by the people
of New Jersey, and challenge students to adopt the same mission-based
approach to their educational experience at Cook College.
Often, teaching, research, and outreach are done in collaboration with
faculty members from various departments, centers, and institutes from
throughout the university and beyond. Cook College students have not
only access to quality classroom experiences, but also the opportunity
to participate with faculty in world-class research projects funded by
major funding agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and
the United States Department of Agriculture. Through Rutgers
Cooperative Research and Extension, Cook College students have the
opportunity to work with faculty members throughout the state, who are
applying Rutgers' research to address local needs.
