Amazing Alumni
A selection of amazing alums spanning the Cook College years (1973-2007).
Skip Hyberg (CC'74)
USDA's 2013 Economist of the Year
Described as "a quantitative and scientific force behind the nation’s largest conservation program," Hyberg helped to design and implement the USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program, one of the largest private-lands conservation programs in the U.S.
Fred Tyson (CC'77)
Visionary Program Manager at NIEHS
Fred has established landmark research programs at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences that address public health, environmental justice and health disparities in underserved populations in the U.S.
Cynthia Rosenzweig (CC'80, GSNB'83)
Winner of the 2022 World Food Prize
A NASA Climate Scientist, Cynthia Rosenzweig started her career as a farmer and spent four decades cultivating our understanding of the biophysical and socio-economic impacts that climate change and food systems have on each other.
Sue Wicks (CC'88)
Hall-of-Fame Basketball Star
Former WNBA star Sue Wicks is the most highly-decorated player in the history of Scarlet Knight basketball and is a member of the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni, the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
Chi Modu (CC'89)
Photographer Known for His Iconic Images of Rap Superstars
This native Nigerian discovered his love for photography before pursuing photojournalism at the International Center of Photography in New York, and publishing his iconic images in The Source, the world's longest-running hip-hop and rap magazine.
Kelly Bidle (CC'91)
Inaugural Dean of Rider University's College of Arts and Sciences
Kelly Bidle, a former student-athlete, bleeds scarlet. Her roots go deeper than her Cook degree as all three of her children are earning Rutgers degrees while her husband is a professor of marine sciences on the Rutgers–New Brunswick campus.
Gary Brackett (CC'03)
Rutgers Football Star and Super Bowl Champ
From New Jersey high school athlete to Scarlet Knight football team captain, Gary Brackett kept reaching new heights in an outstanding football career that included nine seasons in the NFL and a Super Bowl ring in 2007 with the Indianapolis Colts.
Dylan Dreyer (CC'03)
Scientist and TV Meteorologist
She started out thinking she would be a research meteorologist, but an internship led to a successful career as a national TV weather personality.
Imran Majid (CC'05)
First Muslim-American to Lead a Major U.S. Record Label
From an outsider to a music insider on Billboard magazine 2023 Power 100 List that features the music industry’s top players, Majid loves to bring together musicians and songwriters, and discover new talent.
Matthew Edson (CC'07)
Founding Dean of New Jersey's First Veterinary School
Raised on a small New Jersey farm, Matthew fulfilled a childhood dream to become a veterinarian. Today, he's in the unique position of opening the doors for students seeking a veterinary medicine degree in New Jersey.
The First Class: Dedicated to Cook
Seven members of the Class of '77 found their home at Cook.
Anthony Broccoli (CC'77, GSNB'79,'98)
Studying the Bigger Picture of Climate Change
Tony came to Rutgers in the 1970s to study meteorology and left with his bachelor's and master's degrees—and later, his Ph.D. Following a stint as an instructor, he left for NOAA but was destined to return to his alma mater, where he rose to the prestigious rank of Distinguished Professor and served as a department chair.
Bruce Clarke (CC'77, GSNB'82)
Global Authority in the Field of Turfgrass Pathology
Bruce dedicated 40 years of service to the turfgrass industry and Rutgers, where he earned bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. He served in multiple leadership positions at the school and NJAES and played a key role in elevating the Rutgers turfgrass program to international recognition as a center of scientific and educational excellence during his tenure.
Greg DiLalo (CC'77, GSNB'79)
Fifty Consecutive Years on the G. H. Cook Campus
Greg is the Director of Information Technology Services and has a 50-year unbroken connection to the school. He was part of the first Cook College class to matriculate, while his daughter was among the last classes to graduate from Cook. And his family connection to Rutgers is a true Scarlet story that goes back more than 100 years.
Nicki Graf (CC'77)
Plant Whisperer of the Floriculture Greenhouse
Nicki has been shaping the careers of the students who pass through the Floriculture greenhouse that she's managed for the past 35 years on the G. H. Cook campus. She takes great pride in teaching generations of students about gardening techniques and more utilizing the greenhouse's vast plant collections and the urban garden.
Jill Lipoti (CC'77, GSNB'85)
An Indelible Part of RU Sustainable Movement
Jill credits Cook College and her illustrious classmates with sparking the curiosity that led to diverse interests that all relate to environmental science, and which eventually led her back to the campus where she played a pivotal role in the development of a new academic Minor in Sustainability at her alma mater
Mark Robson (CC'77, GSNB'79,'88, SPH'95)
Making His Mark at Rutgers for More Than 50 Years
Mark started attending functions on campus as a 4-H Club member. Fifty years, four degrees, and several positions later, this one-time Helyar House resident remains steadfast. A Distinguished Professor, Mark was recently named Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Education for Rutgers University–New Brunswick and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.
Daniel Van Abs (CC'77)
Leading on the Environment and Philanthropy
Dan has a combined 40-plus years of service in statewide environmental management and academia and has emerged as an environmental leader and a tireless advocate for clean water management. His dedication to Rutgers encompasses both a love for teaching and generous support of students and their success.