Embedded Spring: Rutgers-Resilient Infrastructure: Energy, Water and Sustainable Tourism in Barbados
The Program
Students will learn about business challenges in a resource-constrained Caribbean economy and work with local students to develop real-world solutions for local institutions.
Program Locations
Barbados
Bridgetown
Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, has a population of almost 100,000. Located on the island’s south-west coast, the city is a major financial and commercial center of the Caribbean. Broad Street runs through the heart of Bridgetown, passing the Parliament building, and is the city’s main shopping thoroughfare. Other sights of interest include Independence Square, the Barbados Museum, and a statue of Lord Nelson. With average temperatures around 30°C/86ºF all year round, Bridgetown is a distinctly laid-back city with plenty of cafés and refreshment stands.
Academics
This course explores how energy and water systems—core “utilities of the future”—shape the resilience, cost structure, and sustainability of tourism economies, particularly in island and coastal regions such as Barbados and the New Jersey coast.
Students will apply systems thinking, financial analysis, and business strategy to real-world infrastructure challenges, including energy cost volatility, water scarcity, and climate resilience. The course is structured as an applied systems and strategy lab, culminating in team-based solutions developed for real or simulated stakeholders.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Apply systems thinking to integrated energy and water infrastructure
2. Analyze economic and operational drivers of utilities in tourism economies
3. Evaluate trade-offs among sustainability, cost, and reliability
4. Develop financially viable infrastructure strategies (CapEx, ROI, payback)
5. Communicate executive-level recommendations to technical and non-technical stakeholders
Housing and Meals
Students will share double rooms in hotels. Students are responsible for all meals unless otherwise indicated.
Scholarships
Faculty Leaders
Jay Goldring, Ph.D., has over 40 years’ experience in quality, safety and regulatory compliance programs in government and the pharmaceutical, food and consumer products industries. He was appointed as an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at Rutgers in July 2023.
Most recently, Dr. Goldring led the quality, safety and regulatory affairs function at Supergoop!, a small sunscreen brand. Previously he held similar roles at several cosmetic manufacturers including Avon and L’Oreal; the food ingredients division of National Starch and Chemical and the pharmaceutical manufacturers Wyeth and Schering-Plough. Prior to joining industry, he served as lead toxicologist with the Wisconsin Health Department investigating the health effects of air pollution and hazardous waste disposal. He also taught public health and toxicology courses at University of Wisconsin, the former University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ; now Rutgers Medical School) and Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
Dr. Goldring earned his bachelor’s degree at Columbia University, and a Master of Science in Public Health and Doctorate of Toxicology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He has served in leadership positions in the Personal Care Products Council, the cosmetics industry trade association, and the Walmart Sustainability Consortium. In his spare time, Dr. Goldring enjoys outdoor sports including running, mountain biking and swimming.