Events
With education and collaboration at the forefront of REACH’s efforts, we host free one-day symposiums that bring together community members, governmental leaders, and researchers to address critical issues in environmental hazard detection and mitigation. Stay tuned for upcoming offerings and see some of our past events below:
Mr. Christopher Testa, Mr. Frantz Volcy, Mr. Intashan Chowdhury, Mr. Robert Hoffman, Ms. Marisa Mesrpoian, Dr. Michel Boufadel, Ms. Catherine Melendez 
Industry Leaders Unite 
Major Douglas Lemanowicz, Commanding Officer, NJ Office of Emergency Management 
State Senator Gordon Johnson 
Assemblywoman Shama Haidar with Senator Gordon Johnson
Flood Resilience Workshop
Date: Thursday, April 17, 2025
Hosted by: REACH, The Center for Natural Resources at NJIT, and The Mitigation Unit – NJ Office of Emergency Management
REACH, the Center for Natural Resources at NJIT, and the NJ Office of Emergency Management hosted a workshop focused on flood mitigation strategies. It brought together leaders from academic institutions, the private sector, and government agencies, with State Senator Gordon Johnson, Assemblywoman Shama Haidar, and a representative of Congressman Gottheimer in attendance. This cross-industry collaboration represents the workshop and REACH’s commitment to examining the multifaceted challenges posed by urban flooding and exploring innovative, community-informed solutions.
Event Highlights:
– Program Overview and Welcoming Remarks by Michel C. Boufadel
– Keynote Address by Major Douglas Lemanowicz
– Remarks by Christopher Testa
– Community Perspective from Robert Hoffmann
– Open Discussion moderated by Michel C. Boufadel
Major Douglas Lemanowicz, Commanding Officer, NJ Office of Emergency Management 
Major Douglas Lemanowicz, Commanding Officer, NJ Office of Emergency Management 
Dr. Michel C. Boufadel from Center for Natural Resources 
Dr. Omowunmi Sadik addressing the audience 
Mr. Christopher Testa, Mitigation Unit Manager, NJ Office of Emergency Management 
Mr. Christopher Testa, Mitigation Unit Manager, NJ Office of Emergency Management 
Mr. Robert Hoffman from City of Englewood, NJ 
Mr. Robert Hoffman from City of Englewood, NJ
Technology Showcase
Date: March 12, 2025
Hosted by: NJIT
Key Topics:
– Regional case studies on storm-related impacts
– Strategic approaches to flood mitigation and infrastructure resilience
– Collaborative models for emergency management
– Open forums to generate actionable insights and policy recommendations
Event Highlights
– A networking luncheon and formal welcome by NJIT leadership
– Presentations by senior representatives from the NJ State Police, NJ OEM, and local municipalities
– Panel discussions and an open Q&A session with subject-matter experts
reach-nj.org 