The ORA recognizes the importance that technology can play in the future of research design and extension programs. ORA staff expertise in software development provides the ability to custom tailor applications to meet the needs of its stakeholders and partners. The staff have experience in developing software solutions for traditional desktop computer systems, as well as web-based and tablet/mobile applications. Examples of custom software applications have ranged from distributed data collection tools, extension and education tools, real-time data collection software, custom GIS analytical tools, and web-based tools for data collection and analysis.
Current/Past Projects:
School District Accountability Scorecard
Project Investigators: Marc Pfeiffer (EJB/LGRC), Raphael Caprio (EJB/LGRC) and Lucas Marxen (NJAES/ORA)
The School District Accountability Scorecard website documents several New Jersey school districts whose compliance with transition plans are a condition of resuming full local control of their affairs. The site provides an administrative portal for the Bloustein Local Government Research Center to report on each school district’s progress through evaluation forms and uploads of documentation which automatically populate the public report card on the site. This project was funded by the NJ Department of Education.
Rutgers Cranberry Reporting App
Project Investigators: Leon Segal (Rutgers ORED) and Lucas Marxen (NJAES/ORA)
The Rutgers Cranberry Reporting App provides a digital platform for collecting annual production data from growers of Rutgers variety cranberries. The application allows for easy management of data year-to-year and provides administrative and reporting functionality for the Rutgers Office of Research Commercialization.
http://agproducts.rutgers.edu/cranberries/cranberry-reporting-app.html
Irrigation Water Recycling Application (ALPHA)
Project Investigators: Paul Gottlieb (SEBS/DAFRE)
The Irrigation Water Recycling Application will provide agricultural producers to evaluate their location and farming operation to determine whether it would be cost-effective to implement irrigation water recycling technology on their farm.
OceanAdapt
Project Investigators: Malin Pinsky (SEBS/DEENR)
The OceanAdapt portal was developed in partnership with the Pinksy Lab and provides data visualization of 50 years of marine species data both spatially and graphically to explore the effects of climate change on these populations. ORA developed an automated backend that allows for submission of the annual datasets and generates the spatial and tabular datasets utilized in the public interface, and provides download capabilities of the data for research and analysis.
PolarICE Data Stories
Project Investigators: Janice McDonnell (SEBS/DMCS)
The PolarICE Data Stories provide educational walkthroughs that explain scientific data and analysis related to the polar ice caps. ORA coded the interactive data stories and designed the data stories landing page utilized by educators.
NJ Land Link
Project Investigators: Lucas Marxen (NJAES/ORA) and Brian Schilling (NJAES/RCE)
NJ Land Link was developed in partnership with the Northeast Organic Farming Association NJ and the NJ State Agriculture Development Committee to provide an online platform to increase access to farmland in New Jersey by connecting farmland owners with young and beginning farmers looking for land or apprenticeship opportunities.
Rutgers Agritourism Corn Maze Budget Tool
Project Investigators: Brian Schilling (NJAES/RCE), Lisa Chase (UVT), Stephen Komar (NJAES/RCE) & Lucas Marxen (NJAES/RCE)
The Corn Maze Budget Tool provides an interactive tool for farmers to determine a budget and potential revenue from implementing a corn maze on their operation. The tool provides suggested values for items farmers may not have cost estimates for. The final budget sheet can be printed by the farmer for their records. This tool was funded as part of a broader grant from NESARE that developed tools and training materials for Extension personnel in agritourism.
Rutgers Cranberry Grower Economics & Profitability
Project Investigators: Leon Segal (Rutgers ORED), Lucas Marxen (NJAES/ORA) and Kevin Sullivan (NJAES/ORA)
The Cranberry Grower Economics & Profitability Tool allows growers to make an informed economic decision when choosing a cranberry variety to grow. The tool provides a budget analysis of growing the Rutgers Mullica Queen cranberry variety versus the Stevens variety (or a custom option) and provides a cost-benefit analysis of the two including a 10-year return on investment.
Visit NJ Farms
Project Investigators: Brian Schilling (NJAES/RCE) and Lucas Marxen (NJAES/ORA)
Visit NJ Farms was originally developed in 2006 and was one of the first statewide marketing platforms for agritourism and farm-visit operations in the country. The website allows farmers to create accounts and update the products, services, and events on their farm in real-time. Users can search by type or specific offerings and can receive driving directions to farms. This application was originally developed with support from the NJ Department of Agriculture and the NJ Farm Bureau, and has received additional support from the NJ Farm Direct Marketing Association.
Rutgers Healthy Environments Data Collection Apps
Project Investigators: Carol Byrd-Bredbenner (SEBS/DNS)
The Rutgers Healthy Environments Data Collection Apps consists of four tools for collecting data on various health factors around school and college campuses. Tools have been developed for collecting data on walking/biking paths and resources, vending machine food/beverage options, dining/restaurant food options, and store/convenience food options. The applications provide easy to use interfaces for data collection by students and the datasets can be extracted for analysis through an administrative portal.