The Bloustein School is pleased to announce the recent promotion of several school faculty. Juan Ayala and Jim Samuel have both been promoted to Professor of Professional Practice and approved by the Rutgers-New Brunswick Provost’s office as of May 7, 2026
“I am thrilled to recognize these promotions, which speak to the dedication and excellence our faculty bring to the Bloustein School every day,” said Dean Stuart Shapiro. “Their commitment to both their students and their scholarship strengthens our community and elevates everything we do here. Please join me in congratulating our colleagues.”
 Juan Ayala |
Juan Ayala’s teaching bridges academic inquiry with real-world application, guiding students through applied studio projects that address authentic planning and design challenges. He emphasizes an iterative design process, evidence-based exploration, and critical visual analysis—helping students understand how design thinking informs and improves practice. A member of the Bloustein faculty since 2013, he also served as an instructor in the master’s in urban planning program from 2010-2013. |
 Jim Samuel |
Jim Samuel is an information and artificial intelligence (AI) scientist with significant industry experience in finance, technology, entrepreneurship and data analytics. His primary research covers human intelligence and artificial intelligences interaction and information philosophy; his applied research focuses on the optimal use of big data and smart data driven AI applications, text analytics, natural language processing, public informatics and socioeconomic implications of AI, applied machine learning, social media analytics, AI education and AI bias. Jim is also the Executive Director of the school’s Master of Public Informatics degree program. |