Alumni Events

Join us for a celebration of planning and economic development in New Jersey, surrounded by a 550,000-gallon Shark Realm exhibit highlighting hundreds of amazing fish and nearly two dozen sharks! Guests will also have an opportunity to "meet a penguin" up close and personal.

Register at https://go.rutgers.edu/ejbapa-aquarium 

The night will feature three hours of open bar, food, music, and networking with friends in the Garden State and throughout the country.

Free parking is available at the venue.

Bus service to and from the Adventure Aquarium will be offered to guests attending the National Planning Conference in Philadelphia. Please note you will need transportation during the registration process, and details will follow.

Hosted By: APA New Jersey, the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Rowan University, Downtown New Jersey, and the New Jersey Office of Planning Advocacy.

In 2004, registered nurse Charles Cullen was convicted of murdering 29 patients throughout his 16 year career in hospitals and nursing homes in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Nicknamed the “Angel of Death,” Cullen confessed to killing up to 40 people, though many suspect the number to be significantly higher.

In 2022 the documentary, Capturing the Killer Nurse, was released. The film chronicles the work of law enforcement, the judicial system, and Cullen’s coworkers in obtaining Cullen’s confession and bringing him to justice. Eye witness accounts from detectives, Cullen’s co-workers, and Amy Loughren, a friend and fellow nurse instrumental in Cullen’s eventual capture, are featured. Interviews with family members of the victims, journalist and author Charles Graeber, and audio from Cullen himself are also included. Detailing how investigators were able to prove Cullen was killing patients, the documentary also takes a look at how the U.S. healthcare system enabled Cullen to continue to commit his crimes without consequences.

The screening of the documentary will be followed by a panel discussion featuring professionals involved in the case and other leading health care authorities Panelists will discuss how Cullen almost got away with murder and explore lessons for health care leaders and managers who are charged with preventing such occurrences in the future.

<Panel Discussion>

Panel discussion with several professionals involved in bringing Cullen to justice, as well as other experts, to discuss what health care leaders, medical practitioners, and public safety officials need to know to keep the public safe from such crimes.

5:00 p.m.     Introductory comments by Stuart Shapiro, PhD, Bloustein School
Interim Dean
5:15 p.m.  Screening of Capturing the Killer Nurse  (approximately 90 minutes)
6:45 p.m.  Break and refreshments
7:15 p.m.    Panel discussion will includes several people involved in bringing Cullen to justice as well as other experts to discuss what medical practitioners, healthcare providers, law and public safety officials, and the State of New Jersey learned about the medical professionals and institutions entrusted with keeping the public safe.

• Moderator, Hon. Paul Armstrong, JSC(Ret), MA, JD, LLM, Bloustein School Judge-in Residence and Presiding Judge, The State of New Jersey v. Charles Cullen
• Daniel Baldwin, MAS, Retired Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Detective and former Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice, Monmouth University and Brookdale Community College
• Francis Barchi, PhD, MBE, Bloustein School Associate Professor and coordinator of the undergraduate medical ethics and health policy program
• Caroline Dorsen, PhD, FNP-BC, FAAN, Associate Dean of Clinical Partnerships and Associate Professor, Rutgers School of Nursing; Associate Professor, Rutgers School of Public Health
• George F. Jackson, PhD, F-ABFT, NRCC-TC, Executive Director of Laboratories, Chief Toxicologist, Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner
• John Zen Jackson, JD, FACTL, Attorney, Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis LLPSteven Marcus, MD, former Executive and Medical Director, NJ Poison Control Center

The interplay between health systems and the life sciences is a critical driver in the discovery and development of new therapies and cures. This symposium is designed to provide insight into the respective roles of health systems and the life sciences that foster the development of lifesaving and life-enhancing research and solutions. The half-day event will include several panel discussions and include representatives from select health systems, pharmaceutical and life science companies, and patient advocates. The audience will consist of students, faculty, healthcare executives, industry representatives and the media.