Dr. Kaplan leads the Rutgers Climate Institute program office and manages the full portfolio of Rutgers Climate Institute activities in consultation with the Co-Directors. She also co-facilitates the New Jersey Climate Change Alliance and is Co-director of the New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center. She participates and helps develop applied research and analyses related to natural carbon sinks, climate and health/ health equity, climate resiliency and climate and agriculture. Dr. Kaplan's almost 40-year career has included more than 20 years in government and 10 years in the private sector. She was the first Director of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Climate and Energy where she oversaw regulatory programs under the Global Warming Response Act, the Global Warming Solutions Fund Law and regional initiatives to address climate change within various sectors including the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Dr. Kaplan holds a B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University and a Masters and Doctorate of Public Health from Columbia University.
Publications:
Sacatelli, Rachael, Kaplan, M. , Carleton, G. and Lathrop, R.G.. 2023. Coastal Forest Dieback in the Northeast USA: Potential Mechanisms and Management Responses. Sustainability 15, no. 8: 6346. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086346
Shope, J., Alguera, A., Broccoli, A., Gerbush, M., Herb, J., Kaplan, M., Marxen, L., Rodriguez-Saona, C. & Robinson, D. 2023. State of the Climate: New Jersey Report design and cover photo by Gattuso Media Design. 2022. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ.
O'Lear, A., Kaplan, M., Lathrop, R., Idell, C., Marxen, L. and Zipse, P. 2022. Forest Resource Considerations for A New Jersey Natural and Working Lands Strategy. Prepared for the New Jersey Climate Change Alliance and submitted to NJDEP.
O'Lear, A., Kaplan, M. and Schafer, K. 2022. Wetland Resource Considerations for A New Jersey Natural and Working Lands Strategy. Prepared for the New Jersey Climate Change Alliance and submitted to NJDEP.
Shope, J., Broccoli, A., Frei, B., Gerbush, M., Herb, J., Kaplan, M., Langer, E., Marxen, L., & Robinson, D. 2022. State of the Climate: New Jersey 2021. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
Kaplan, M., Paolini, J., Kelemen, S., Murphy, S., and Robson, M. (2021). Ecosystem Service Valuation Approaches and Carbon Mitigation Considerations for Garden State Agriculture. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. doi:10.7282/t3-2zcv-d592
Schattman, R. E., Lane, E., & Kaplan, M. June 2021. Building a community of climate communicators in agriculture. International Association of Society and Natural Resources (IASNR) annual conference (online).
Sacatelli, R., Lathrop, R.G., and Kaplan, M. 2020. Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal Forests in the Northeast US. Rutgers Climate Institute, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. 48 p. DOI: https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-n4tn-ah53 .
Kopp, R.E., C. Andrews, A. Broccoli, A. Garner, D. Kreeger, R. Leichenko, N. Lin, C. Little, J.A. Miller, J.K. Miller, K.G. Miller, R. Moss, P. Orton, A. Parris, D. Robinson, W. Sweet, J. Walker, C.P. Weaver, K. White, M. Campo, M. Kaplan, J. Herb, and L. Auermuller. 2019. New Jersey’s Rising Seas and Changing Coastal Storms: Report of the 2019 Science and Technical Advisory Panel. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Prepared for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Trenton, New Jersey.
Herb, J. and M. Kaplan. 2019. Field Notes: Equity & State Climate Policy. Prepared for the RGGI Project Series: The Environmental Analysis & Communications Group, Rutgers University Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, and the Rutgers Climate Institute.
Kaplan, M., J. Herb, and L. Auermuller. How to Save New Jersey from the Rising Tide? June 23, 2019. Op-Ed. NJ.Com. Available at https://impact.rutgers.edu/the-rising-tide/#group-about-the-authors-yHWAtnagrC.
Schattman, R.E., M. Kaplan, H.M. Aitken, and J. Helminski. 2019. Climate change curricula for adult audiences in agriculture and forestry: A review. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education. doi: 10.1177/1477971419840670.
Herb, J, M. Kaplan, M. Campo, S. Kennedy, A. Wainwright, and H. Berman. 2019. An Overview of State Coastal Zone Management Policies Designed to Promote Coastal Resilience. Prepared for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. New Brunswick, NJ: The Environmental Analysis & Communications Group, Rutgers University Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and Rutgers Climate Institute. doi: https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-p3mx-bs83.