Dr. Michel Boufadel Receives 2024–2025 Nexus of Excellence Award for Excellence and Impact in Community Engagement
The award highlights Dr. Boufadel’s leadership in advancing flood resilience, environmental justice, and community partnerships through CNR’s initiatives.
October 8, 2025, Newark, NJ
Dr. Michel Boufadel receiving the 2024–2025 Nexus of Excellence Award for Excellence and Impact in Community Engagement.
Dr. Michel Boufadel, Director of the Center for Natural Resources (CNR) and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NJIT, has received the 2024–2025 Nexus of Excellence Award for Excellence and Impact in Community Engagement. The award recognizes faculty members who demonstrate exceptional leadership in developing meaningful partnerships with communities and who make significant contributions to public policy, environmental stewardship, and social resilience.
Through his leadership at CNR and the Resilience Excellence and Capacity Hub, Dr. Boufadel has built lasting institutional frameworks that connect academic research with real-world community needs. His work has focused on advancing strategies for climate resilience, environmental justice, and flood risk mitigation through close collaboration with municipal partners and public agencies. One of the most notable achievements under his direction has been establishing a formal partnership with the City of Newark, which has enabled targeted flood vulnerability assessments and resilience planning for vulnerable neighborhoods. These studies have informed infrastructure investments and helped shape municipal approaches to managing the increasing risks posed by extreme weather events and sea level rise.
In addition to his work with Newark, Dr. Boufadel has led CNR’s efforts to conduct flood vulnerability studies for multiple towns across New Jersey. These studies combine advanced hydrodynamic modeling with community-based data to provide actionable insights for local governments and stakeholders. By integrating scientific expertise with community perspectives, these initiatives support evidence-based decision making and promote equitable approaches to resilience planning.
Dr. Boufadel has also prioritized environmental justice as a core focus of CNR’s mission. He has guided student and faculty research teams in addressing critical issues affecting underserved communities, ensuring that the benefits of scientific innovation extend to populations that are often disproportionately affected by environmental hazards. His leadership has played a key role in positioning CNR as a trusted partner for municipalities, state agencies, and community organizations seeking to build capacity for climate adaptation.
The Nexus of Excellence Award for Excellence and Impact in Community Engagement highlights the transformative role that research-driven, community-centered initiatives can play in shaping public policy and building resilient communities. Dr. Boufadel’s work exemplifies NJIT’s commitment to applying academic expertise in ways that create tangible, lasting benefits for society.